Lions vs. Waratahs Rugby Match: Live Updates from Sydney

Good evening fans and welcome to a massive night of rugby. The British and Irish Lions tour of Australia has arrived at its third stop – Sydney – and a clash with the Waratahs. My name is Iain Payten and I will be your blogging buddy, and the expert comments and match report will come from our reverse-Lion – the Herald’s own project player from norn Iron, Jonathan Drennan.

This NSW-Lions game has been, historically, very spicy. Who can forget the infamous 2001 fixture when Duncan McRae was red-carded for punching the tripe out of Lions five-eighth Ronan O’Gara? Yes, we went straight there. O’Gara has kept a low profile on this tour but here’s a yarn with him ahead of the 2013 tour.

The 2001 game was a generally ill-tempered affair, and though they ended up losing 41-24, the then-Waratahs captain Phil Waugh proudly mentioned in a post-match function that they’d taken lumps out of the Lions.

Waugh is, of course, now chief executive of Rugby Australia. It’s unclear if he put his hand up to play tonight but there’s about a 50% chance he did. NSW have not beaten the Lions since the 12-year cycle began in 1989, but in 20 clashes overall since 1888, NSW have four wins: 1908, 1930, 1950 and 1959.

The Waratahs tonight are not favoured to bring a fifth win. That much is clear from the bookies, who have them at $26. What do we reckon is going to happen? Have your say in the poll.

According to the source: The Sydney Morning Herald.