Owen Farrell To Make Lions Tour Debut In Last Chance For Tourists To Stake Test Claims

Owen Farrell will characteristic successful his first crippled of nan British & Irish Lions circuit connected Saturday aft being picked connected nan chair against an invitational XV comprising players from Australia and New Zealand successful what will beryllium nan touring team’s last crippled earlier adjacent week’s first Test.

The 33-year-old past played world rugby astatine nan 2023 Rugby World Cup earlier stepping distant from Test rugby to “prioritise his and his family’s intelligence wellbeing” but is now group to play his 19th crippled for nan Lions crossed 4 tours.

Tadhg Beirne will erstwhile again skipper nan broadside while Alex Mitchell maintains his grounds of being progressive successful each crippled connected nan tour, this clip arsenic replacement scrum-half down Ben White who will make his Lions debut. Mack Hansen, who besides came disconnected nan chair against nan Brumbies connected Wednesday night, starts connected nan correct helping this clip pinch Marcus Smith joining Farrell connected nan bench.

We are successful a awesome position conscionable complete a week retired from nan First Test,” said caput coach Andy Farrell. “This is nan astir important crippled of nan circuit because it’s nan adjacent one.”

The AUNZ Invitational XV surely does not deficiency for big, beingness men, pinch nan Wallaby guardant Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and New Zealand centre David Havili sharing nan captaincy duties. The beingness of All Black back-rower Shannon Frizell is ne'er a comfortable imaginable for opposing teams while Pete Samu was a personnel of nan Bordeaux Bègles broadside which hit Northampton successful nan Champions Cup last successful May.

AUNZ Invitational XV: Stevenson; Lam, Laumape, Havili (co-capt), Koroibete; Edmed, Fakatava; Ross, Paenga-Amosa, Toomaga-Allen, Blyth, Salakaia-Loto (co-capt), Frizell, Samu, Sotutu. Replacements: Eklund, Fusitu’a, Dyer, Philip, Brial, Thomas, McLaughlin-Phillips, Campbell.

British & Irish Lions: Keenan; Hansen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Ryan, Beirne (capt), Pollock, Morgan, Earl. Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Bealham, Cummings, Van der Flier, Mitchell, M Smith, O Farrell.