Freeman Bags Brace as Ruthless Lions Crush Reds 52–12 in Brisbane

The British and Irish Lions turned on the style in Brisbane on Wednesday night, overwhelming the Queensland Reds 52–12 in a display of both flair and ferocity that keeps their Australia tour on a perfect track.

It was the second match of the Lions' tour Down Under and their second emphatic win, following a 54–7 hammering of the Western Force in Perth just days earlier. In front of a roaring crowd of more than 46,000 at Suncorp Stadium, the tourists surged to an eight-try triumph — five of those coming in a ruthless second half that crushed any hopes of a Reds comeback.

While the scoreline paints a picture of dominance, it only tells half the story. The Lions' defence, in particular, played a critical role in setting the foundation for this big win, repeatedly shutting down a spirited but ultimately overmatched Queensland attack.

England winger Tommy Freeman was the standout on the scoresheet, bagging a brace of tries, while Player of the Match Jac Morgan, Maro Itoje, Andrew Porter, Duhan van der Merwe, Huw Jones, and Garry Ringrose all crossed the whitewash in a complete team performance.

Early Fireworks from Queensland

The Reds came into the clash knowing the scale of the task ahead — the Lions had shown their teeth in Perth, and their squad for Brisbane was even stronger. Still, Queensland exploded out of the blocks with energy and aggression.

Inside centre Hunter Paisami lit up the opening exchanges with a blistering break that sliced through the Lions' defensive line, immediately putting the visitors on the back foot. It was a warning shot — and the Reds kept pushing.

No. 8 Joe Brial came within inches of opening the scoring, only to be held up heroically. But the breakthrough wasn’t far off. After just eight minutes, tighthead prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen crashed over near the posts following sustained pressure. Flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converted confidently to give the home side a surprise 7–0 lead.

The Lions, however, are no strangers to early adversity. They responded instantly, regathering their own kickoff and almost scoring through Bundee Aki, only for Brial to produce a try-saving hold-up just short of the line.

Queensland continued to defend desperately, but the Lions’ pressure was relentless. Eventually, it told. Some sharp handling in the backline created space for Freeman to finish out wide in the 20th minute. Finn Russell’s conversion levelled the game at 7–7.

Trading Blows Before the Break

The Reds weren’t going away without a fight. A brilliant piece of skill from scrumhalf Kalani Thomas caught the Lions' back three off-guard as he threaded a perfectly weighted kick behind the line for outside centre Josh Flook to chase down and touch down. McLaughlin-Phillips couldn’t add the extras, leaving the Reds 12–7 up.

But the lead was short-lived. Irish prop Andrew Porter barreled over beneath the sticks just four minutes later, Russell making no mistake from the tee. That gave the tourists their first lead of the night, and they never looked back.

Just before halftime, Scottish winger Duhan van der Merwe made his mark. Given just a sliver of space on the left wing, he shrugged off a tackle and dived over in the corner. Russell’s inch-perfect sideline conversion extended the lead to 21–12 at the interval.

It was a punishing end to a half that had started so brightly for the hosts. The Lions had absorbed Queensland’s best punches and still found themselves firmly in control at the break.

Lions Run Riot in the Second Half

If Queensland had any hopes of a revival, they were extinguished within minutes of the restart. Lions captain Maro Itoje, known more for his defensive prowess and leadership, stormed over for a try from close range, stretching the lead to 28–12 and silencing the home crowd.

From there, it was one-way traffic.

The more the Reds chased the game, the more the spaces opened up for the tourists. Jac Morgan, who had been industrious all game, found a gap in the tiring defence to score his first try of the tour. Freeman then completed his brace with a well-worked finish, taking advantage of a broken Queensland defensive line.

By now, the Reds were running on fumes, while the Lions were growing in confidence. The tries were flowing, but it was a piece of opportunism that brought up the seventh. Winger Tim Ryan attempted a chip kick deep in his own half, only to see it charged down by Huw Jones, who collected the loose ball and sprinted clear to score.

The final act came after the siren. Replacement centre Garry Ringrose was the beneficiary of another sweeping move across the field, diving in at the corner to bring up the Lions’ second half-century in as many games.

Moments of Concern in a Polished Display

Despite the scoreline, the Lions coaching staff will be aware of areas to tighten up before the tougher tests to come. The tourists coughed up ten knock-ons during the match — several in try-scoring positions — and at times lacked precision in their phase play.

Still, this was a performance that sent a message: the Lions are here to dominate.

Defensively, they were ferocious. Queensland’s attacking options were constantly stifled, and apart from the first-quarter spell, they struggled to make any meaningful inroads. Every Lions player contributed on that side of the ball — from the physicality of Itoje to the tracking efforts of back-rowers Morgan and Curry.

Finn Russell marshalled proceedings well from flyhalf, mixing tactical kicking with flat, fast passing to unlock the Reds’ defence. His goal-kicking was perfect, landing six conversions from six attempts before being replaced late on.

Tommy Freeman’s two-try effort was the headline in attack, but it was the team cohesion — the seamless integration of different nations and styles — that truly stood out. The Lions looked like a well-oiled unit, combining the flair of the backs with the grind of the forwards to devastating effect.

Looking Ahead

The British and Irish Lions now head into the next phase of their tour brimming with confidence. They’ve scored 106 points and conceded just 19 across two matches. But the challenges ahead will only grow steeper, with Super Rugby’s best sides and ultimately the Wallabies waiting in the wings.

For Queensland, the match was a reminder of the gulf in class. Their energy and enterprise in the first 20 minutes were impressive, but they were outmatched in power, depth, and execution. Still, individual standouts like Paisami, Brial, and Thomas showed they can be dangerous in moments.

For now, though, the night belongs to the Lions. On a cool Brisbane evening, they brought the heat — and they look set to burn through Australia with the same intensity for the rest of the tour.