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British and Irish Lions vs Western Force: Team announcement, how to watch on TV, radio

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Hamilton: Lions left with more questions than answers after Argentina defeat (1:46)

Tom Hamilton reacts to the British and Irish Lions beginning their 2025 tour with defeat to Argentina in Dublin. (1:46)

The British and Irish Lions have travelled Down Under with their first victory of the summer elluding them after a 28-24 defeat to Argentina in their tour opener.

Still, as ESPN's Tom Hamilton writes, that game will quickly be forgotten if the squad can start winning in Australia, beginning with a clash with Perth-based Super Rugby side Western Force on Saturday.

Here is everything you need to know.

When is the game?

When: Saturday, June 28 at 8 p.m. AEST (11 a.m. Saturday BST)

Where: Optus Stadium, Perth

Match official: Ben O'Keeffe


How to watch

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and on Stan Sport in Australia. For radio, TalkSport will be providing live commentary, while BBC Radio Wales will deliver Welsh commentary.

You can also follow ESPN's live blog, as well as extensive news and feature coverage.


Lineups

England back-row Henry Pollock and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell headline a strong British and Irish Lions side to face the Western Force on Saturday.

As expected, coach Andy Farrell has made wholesale changes to the side that lost to Argentina last Friday, with Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne the only survivors in the starting XV, although Beirne moves from lock to blindside flanker.

20-year-old Pollock was picked for the tour by Farrell after a breakout season, having earned his first England cap -- where he scored two tries off the bench against Wales -- and impressing for club side Northampton.

Russell is one of several players who joined the squad late after completing their URC and Premiership seasons. He is widely expected to start in the Tests against the Wallabies, and gets his first chance to cement his spot on Saturday.

Ben Donaldson is on his way across the Nullabor Plain to Perth, the Wallabies back rushed into Western Force's run-on XV for their clash with the British & Irish Lions following a hamstring injury to veteran Kurtley Beale.

Thirty-six-year-old Beale was due to start at fullback for the Force in the Lions' first game Down Under, before he was scrubbed on Thursday, just hours before coach Simon Cron was due to unveil his matchday 23.

- Tom Hamilton from Dublin: Time will tell if Lions loss was a blip or an omen
- James Regan: Three things we learned from Lions opener
- British and Irish Lions vs. Argentina: As it happened

- Full fixture list for Lions tour of Australia
- Everything you need to know about summer Lions tour

- The full 38-man Lions squad