The British & Irish Lions are flying high off the back of a 48-0 win over the AUNZ Invitational XV on Saturday night.
Scotsman Duhan van der Merwe starred with a hat-trick at Adelaide Oval as the Lions racked up eight tries in their most clinical tour performance to date.
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Here's what we learned:
Welsh legend turned media pundit Dan Biggar wasn’t wrong when he described the 48-point win as “by far and away their best performance on tour”.
The Lions were on from the get-go with Hugo Keenan spotting an early quick lineout chance to set up hat-trick hero Duhan van der Merwe (more on him later) and never let AUNZ into the contest.
Backrower Ben Earl carried like a man possessed while Scottish midfielders Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones combined seamlessly to heap pressure onto Irish duo Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.
The Lions finished with almost twice the carry metres and twice the tackles of their antipodean rivals – this was a hungry performance from a side earlier branded by their own UK media as second-string.
Their speed both sides of the ball and ability to turn the screws in defence were elite and should give coach Andy Farrell all kinds of wonderful selection headaches.
Critics of the combined Australia-New Zealand side can enjoy an early breakfast of “egg on face” tomorrow morning after a record crowd turned out at Adelaide Oval.
While the AUNZ Invitational XV were well beaten on the scoreboard, the event itself was a resounding success with 43,124 people packing the stands.
Cheers of “Aussie Aussie Aussie” rang out in the early exchanges while an “Anzac” rallying cry also kicked off during the second half.
An even spread of gold, black and fresh AUNZ kits were on display – even a few 1989 Anzac species – and the crowd mood never wavered despite a one-sided affair.
It's a testament to the growing partnership between Rugby Australia and their New Zealand counterparts. Now, the real question will be whether the Kiwis return the favour in 2029.
Joe Schmidt has another selection headache after Lukhan Salakaia-Loto’s mammoth performance in the AUNZ second row.
The big Queenslander backed up his earlier Reds’ performance against the Lions with another brutal display for all 80 minutes in a well-beaten side.
Sakalaia-Loto topped the AUNZ carry count with 12 charges for 32 post-contact metres to go with three tackle busts and a line break.
It was the perfect audition ahead of the Wallabies' opening Lions Test next weekend - though Schmidt's stocks will be further bolstered by the returning Will Skelton.
Tane Edmed also produced one of his best performances of the year at flyhalf while high-profile internationals Pete Samu and Marika Koroibete were kept relatively quiet.
You just cannot keep Henry Pollock out of the game.
He's already racked up more minutes in a Lions jersey than the white of England but performances like tonight prove he'll be a world-class player - and pest - for years to come.
The firebrand backrower was in almost every big play of the night - clashing with Ngani Laumape over the chalk, breaking the line again, and beating Harry McLaughlin-Phillips in the 75th minute with a spectacular one-handed finish.
Pollock's confidence on the Lions stage is only growing but we're yet to see whether he'll be a key player in Farrell's Test 23.
Jac Morgan and Ben Earl again excelled while Irish duo Jack Conan and Josh van der Flier are hot favourites to feature next week in Brisbane too.
Owen Farrell's fairy-tale return to a Lions jersey is the gift that keeps on giving.
Scarily - it might also be a fell blow to the Wallabies hopes after the 33-year-old's clinical turn off the pine in Adelaide.
Farrell's calm and composure was on full display in an error-free half-hour stint at inside centre and it's not a stretch to suggest the Lions staff would enjoy his cool head in the Test cauldron.
With Finn Russell a rusted-on starter at flyhalf, Farrell Jnr now looms an option for the 22 or 23 jersey come next weekend's clash at Suncorp Stadium.
He'll be competing with countrymen Fin Smith and Marcus Smith for that second playmaker role - watch this space carefully.
