The British & Irish Lions are in Adelaide for their final match before the first Test against the Wallabies with players having one last chance to shine in front of Andy Farrell.
They will be up against an AUNZ Invitational XV made up for stars from both sides of the Tasman Sea, with future Wallabies coach Les Kiss leading the side.
The clash brings back memories of the 1989 Lions Tour when the team battled past an ANZAC XV having already pulled off a comeback win in the Test series against the Wallabies.
History
Unlike the Super Rugby franchises that the Lions have faced up to this point on the Qatar Airways British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2025 to date, this AUNZ Invitational XV does not play week in, week out.
The idea first came into existence when the Lions headed Down Under in 1989, taking on an ANZAC team that paid homage to those who had fought in World War I from Australia and New Zealand.
On that occasion, a number of the New Zealand team withdrew from the game in Ballymore, but it was still a very strong side that faced the Lions.
Nick Farr-Jones and Michael Lynagh were the half-back pairing, as they went on to be in the Test series, while David Campese, Frano Botica and future Italy coach Kieran Crowley added some sparkle in the backline.
Up front, Simon Poidevin was a standout inclusion in the back row, alongside All Black prop Steve McDowell up front.
A buoyant Lions team, fresh from a 2-1 series victory, got the better of the game in Ballymore, winning 19-15 to finish their Tour on a high.
Squad
There is no shortage of quality in the AUNZ Invitational XV squad this time around, with Kiss and former All Blacks boss Ian Foster having lots of star talent from which to choose.
The back row alone is brimming with talent as recent All Blacks Shannon Frizell and Hoskins Sotutu are joined by Wallaby and recent Champions Cup winner Pete Samu, who has been plying his trade with Bordeaux-Begles.
The team is co-captained by Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the second row, and he will share that role with All Black centre David Havili.
Havili and Ngani Laumape form a dangerous centre pairing while Australian fans will be only too familiar with Marika Koroibete on the left wing.
Players to watch
It is hard to look past Koroibete, who arrives from club rugby in Japan and has been one of Australia’s most consistent performers over the past half-decade.
On his last trip to Adelaide, the winger went viral for a sensational last-ditch tackle on Makazole Mapimpi in a win over the world champions in 2022.
While he has not been selected in the initial Wallabies squad for the Test series against the Lions, Koroibete will be hoping to impress Joe Schmidt in this run-out.
Elsewhere, Samu features after a brilliant season for Bordeaux in France, where he helped them to a European title as well reaching the Top 14 final.
Now heading back to Australia to play club rugby, he has a chance to remind everyone what a dynamic player he is.
Venue
Adelaide is not generally considered one of the heartlands of Australian rugby, but there have been some notable matches at the Adelaide Oval down the years.
In fact, it was at the city’s cricket ground that they played both rugby union and Australian rules on the very first Lions Tour all the way back in 1888.
The ground was then used in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, most notably in Ireland’s 16-15 win over Argentina, before it hosted a Rugby Championship clash between the Wallabies and the Springboks three years ago.
Away from union, the ground is best known for hosting cricket and Aussie rules while its record attendance came in 2017 when Adele played a gig there.
