Owen Farrell is to lead the British and Irish Lions in their last midweek game of the Australian tour today against the First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne.
It would be the 20th time Farrell has played for the Lions and his first starting appearance since being drafted into this year’s squad late as injury cover by his father Andy Farrell, the head coach.
The former England captain went on as a second-half replacement against the AUNZ invitational XV on July 12 in his first game since early May. It would be the first time on four tours that he would be captaining the Lions in a game.
Photo: AFP
The Lions are 6-0 so far on the tour Down Under, including a 27-19 victory over the Wallabies in the first test at Brisbane on Saturday night.
Leading into the test series, the Lions beat Super Rugby franchises Western Force, Queensland Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies and an Australia-New Zealand invitational XV.
After the First Nations and Pasifika XV game, the Lions would turn their attention back to trying to clinch the test series in Melbourne on Saturday night. The third test is in Sydney on Saturday next week.
Owen Farrell is to play at inside center in a midfield partnership with Jamie Osborne of Ireland.
Scotland scrumhalf Ben White would combine with England flyhalf Fin Smith in the halves.
Blair Kinghorn would return from injury to play fullback in an all-Scotland back three with Darcy Graham and Duhan van der Merwe.
Jac Morgan, the only Welshman left in the 44-man squad, would start on the blindside flank in the tour game in a backrow that also includes young England No. 8 Henry Pollock.
Three days after being involved in the 23-man squad for the first test, backrower Ben Earl and inside backs Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith would sit on the bench for the tour game. Garry Ringrose is returning from injury to take a spot on the replacements bench.
The First Nations and Pasifika squad was selected from players with indigenous, Fijiian, Samoan, Tongan, Maori and Cook Islands heritage and would be guided by Toutai Kefu, who won a World Cup with Australia and is head coach of Tonga.
Flyhalf Kurtley Beale, who played for Australia against the Lions in the 2013 series, would lead the team, which also includes Wallabies contenders Taniela Tupou, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Seru Uru, Filipo Daugunu and Andy Muirhead.
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