ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Controversial mid-tour replacement Owen Farrell is in the reserves of the British and Irish Lions side playing an AUNZ Invitational XV on Saturday.
Farrell hasn't played international rugby since the 2023 World Cup. By game day he will have played no rugby in nine weeks and only 18 minutes in the last 10 weeks.
The former England captain replaced the injured Elliot Daly to make it onto his fourth Lions tour.
He will play his 19th game for the Lions when he comes off the bench in what is a last chance for the team to impress coach Andy Farrell before the test series begins against Australia next week.
Their chances improved after the shadow Lions test side conceded four tries to the ACT Brumbies in a scratchy 36-24 win midweek.
Fullback Hugo Keenan makes his second tour appearance, and a timely one after his rival for the No. 15 test jersey, Blair Kinghorn, left the Brumbies win early with an injured left knee.
Scrumhalf Ben White gets his first start after replacing the injured Tomos Williams in the tour party in Australia.
The back row, still not fixed for the Lions, features Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan and No. 8 Ben Earl.
Forward Tadhg Beirne will captain the Lions for the second time after tour leader Maro Itoje was given another rest.
“We are in a great position just over a week out from the first test,” Andy Farrell said. “The players now have another chance to put in a strong team performance and put a hand up for selection for the test matches against the Wallabies.”
The first combined Australia-New Zealand XV since the 1989 Lions tour has 17 internationals, including the entire starting side.
Coach Les Kiss, the Wallabies coach-in-waiting, picked Crusaders' Super Rugby-winning skipper David Havili and Queensland Reds forward Lukhan Salakaia-Loto as co-captains.
“The co-captaincy model with natural leaders like David and Lukhan (will) really suit this team and what we represent,” Kiss said. “In forming new bonds many of them have discovered they have more in common than they originally thought.”
The Lions are 4-0 in Australia since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin. They have beaten all of Australia's Super Rugby franchises. Before the Brumbies, they defeated the Western Force, Queensland Reds, and New South Wales Waratahs.
The test series begins on July 19 in Brisbane, followed by games in Melbourne on July 26 and in Sydney on Aug. 2.
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Lineups:
British and Irish Lions: Lions: Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Mack Hansen (Ireland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Duhan van Der Merwe (Scotland), Fin Smith (England), Ben White (Scotland); Ben Earl (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Henry Pollock (England), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland, captain), James Ryan (Ireland), Will Stuart (England), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland). Reserves: Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Finlay Bealham (Ireland), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Marcus Smith (England) Owen Farrell (England).
AUNZ Invitational XV: Shaun Stevenson, AJ Lam, Ngani Laumape, David Havili (co-captain), Marika Koroibete, Tane Edmed, Folau Fakatava; Hoskins Sotutu, Pete Samu, Shannon Frizell, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (co-captain), Angus Blyth, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Joshua Fusita'a, George Dyer, Matt Philip, Joe Brial, Kalani Thomas, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Jock Campbell.
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
The Associated Press
