The British and Irish Lions failed to deliver the statement performance expected from their Test team in waiting as they laboured to a patchy 36-24 victory over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.
The Lions slowly pulled clear with second-half tries from Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier, but the strongest line-up fielded by Andy Farrell so far on tour were unconvincing with the series opener against Australia just 10 days away.
It was a side that looked less than the sum of their parts, firing only sporadically but with the individual class to ensure an upset against opponents who were missing eight Wallabies was never on the cards.
Hooker Dan Sheehan, centre Ringrose and flanker Ollie Chessum caught the eye on a cold night at GIO Stadium, but others in the starting XV face an anxious wait to see if they have played their way out of Test contention.
Adding to the Lions' problems was Blair Kinghorn’s departure in the 25th minute with a knee injury, placing pressure on their options at full-back given Elliot Daly has returned home with a fractured forearm to leave Hugo Keenan as the only other recognised 15 in the squad.
The Brumbies are Australia’s strongest Super Rugby franchise and had history on their side after humbling Warren Gatland’s tourists in 2013.
Pre-match footage of their changing room showed a team determined to make their mark and they started like a freight train by winning a series of forward collisions that ended with Tuaina Taii-Tualima diving over.
The Lions had been outmuscled as part of a poor opening, but they settled with Finn Russell sending Chessum over and the Scotland out-half was beginning to penetrate the home defence with the variety of his passing.
Kinghorn was replaced by Marcus Smith and while the mistakes that have been a theme of the tour continued, the ball was being moved at speed and having produced some big forward carries, there was space for James Lowe to cross.
Smith’s fallibility at full-back was exposed when he strayed infield and the Brumbies pounced with a long floated pass to Corey Toole, presenting the wing with an easy finish.
But Smith scored himself on the stroke of half-time, the beneficiary of sharp passing by Russell and Tom Curry during a passage of play that saw the Lions click.
A 19-10 lead was a poor return from a patchy first-half but daylight opened up when a driving run from Ringrose saw the Ireland centre link with Smith before touching down his grubber.
Hudson Creighton went over as the Lions’ scrum defence opened up and the error count continued to rise with at least Henry Pollock impressing with a break in the wide channel.
Van der Flier was on the end of a driving maul but the Brumbies would not go away, Liam Bowron powering over from close range with five minutes left.
Brumbies: Andy Muirhead; Ben O'Donnell, Ollie Sapsford, David Feliuai, Corey Toole; Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan (capt); Lington Ieli, Lachlan Lonergan, Rhys van Nek; Lachie Shaw, Cadeyrn Neville; Tom Hooper, Rory Scott, Tuaina Taii Tualima
Replacements: Liam Bowron, Cameron Orr, Feao Fotuaika, Lachie Hooper, Luke Reimer, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Hudson Creighton
British and Irish Lions: Blair Kinghorn; Tommy Freeman, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje (capt), Joe McCarthy; Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jack Conan
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Mack Hansen
