
Owen Farrell among replacements for Lions' final tour match ahead of first Test
He has quickly had to get up to pace with his team-mates, who are unbeaten in four outings Down Under with one remaining before the first Test in Brisbane.
Head coach Andy Farrell has resisted the temptation to throw his son, who has been drafted in as cover at inside centre, into his starting line-up at the earliest opportunity, but is confident he is ready to make a 19th Lions appearance if and when required.
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He said: 'He's the same as everyone else who's had to get up to speed pretty quickly. Everyone had to at the start, obviously, and then a few have come in since.
'I think the art at this stage of the tour is mentally being as switched on as you possibly can for all, not just the lads who are new to the group, because of the nature of the preparation, so there's not that much training that you can do.'
Farrell Junior, who stepped away from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup to prioritise his and his family's well-being, is on his fourth Lions tour after making his debut in Australia in 2013 and his father, who was an assistant coach on that trip, admits that experience will serve him well 12 years on.
He said: 'He was, I suppose, lucky enough to play when he was very young. You need the stars to align, as far as that's concerned. When your first one starts, I suppose it allows you to have a look-in at that type of thing.'
Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn suffered a knee injury during Wednesday's 36-24 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra and while the Lions head coach is hopeful the damage is not significant, he was awaiting the outcome of a scan as he conducted his press conference on Thursday morning.
Asked how Kinghorn was, Farrell said: 'Blair is okay, he's not too bad. He's actually gone for a scan as we speak now, so we're waiting as regards to the news on that, but the same as he always is.
'Like I said yesterday, he's in good spirits, so we'll wait and see what the outcome is of that.
'I don't think it's as bad as what could have been. It was something innocuous really, just a rugby accident that was unfortunate, so fingers crossed when we get back to the hotel that we get some good news.'
Tadhg Beirne, who will line up alongside Ireland team-mate James Ryan in the second row, captains the side for the second time with Pierre Schoeman, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Will Stuart ahead of them and Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl making up the back row.
Ben White and Fin Smith will link up at half-back with Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones in midfield and Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and Duhan van der Merwe combining in the back three.
Beirne, who has three sisters living in Australia, said: 'It's a huge honour. There's an incredible amount of leaders within this squad. People aren't afraid to speak up and say what needs to be said at times, so there's not as much of a burden on you, that's for sure.
'But as I said, it's a huge honour for me to lead out this team and I'm looking forward to it again.'

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Times
11 minutes ago
- Times
Mack Hansen may miss first Lions Test against Australia with foot injury
Mack Hansen is a doubt for the British & Irish Lions' first Test against Australia on Saturday, having picked up a foot injury. The Lions wing, 27, hurt his foot in the 48-0 win over the Australia & New Zealand Invitational XV. While the Lions have not ruled him out officially, Hansen has been unable to train fully, with only one session left before Andy Farrell names his 23-man for the first match against the Wallabies on Thursday. Blair Kinghorn, the Scottish utility back, 28, is in a similar boat to Hansen. Ollie Chessum trained with heavy strapping on his right knee on Tuesday, but the Lions have said it is only Kinghorn and Hansen who are not training fully, alongside Garry Ringrose and Luke Cowan-Dickie, who are both out with concussion. On Hansen, the Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth said: 'He hurt his foot in the game, I don't think it is anything serious but he was managed today. Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. 'It is nothing that we are overly concerned about but we need to make sure we have enough numbers at training. It doesn't look too serious. 'We'll have to see tomorrow what Blair looks like. He hasn't trained fully with the squad but he has been on his feet so we will know a bit more in the [next] 24 hours whether we can get him on the field. 'A bit like Blair, we will find out tomorrow on Mack, he didn't train fully today so we will know a bit more tomorrow. We have obviously got good players in that position so we are covered for every eventuality there. 'We've not finalised anything yet. Mack's definitely not ruled out.' With those two backs struggling for fitness, Farrell's selection picture is becoming clearer. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are expected to pair up at half back. With Ringrose out, Huw Jones is now the only true outside centre available. If Kinghorn and Hansen do not pull through, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman look set to make up the back three. Wigglesworth explained that the Lions moved quickly to call up Darcy Graham from Scotland's tour in New Zealand to cover these fresh injuries. 'We need to make sure we're covered numbers-wise and for the games coming up. That was probably expedited a bit quicker because of Blair and Mack not being on feet today and potentially tomorrow,' he said. Wigglesworth believes that Australia will try to dominate the Lions both in the air and at the breakdown. 'What we're clear on is that they'll come with a very clear plan. We think the breakdown and aerial game will be big, but we think we're pretty good there too,' he said. When asked about the prowess of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, he talked up Freeman. '[Playing against Suaalii is] probably the same as it is to play against Tommy Freeman,' he said. 'These guys are pretty difficult to stop if you execute well. We know now that the chaser has all the advantage, not only in knowing the kick is coming, but the advancement onto the ball and not having to catch it. We know we've got to deal with the aerial threats of Australia as well as they deal with ours. '[Suaalii] is an exceptionally talented boy. If you think it's just aerial, he's going to run around you, offload and do the things he can do. But we've got guys with similar skill sets who are going to cause our own problems. 'He's a big-game player, a guy who's used to being in big situations. If we execute, then our boys will be in the game too.' There will be a lively selection debate about the back row and locks, and how to balance the Lions' forward pack. Maro Itoje will captain the side in the first Test and Jack Conan is expected to start at No8, but Farrell must decide between Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne, Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Ben Earl to fill the other spots, and whether Henry Pollock makes the bench.


Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British & Irish Lions dealt a double injury blow ahead of first Test against Australia - as Andy Farrell hints at line-up plans ahead of opener Down Under
The Lions are set to be without Blair Kinghorn and Mack Hansen for the first Test here against the Wallabies on Saturday, as the back-three pair have been unable to train before the final selection meeting. Scotland full-back Kinghorn damaged a knee during the win over the Brumbies in Canberra last Wednesday, while Hansen, the Ireland wing who was born and raised Down Under, suffered a foot injury in the 48-0 demolition of an Australia-New Zealand Invitational XV in Adelaide. The official line from the Lions management on Monday was that Hansen was 'fine', but – like Kinghorn – he has been unable to take a proper part in squad sessions. Head coach Andy Farrell is not due to name his line-up for the series opener until Thursday, but it has emerged that the selections have been made and the players will be informed on Wednesday. On that basis, it appears as if Kinghorn and Hansen will miss out, meaning Hugo Keenan will start at full-back and Tommy Freeman will deservedly claim the right wing place. Asked if Hansen had an injury, which was denied on Monday, Lions attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said: 'He hurt his foot in the game. I don't think it is anything serious, but he was managed today. Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. It's nothing that we are over-concerned about. We need to make sure we have enough numbers at training, but it doesn't look too serious.' Pressed on whether Hansen was ruled out of the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, Wigglesworth added: 'A bit like Blair, we'll find out tomorrow. He didn't train fully today so we will know more tomorrow. If they get on the field tomorrow and they're better, then they're right in contention. We've not finalised anything yet. A doubt is anyone who didn't train fully today, but he (Hansen) is definitely not ruled out.' However, it emerged that the coaches have had their final selection debates already. 'It has been done, I believe,' said Wigglesworth. 'We would be lying if we said it was easy. There have been two or three conversations, we've picked (the team) and we will tell the lads tomorrow. Andy Farrell is putting the finishing touches on his plan for the British & Irish Lions tour opener But the head coach will be forced to go without Mack Hansen (left) and Blair Kinghorn (right) 'Nothing has been announced, so it's always subject to change in terms of how they've trained and what that's looked like. That's why these things are kept back a bit. It's still not been announced so who knows, we could go back and we're having another one!' In reality, despite the caveats, it seems that there has been a concerted attempt to be decisive early in the week, to allow for cohesion and momentum to build, going into the first showdown with the Wallabies, who are also finalising their own line-up. According to the Rugby Roar website, Tom Lynagh – son of the iconic World Cup-winning playmaker Michael Lynagh – is poised to wear the No 10 shirt for the hosts, alongside Jake Gordon at half-back. The indications are that the hosts' head coach, Joe Schmidt, will retain the same centres and back-three combination as he fielded for the tense, narrow victory Fiji in Newcastle on July 6. That means Exeter-bound Len Ikitau will continue his midfield alliance with cross-code sensation Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, with Max Jorgensen and Harry Potter on the wings, and Tom Wright at full-back.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Lions suffer Mack Hansen injury blow to leave major headache for first Test
The British & Irish Lions could be without Mack Hansen for the first Test against Australia after the Ireland wing suffered a foot injury. It is not the only headache for coach Andy Farrell, with Blair Kinghorn also a doubt for the Brisbane showdown, with the Wallabies looking to strike first in the colossal series. Hansen picked up the issue in last Saturday's 48-0 thrashing of an AUNZ Invitational XV and sat out the first training session of the week on Tuesday. The Ireland wing could take up a bench role at Suncorp Stadium, to cover the back three, but it may take a leap of faith from Farrell with few chances to prove his fitness between now and Saturday. Kinghorn, viewed as first-choice full-back, also appears to be losing his battle with the knee injury sustained against ACT Brumbies on July 9 after it was confirmed he will not be able to train until Wednesday at the earliest. Neither player has been ruled out at this stage, but attack coach Richard Wigglesworth has revealed the Lions have already picked their team for the series opener – subject to any late changes – with the players due to be told on Wednesday. 'Mack hurt his foot in the game. I don't think it's anything serious but he was managed today (Tuesday),' Wigglesworth said. 'Hopefully he will be fully integrated pretty quickly. It's nothing that we are overly concerned about. We'll know a bit more tomorrow. 'We'll have to see tomorrow what Blair looks like. He hasn't trained fully with the squad but he's been on his feet so we'll know a bit more in the next 24 hours whether we can get him on the field.' Andy Farrell will announce his team to the public on Thursday with the identity of the flankers and inside centre the key talking points in the starting XV. Tadhg Beirne and Ollie Chessum appear to be locked in a shootout for the number six jersey with the England back row's better form on tour potentially giving him the edge over a rival who has captained the midweek team twice. Tom Curry, Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan could all be chosen at openside – the most competitive position in the team – with compelling arguments provided for each of them to start against the Wallabies. Another option would be to field Curry on the blindside and deploy either van der Flier or Morgan at seven, resulting in Beirne or Chessum joining Maro Itoje in the second row rather than current favourite Joe McCarthy. Garry Ringrose's 12-day stand down for concussion has made the in-form Huw Jones a certainty at outside centre, but the repercussions are felt at inside centre where Farrell must choose between Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu. Aki has provided the greatest punch in midfield so far on tour, but Tuipulotu has developed a deep understanding with Scotland team-mates Jones and Finn Russell, who is a certainty to feature at fly-half. Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith have been pushing hard for inclusion on the bench. 'We have got such quality across all positions so we would be lying if we said selection was easy,' Wigglesworth said. 'The selection meeting was conversational as it has been the whole way through the tour. Everyone is able to voice an opinion and is willing to be challenged. Then we come to a decision.'