We have an Australia v British & Irish Lions prediction for you, plus a breakdown of the betting odds, team news and matchups ahead of the second test match of the series.
The Lions came on the right side of a 27-19 scoreline in the first test, dominating early with tries from Tuipulotu, Curry, and Sheehan, but a late Australian rally meant only 8 points separated the sides.
Saturday, the Lions will be looking to clinch the series with another victory down under, which would make it 8 Series victories for the Lions over Australia and the second one in succession following their 2-1 victory in 2013.
Find out everything you need to know below for this test.
How To Watch Australia v British & Irish Lions
When is Australia v British & Irish Lions
Date : Saturday, July 26th, 2025
Kick-off Time : 11:00 am GMT / 8:00 pm AEST (local time)
TV Channel
UK and Ireland : Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action (rebranded as 'Sky Sports The Lions' for Test weekends)
Australia : Channel 9 (free-to-air for Test matches)
Live Stream
UK and Ireland : Sky Go app (for Sky Sports subscribers), NOW (with a Day or Month pass)
Australia : 9Now (free for Test matches), Stan Sport (ad-free, requires subscription)
Who are the officiating team?
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant Referees : Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
TMO : Eric Gauzins (France)
Where is Australia v British & Irish Lions
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Australia v British & Irish Lions Odds
Team | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Australia | 10/3 | 23.1% |
British & Irish Lions | 2/9 | 81.8% |
Draw | 20/1 | 4.8% |
Australia are currently priced at 10/3 to win this game.
British & Irish Lions are favourites at odds of 2/9, and the draw is seen as a 20/1 chance.
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Match Betting Enhanced
Australia @ 7/2
British & Irish Lions @ 1/4
Draw @ 20/1
Handicap Betting
Australia: +10 @ 10/11
British & Irish Lions -10 @ 10/11
Handicap Draw: -10 @ 18/1
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Australia v British & Irish Lions Team News
Australia Team News
Starting XV
Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter; Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson.
Substitutes
Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson.
v British & Irish Lions Team News
Starting XV
Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Substitutes
Rónan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn.
Australia v British & Irish Lions Preview
Australia Form
Australia’s Last 5 Test Results
Australia 19-27 British & Irish Lions (July 19, 2025, Brisbane) – Loss
Australia were beaten 19-27 in the first test, being dominated by tries from Tuipulotu, Curry, and Sheehan, though a late rally from them meant that only 8 points separated the sides at full time.
Australia 21-18 Fiji (July 6, 2025, Newcastle) – Win
A late try by captain Harry Wilson in the 79th minute secured a narrow victory over Fiji at McDonald Jones Stadium, overcoming a spirited Fijian comeback led by a stunning try from Lekima Tagitagivalu.
Ireland 22-19 Australia (November 30, 2024, Dublin) – Loss
Australia fell just short against Ireland, who mounted a comeback from an eight-point deficit to win narrowly, exposing the Wallabies' struggles to close out tight matches against top-tier sides.
Scotland 27-13 Australia (November 24, 2024, Murrayfield) – Loss
The Wallabies were outplayed by a strong Scottish side, with Sione Tuipulotu scoring early for Scotland, highlighting Australia's difficulty maintaining defensive solidity.
Wales 20-52 Australia (November 17, 2024, Cardiff) – Win
Australia dominated Wales, with Matt Faessler and Tom Wright scoring hat-tricks, achieving their highest score against Wales in Cardiff despite a red card to Samu Kerevi.
Analysis
The Wallabies showed resilience in their 27-19 loss last weekend with late tries from both Tizzano and McDermott putting a tinge of respect on the scoreline. Max Jorgensen’s stunning try, beating Hugo Keenan in the air, highlighted their attacking potential. Despite being outplayed, Australia’s bench impact offers hope for the second Test in Melbourne.
However, there will be a sense that the Australians benefited from the Lions taking their foot off the gas when they saw that the game was over as a contest. Despite the returns of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton to bolster the pack, there are major question marks about whether they can stop a Lions side in full flight from scoring, especially due to the physicality differences between the sides.
British & Irish Lions Form
British & Irish Lions Last 5 Test Results
Australia 19-27 British & Irish Lions (July 19, 2025, Brisbane) – Win
The British & Irish Lions secured a commanding 27-19 victory over Australia in the first Test, with tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry, and Dan Sheehan showcasing their physical dominance and cohesive attack.
AUNZ Invitational XV 0-48 Lions (July 12, 2025, Adelaide) – Win The Lions delivered a commanding performance, with Duhan van der Merwe scoring a hat-trick and tries from Sione Tuipulotu, Scott Cummings, Ronan Kelleher, and Henry Pollock, showcasing their attacking depth.
ACT Brumbies 24-36 Lions (July 9, 2025, Canberra) – Win A patchy victory saw tries from Ollie Chessum, James Lowe, Marcus Smith, Garry Ringrose, and Josh van der Flier, but the Lions conceded four tries, indicating defensive areas to address.
NSW Waratahs 10-21 Lions (July 5, 2025, Sydney) – Win
The Lions secured a scrappy win against a spirited Waratahs side, with their attack labouring but their defence holding firm to maintain their unbeaten tour record.
Queensland Reds 12-52 Lions (July 2, 2025, Brisbane) – Win
An eight-try demolition, with Maro Itoje among the scorers, highlighted the Lions' attacking prowess and set a strong tone for the tour.
Analysis
The British & Irish Lions head into the second Test in Melbourne with confidence after their 27-19 victory in Brisbane. Their dominant first-half performance, building a 17-5 lead, highlights their ability to exploit Australia’s defensive weaknesses. The Lions’ strong Irish contingent, combined with their physical pack, positions them well to maintain series momentum.
The Lions’ second-half discipline faltered in the first Test, allowing Australia’s late rally with tries from Tizzano and McDermott to narrow the gap to eight points. Forecast heavy rain in Melbourne could challenge their ball-handling and open-play style, especially against a Wallabies side bolstered by Valetini and Skelton. Failure to adapt to wet conditions risks squandering their 1-0 series lead.
Australia v British & Irish Lions Rugby Head-To-Head
All-Time Head-To-Head Record
There have been 9 series completed between Australia and the British & Irish Lions, with the Lions winning 7 of those series and Australia winning 2.
We’re now into the 10th series between the sides, and following last weekend’s result, the Lions have 18 wins and Australia have won 6
Most Recent Series
The Lions won the most recent series between these two sides 2-1 in 2013. The first two tests were tightly contested, with the Lions winning the first test 21-23 and then losing the second test 16-15. The third and final test was one-sided, however, with the Lions running away with a 16-41 victory.
Australia v British & Irish Lions Prediction & Best Bet
Prediction: Australia 10-33 British & Irish Lions
Australia can take some heart from their second-half showing last weekend, but they need to find consistency across 80 minutes to stand any chance.
The Lions will be looking to prove a point a seal the series in time following their poor finish to the game last season.
I’m expecting the Lions to do the business on Saturday.
Best Bet: British & Irish Lions -8 – 8/13
There may have been only 8 points separating the sides when it came to full-time last weekend, but I expect the Lions to come on from the first game, and expect a more ruthless edge as they look to steal the series victory in style.
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