Tadhg Beirne
Position: Blindside flanker
Age: 33
Height: 6ft 6
Weight: 113kg (17st 11lbs)
RM Block
Lions Tests: 3
Points: 0
Why he’s so important: There is one statistic that goes to the centre of why the Munster and Ireland forward is invaluable to the teams in which he plays and that is the number of turnovers he manages. Beirne is a pilferer par extraordinaire at the breakdown. He has won eight turnovers in five matches on the current Lions tour and three of those came in last Saturday’s first Test.
Andy Farrell spoke about the Kildare native being a big-game player before selecting him in the win over the Wallabies and Beirne more than repaid that faith with a man-of-the-match display. His ability to survive the rough and tumble of clean-outs at rucks is remarkable at times.
It’ll be a surprise if Beirne isn’t targeted by the Aussies on Saturday to try to mitigate the threat he poses but they’ll have to be quick and shrewd. He’s also an excellent lineout forward and his athleticism allows him to be a regular contributor on both sides of the ball. He’s stuck 58 of 64 tackles.
There’s no need though to rely on numbers to evaluate his contribution as his value to the Lions is easily discernible to the naked eye. He is indeed one who performs in important games, something that he’ll be keen to reinforce in Melbourne.
Trivia: Beirne is one of three Lions to score on his debut, alongside wings Josh Adams and Duhan van der Merwe, having crossed for a try against Japan at Murrayfield in 2021 ahead of the tour to South Africa.
Rob Valetini
Position: Blindside flanker
Age: 26
Height: 6ft 4
Weight: 113kg (17st 11lbs)
Caps: 52
Points: 25
Why he’s so important: A two-time winner of the John Eales Medal awarded to the best Australian player voted by the Australian Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Players Association, it underlines the consistent excellence of the Melbourne-born backrow of Fijian heritage.
Signed to a Super Rugby franchise, he played for the Rebels under-20s as a 17-year-old in 2016 and despite a couple of serious MCL tears he’s compiled quite the rugby career.
Prior to the international against Wales in the Principality Stadium last November, Valetini had played 47 of Australia’s previous 50 Test matches, the majority of which he played the full 80 minutes.
Absent last week because of a calf injury, Valetini will provide the Wallabies with more ballast and athleticism, and he’s also a player who carries effectively, whether that’s through traffic or in being released in the winder channels, as well as being aggressive in the tackle.
Australia lost many of the physical collisions in the first 50-minutes of last weekend’s Test; Valetini will be a key figure in trying to redress that issue. If the Wallabies are to win then he is likely to be an important figure in the process.
The Lions will look to curtail him at source, to shut him down quickly and negate that influence. It’s easier said than done.
Trivia: Valetini had hoped to face one of his former team-mates, but the Melbourne-born Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu hasn’t retained his Lions place from the first Test.
Valetini explained: “I played through all my grades growing up with Sione. He was the guy you wanted to be in rugby in Melbourne and I was pretty shocked when he had to leave (Australia). It’s been a wild journey for him to be able to come back here and play for the Lions against us.”
