Owen Farrell To Captain Lions For First Time In Clash With First Nations & Pasifika Xv

Andy Farrell has named his boy Owen arsenic skipper of nan British & Irish Lions for nan squad’s last midweek fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika XV connected Tuesday. Farrell will lead a broadside containing 8 players who were not primitively selected for nan circuit arsenic nan guidance activity to support astir of their first-choice 23 caller for Saturday’s 2nd Test against nan Wallabies.

It will beryllium Farrell’s 20th quality successful a Lions jersey and nan acquisition he has accrued complete 4 Lions tours has earned him nan motion arsenic skipper up of his chap Englishman and caller Lions replacement Jamie George. Farrell will deterioration 12 successful a squad which besides features nan fit-again Blair Kinghorn astatine full-back and 2 caller arrivals successful Jamie Osborne and Darcy Graham astatine centre and helping respectively.

The chair besides contains a number of players bussed successful arsenic cover for a fixture that has reignited nan statement complete whether it dilutes nan honour of Lions’ practice to telephone up replacements players chiefly connected geographical grounds. The Scottish trio of Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland and Gregor Brown person been each been named connected nan chair aft being summoned from New Zealand wherever Scotland person been playing.

The Leinster and Ireland prop Thomas Clarkson is different caller look while location is simply a chair return for Garry Ringrose, ruled retired of first Test contention pinch delayed concussion symptoms. “This fixture gives players different opportunity to put their manus up for action for nan last 2 Tests,” said Andy Farrell, whose broadside won nan first Test 27-19 successful Brisbane connected Saturday.

First Nations & Pasifika XV skipper Kurtley Beale kicks nan shot during nan captain's tally successful Melbourne. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

“The coaches’ minds are unfastened erstwhile it comes to selection. They person to beryllium pinch truthful galore players performing and pushing for places, and we want that to proceed for nan remaining 2 Tests. This group cognize nan level of capacity that we will require against a First Nations [and] Pasifika squad that is packed pinch talent and power.”

The 36-year-old Kurtley Beale will skipper a First Nations & Pasifika XV which besides contains Taniela Tupou and Filipo Daugunu, some released from nan Wallabies squad for nan fixture by caput coach Joe Schmidt.

The ex-Wallaby guardant Pete Samu will not feature, however, because he did not fulfil nan strict criteria successful nan circuit statement that each players progressive should person been progressive successful this season’s Super Rugby competition. Samu helped Bordeaux triumph this year’s Champions Cup and has returned location to subordinate nan Waratahs but nan Lions guidance declined to make an objection for him.

Toutai Kefu, nan First Nations & Pasifika caput coach, is nevertheless hopeful that his broadside will beryllium competitive. “The squad has a really bully consciousness to it, pinch a blend of not only younker and experience, but besides cultures,” he said. “The Lions person shown really beardown they are connected this circuit ... but we’re not present to dress up nan numbers. We want to triumph this crippled and make history.”

First Nations and Pasifika XV: Muirhead; Reilly, Foketi, Feliuai, Daugunu; Beale (capt), Thomas; Ieli, Paenga-Amosa, Tupou, Swain, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Gamble, Taii Tualima. Replacements: Asiata, Pearce, Doge, Vocevoce, Leota, Goddard, Debreczeni, McLeod.

British & Irish Lions: Kinghorn; Graham, Osborne, Farrell, Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, George, Bealham, Ryan, Cummings, Morgan, Van der Flier, Pollock. Replacements: Ashman, Sutherland, Clarkson, Brown, Earl, Mitchell, M Smith, Ringrose.