Dan Sheehan was named captain of the British and Irish Lions for their opening match of the 2025 Australian tour against the Western Force in Perth, with head coach Andy Farrell making 13 changes to the starting lineup. The Lions secured a commanding 54-7 victory, scoring eight tries in the match. The team featured eight Irish starters and four Scots, with Finn Russell at fly-half and Tadhg Beirne shifting to blindside. Injuries affected the squad, with Jamison Gibson-Park, Hugo Keenan, and James Ryan unavailable. Subsequently, Owen Farrell, former England captain and son of coach Andy Farrell, was called up to the Lions squad as a replacement for utility back Elliot Daly, who was ruled out of the tour due to a fractured forearm. Owen Farrell, who had not played international rugby for nearly two years, joined the squad in Sydney and was named on the bench for the Lions' match against the Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide. The Lions won that match 48-0, marking their fifth consecutive win in Australia ahead of the upcoming Test series against the Wallabies. Additionally, England hooker Jamie George was called up to the squad following an injury to Luke Cowan-Dickie during the Lions' 48-0 win over the AUNZ team. The Lions are preparing for their next matches against the Queensland Reds and the ACT Brumbies as part of their tour.