British and Irish Lions demand Australia release stars for tour matches

The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia the Wallabies’ superstars must appear for their Super Rugby sides in the tourists’ pre-Test series matches.

The Lions will take on Western Force in their first match on Australian soil on Saturday, with five Wallabies – Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White – released to the Perth-based side for the match.

However, their club team-mates Carlo Tizzano and Ben Donaldson are among those who have been retained by Australia head coach Joe Schmidt.

“We’ll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that’s what we’re looking for,” said Lions chief executive Ben Calveley.

“We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series.

“The agreement is very clear – it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation.

“We’ll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with [Rugby Australia chief executive] Phil Waugh and take it step by step.

“It’s really important that these games are competitive. It’s not just from a performance standpoint, but it’s also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters who are all expecting competitive fixtures.”

Schmidt has been keen to protect his star players from injury by keeping them in camp and out of their club sides, but may now be persuaded to relax that stance.

The Lions play fixtures against the Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies and NWS Waratahs before taking on Australia in the first Test in Brisbane on 19 July.

The Lions match against Waratahs is on the same weekend as Australia’s solitary warm-up match against Fiji, meaning the likes of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou are only likely to get first sight of the Lions in the three-Test series.