ADELAIDE, Australia — The British and Irish Lions used their final tour match ahead of the first test against the Wallabies to overwhelm an Australia and New Zealand combined side 48-0 on Saturday.
The Lions led 17-0 at halftime and poured on the tries in the second half before 43,124 spectators, a record for rugby in the Australian rules-mad state of South Australia.
Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe scored two of his three tries in an early 13-minute span as the Lions won for the fifth time in five matches on their Australian tour.
Controversial mid-tour replacement Owen Farrell came off the reserves bench in the 50th minute to a smattering of jeers. Farrell hasn't played international rugby since the 2023 World Cup and played no rugby in nine weeks.
In the 36th, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was knocked out after attempting a tackle and was taken off the field by stretcher. But he was seen walking along the sidelines in the second half.
After the match, Lions coach Andy Farrell said Cowan-Dickie was ''good and back to being his normal self. It was unfortunate. It was a concussion.''
Hours later, Jamie George — on tour with England in Argentina — was called up by the Lions as cover and was scheduled to fly out to Brisbane on Sunday.
Farrell also said outside center Garry Ringrose failed a concussion test following an injury late in the tour match against the ACT Brumbies on Wednesday ''which is unfortunate for him ... he'll be back later in the series. Jamie (Osborne) coming in means we have cover.''
