Eight Irish players have been named by Andy Farrell in the British and Irish Lions starting XV for Saturday’s First Test against Australia in Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, kick-off 8pm local time/11am Irish.
There are also another three on the bench, although there is no place for Josh van der Flier.
As expected, Hugo Keenan starts at fullback, with James Lowe on the left wing and Jamison Gibson-Park at scrumhalf. As well as Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, an ever-present in the last two Test series, there is Joe McCarthy, Jack Conan at number eight and Tadhg Beirne at blindside flanker.
Conan was an ever-present in the last series, while Beirne was a replacement in the first two Tests.
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Ronan Kelleher, who wasn’t afforded a minute’s action four years ago, will make his Lions Test debut off the bench, which also includes Andrew Porter, who missed out on the South African tour due to injury, and Bundee Aki. Having started the Third Test four years ago, a little surprisingly the Connacht centre loses out to Sione Tuipulotu.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that Bundee can play with Huw, and he’s obviously played with Sione as well, but it’s just making sure that we get the right balance of the impact that we need at any given time,” Farrell told a news conference.
He is accompanied by Glasgow midfield partner Huw Jones, in the enforced absence of Garry Ringrose, and outhalf Finn Russell, while in addition to Tommy Freeman, there are three English forwards: Ellis Genge, captain Maro Itoje and Tom Curry.
Farrell congratulated Itoje, as well as the other players named in the squad for Saturday’s test: “It is a great occasion and a proud moment for Maro Itoje, who will captain the Test side, but also for those players who get the opportunity to represent the group on Saturday night.”
Despite starting only one game on this tour at openside, Curry is another of the four forwards who also started the Third Test in South Africa and thus preferred to van der Flier and the sole Welsh squad member, Jac Morgan, which means the Lions will be without Welsh representation in a Test for the first time since the 19th century.
“(Jac) was as close as you can imagine,” Farrell explained. “Look, you’re actually gutted for players like that who ... could well easily be in this side on Saturday.
“The combination of Tadhg’s (Beirne) quality in the set piece and his all-around ability, either on the floor as a jackal or a ball-playing six. That complements Jack (Conan) also in a similar regard, with Tom being the engine that we all know.”
The bench is completed by five English players, namely Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith.
“We are entering the business end of the tour and it is time to put in our best performance to date,” said Farrell. “We know how motivated the Wallabies will be and we know they are a well-organised and dangerous side.”
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: H Keenan (Ireland); T Freeman (England), H Jones (Scotland), S Tuipulotu (Scotland), J Lowe (Ireland); F Russell (Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Ireland); E Genge (England), D Sheehan (Ireland), T Furlong (Ireland); M Itoje (England) – captain, J McCarthy (Ireland); T Beirne (Ireland), T Curry (England), J Conan (Ireland).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Ireland), A Porter (Ireland), W Stuart (England), O Chessum (England), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), B Aki (Ireland)
