BRISBANE :British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has named his son Owen to captain the team to face a First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne on Tuesday, the last of the six tour matches they will play in Australia.
Farrell junior was called up as an injury replacement early in the tour and will skipper the side from inside centre at Dockland’s Stadium in his 20th match for the Lions.
Scot Blair Kinghorn, the favourite to fill the number 15 shirt in the tests against Australia, starts at fullback having recovered from a knee injury which ruled him out of the series-opening victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday.
Irish centre Garry Ringrose also returns from a concussion layoff on the bench to stake his claim for a place in the test side for the remaining two matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday and in Sydney the following weekend.
Henry Pollock, Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan, who all missed out on test selection for Brisbane, make up a mobile back row.
“This fixture gives players another opportunity to put their hand up for selection for the final two tests,” Farrell senior said in a news release.
“The coaches’ minds are open when it comes to selection, they have to be with so many players performing and pushing for places and we want that to continue for the remaining two tests.”
Darcy Graham starts on the right wing having been called into the squad from Scotland’s tour of the Pacific, while Jamie George plays at hooker after making his way to Australia from England’s tour of Argentina.
Three other Scottish squad reinforcements – lock Gregor Brown, hooker Ewan Ashman and prop Rory Sutherland – were named on the bench.
Kurtley Beale was on Sunday named captain of a strong First Nations & Pasifika team for the match.
“This group know the level of performance that we will require against a First Nations Pasifika team that is packed with talent and power,” Farrell added.
Team: 15–Blair Kinghorn, 14–Darcy Graham, 13–Jamie Osborne, 12–Owen Farrell, 11–Duhan van der Merwe, 10–Fin Smith, 9–Ben White, 8–Henry Pollock, 7–Josh van der Flier, 6–Jac Morgan, 5–Scott Cummings, 4–James Ryan, 3–Finlay Bealham, 2–Jamie George, 1–Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16–Ewan Ashman, 17–Rory Sutherland, 18–Tom Clarkson, 19–Gregor Brown, 20–Ben Earl, 21–Alex Mitchell, 22–Marcus Smith, 23–Garry Ringrose
