It may not have been a vintage performance but The British & Irish Lions got the job done in Sydney, overcoming New South Wales Waratahs 21-10.

That is now three wins from three since arriving in Australia – and there are no shortage of talking points as the Tour continues at pace…

Huwipulotu link-up bears fruit

This was the first time Scotland pair Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu were handed starts alongside each other in Lions red – and it did not take them long to showcase their chemistry.

A trademark link-up after 11 minutes saw Jones take hold of Tuipulotu’s no-look pass and surge over for the Lions opening score.

The same player doubled his tally later in the first half and now has three tries on the Tour, while the duo – who also play club rugby together at Glasgow Warriors – will hope for more opportunities to join forces as the Lions continue to build towards the first Test in a fortnight.

Mitchell impresses

A scrappy game such as the one this became needs a player to stand up and take it by the scruff of the neck, and Alex Mitchell did just that.

The England scrum-half was a probing presence around the breakdown throughout and scored his side’s crucial third try when an elegant dummy fooled the home defence and gave him a clear run to the line.

He followed up with an excellent 50/22, after which he almost had an assist to his name only for Ellis Genge to spill as he twisted to try and ground the ball.

Mitchell admitted afterwards that, during the half-time interval, Andy Farrell had challenged himself and Northampton Saints teammate Fin Smith to exert more control. The message clearly got through, with the 28-year-old delivering a standout display.

Cummings stands tall

Scott Cummings was not expecting to start in Sydney but received an 11th-hour promotion from the replacements when Henry Pollock was withdrawn as a precaution due to tightness in his calf.

The Scot was straight into the action, tracking back brilliantly to disrupt a Waratahs break involving Teddy Wilson and Darby Lancaster, and was a menace at the lineout throughout.

An impressive display saw Cummings carry hard throughout and he was arguably the pick of the Lions pack. The giant lock has certainly not done his chances of featuring in the Tests any harm.

Back row competition heats up

Behind Cummings, there were three players looking to make their mark in the back row – among the more hotly-contested roles in the squad.

Tadhg Beirne captained the side, Josh van der Flier came close to a second-half try but spilled the ball forwards just short, while Ben Earl impressed at No.8.

The England man led the way for carries and metres made for the Lions and admitted he knew coming into the game that he had to make an impression.

“How good are our back row at the moment,” he said. “I knew I had to put my best foot forward. There were some good bits and some not so good bits of my game, it was a bit of a mixed bag.

“You can see the quality in the room and the pitch, we are only going to get better. You can already see the growths through from Argentina to tonight, it is about us getting more connected and we’ll go from there.”

Farrell fitting in

This marked the first matchday since Owen Farrell was drafted into the squad as injury cover for Elliot Daly and he already appears to be fitting in well.

Predictably picked out by the big screen as he sat among the other non-playing Lions squad members, Farrell received a few jeers from the Australian crowd – which Will Stuart promptly joined in with.

It led to smiles all round from those in red and a sign that the new arrival has been a popular one – though he may have to wait a bit longer to feature on the field.

Head Coach Andy Farrell said his son would ‘probably not’ feature against the Brumbies on Wednesday, adding: “He slept last night so hopefully the jetlag is not too bad. But there are protocols you have to go through and it normally takes a few more days than that.”