logo
Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan handed Lions starts in third Test

Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan handed Lions starts in third Test

Chessum drops to the bench where head coach Farrell has opted for a six-two split between forwards and backs, with Ben Earl returning as back row cover after being left out for the second Test.
British and Irish Lions' James Ryan after coming off the bench in the second Test in Melbourne (David Davies/PA)
The starting XV is made up nine players from Ireland, three Englishmen and three Scots with Maro Itoje captaining the bid to become the first Lions team to record an unbeaten record on tour since 1974.
A series triumph was sealed by last weekend's 29-26 victory in Melbourne, but Farrell's men are determined to rout the Wallabies.
'We have put ourselves in a great position to finish this Tour with our best performance to date and create our own piece of history,' Farrell said.
'The second Test was an incredible spectacle and illustrated how special Lions tours are and what they mean to both the players and the supporters.
'We are expecting another epic battle this weekend against a Wallaby side that showed their quality last week.'
Kinghorn and Ryan made their first appearances of the series as second-half replacements at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A change on the wing was expected after Lowe disappointed in the first and second Tests, while Kinghorn made an impact for the 20 minutes he was on the field and will resume in the back three alongside Hugo Keenan and Tommy Freeman.
Ryan was also an influential reinforcement in Melbourne, overshadowing the less effective Chessum.
The Lions made it clear they would field their strongest possible XV rather than rotating in deserving squad players and they have been true to their word by going for the jugular in Sydney Olympic Park.
Andy Farrell is aiming for a tour whitewash (David Davies/PA)
That includes retaining full-throttle flankers Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry, who emptied the tanks at the MCG but have been magnificent so far in the series.
Joe McCarthy, Sione Tuipulotu and Mack Hansen had been cleared to take part after recovering from injuries that forced them to miss the second Test, but none of them are involved.
Prop Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth successive Lions Test, becoming only the seventh player in history to reach that mark.
Lions team: H Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); T Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), H Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), B Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), B Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); F Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); A Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), D Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), T Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), M Itoje (Saracens/England, capt), J Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), T Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland), T Curry (Sale Sharks/England), J Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), E Genge (Bristol Bears/England), W Stuart (Bath Rugby/England), O Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), J Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), B Earl (Saracens/England), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), O Farrell (Saracens/England).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Zharnel Hughes lays down challenge to Team GB team-mate: 'Just so he can shut up'
Zharnel Hughes lays down challenge to Team GB team-mate: 'Just so he can shut up'

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Zharnel Hughes lays down challenge to Team GB team-mate: 'Just so he can shut up'

Zharnel Hughes wants to race Matthew Hudson-Smith over 300m for British bragging rights as sprint star says athletics needs to lean into head-to-head battles to win over new fans Zharnel Hughes says athletics must take a page from boxing's book when it comes to hyping up rivalries and Britain's fastest man is already preparing to land a knockout blow on Matthew Hudson-Smith. ‌ The 100m and 200m national record holder and 400m Olympic medallist Hudson-Smith have spent months challenging each other to a duel over 300m. But as track and field faces an uphill battle to win over new audiences, Hughes is convinced two of the country's best facing off would 'bring the excitement.' He even wants a pre-race square off - just as pugilists would during their weigh-in. ‌ 'I'm done with the talking about it, I really want to make it happen,' says Hughes before Saturday's British Championships at Alexander Stadium. 'If we were to have a preview like in boxing where you step up like on a weight scale, you go in each other's faces; you might have a little bit of backlash at each other. ‌ 'It would be pretty cool if someone could pick it up and be like, 'Okay, seeing that you guys have been talking about it for quite some time, let's make this happen.' 'See where it goes from there. I would actually like it to be in Birmingham. That's where he is from. Let's compete in Birmingham – just so he can shut up.' Hughes says 'the only thing that's holding us back' is a meet organiser willing to host the battle. But he knows there is a growing responsibility for athletes to put themselves out there, adding: 'You have to be in the faces of people if you want their attention.' As for how he thinks the race would go, in the sprinter's view there can only be one winner. 'I'd beat Matt. He would tell you, 'I'll beat Zharnel'. I will beat Matt, that's for sure. I know he wanted the lane arrangement to be I'm in lane seven, he is in lane six. 'I will definitely blast out, get myself ahead of him, he will be there. I have a quicker 200m than him. So I will separate a little bit from him. But he will start to close down the latter part of the race, that I know for sure. ‌ 'The last 30m are where I will hit the lactic wall and him being a 400m athlete will start to come through stronger than I will. It's just for me to race in the last 30 metres.' Hughes' assessment of this evening's competition over the 100m, which includes world indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu, is less detailed though with a place in next month's World Championships in Tokyo at stake ‌ 'I'm not focused on them,' he adds. 'If I focus on my craft and try to better what I'm trying to fix in each race, that's what matters to me. 'Obviously there will be competition but I know for a fact that I'll be showing up healthy and ready to compete and giving my best. I try not to let it consume me. At the end of the day, I want to go into the trials relaxed. Because you don't want to be going in there too tense. 'It causes too much pressure on yourself. There's too much weight on your shoulders. You don't need that when you're going into a high, intense competition already. I'm looking forward to just going through the rounds and managing the finals and do what I need to do – and that is to secure my win.'

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Why Andy Farrell should stay on as Lions coach for New Zealand in 2029 - as he targets 3-0 whitewash aganst Australia
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Why Andy Farrell should stay on as Lions coach for New Zealand in 2029 - as he targets 3-0 whitewash aganst Australia

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Why Andy Farrell should stay on as Lions coach for New Zealand in 2029 - as he targets 3-0 whitewash aganst Australia

History beckons for the Lions and Andy Farrell as coach. Some may think the last Test with Australia is a dead rubber given the Lions are 2-0 up. Not a bit of it. A whitewash is a real possibility and history shows what an achievement that would be. It would be the first clean sweep in the professional era, the first time since 1927. It would also be the first unbeaten tour since 1974 (Willie John McBride's famous 'Invincibles' drew the final Test in South Africa). These are remarkable statistics. I'm sure they will be driving Maro Itoje as captain, the squad and Farrell. They can seal their place in Lions history. But it is very difficult — nigh-on impossible, in fact — to compare Lions tours. The level of opposition Australia have provided hasn't been the same as in other series in the past. But the Lions can't do much about that. And the way they fought back from 18 points down to win in Melbourne was hugely impressive. That comeback will be remembered for a long time. We knew Farrell was a brilliant coach but his reputation has gone to another level this summer. If the Lions win 3-0, it will go up again. Farrell has to be the leading contender to be Lions coach in New Zealand in 2029. I don't see any reason why not as he has a contract with Ireland until the 2027 World Cup so will remain involved in Northern Hemisphere rugby. I love that Farrell hasn't made massive changes for the third Test. It shows he means business and is taking this game as seriously as the first two matches, if not more so. The Lions is the pinnacle. It is no place for handing out easy Test caps. It would have devalued the Lions concept. But that is not what Farrell is about. Farrell has stuck to his guns, making only two changes with James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn coming in. His selection has been consistent all series, changes mainly due to injury. The Lions won't lack for motivation on Saturday. Conversely, I wonder if the same can be said of Australia. They put in such a huge effort in the second Test and still lost. My experience tells me it is very difficult to respond to that. The third Test will be competitive. But I expect the Lions to pull clear in the final quarter and go three from three. That would start one hell of a party and one which would be entirely deserved.

Carer slept in his motor to make it as a wrestler and ended up Netflix poster boy
Carer slept in his motor to make it as a wrestler and ended up Netflix poster boy

Scottish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Carer slept in his motor to make it as a wrestler and ended up Netflix poster boy

' I took to it like a duck to water. Wrestling comes naturally to Scots – we're battle-ready by primary school' CAR-NO-JOKEY Carer slept in his motor to make it as a wrestler and ended up Netflix poster boy Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOT who quit his carer job to live in his car with his dog while pursuing his wrestling dream, ended up the poster boy for a major Netflix documentary in America. Luke Scoular, from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, left his career and home behind when he signed up for an intensive academy in London run by WWE legend Al Snow. 5 The Scot and his dog Odin slept together in a tiny Ford Fiesta as he tried to make it as a wrestler. 5 Luke with his champions belt and holding a lion's head. 5 Luke working out and as the face of Netflix Wrestlers series. 5 Drew McIntyre made it to the top of WWE but Luke Scoular is with Ohio Valley Wrestling - which launched John Cena along with Batista to global stardom. But having blown all his life savings on the course he had nowhere to live, so the 6ft 1in, 17 stone musclebound wrestling wannabe slept in his tiny Ford Fiesta with his husky Odin. Luke, 34, says: 'I'm a big guy and Odin was a big dug, weighing 47kg, so yes it was cramped. 'But I slept in the motor because I couldn't get a hotel that would take Odin and they were all a fortune anyway. 'So starting from that and ending up on a Netflix poster was surreal to say the least.' Luke was raised with his three brothers by mum and dad Lisa and Derek, starting work as a lifeguard in Wishaw Sports Centre, then as a personal trainer, before becoming a support worker for young adults in residential units. But he was inspired to walk away from it all after watching a video featuring wrestling superstar John Cena, 48, who has since become a Hollywood actor. However Cena also holds the Guinness World Record for granting more wishes - over 650 - than anyone else for the US charity the Make-A-Wish Foundation for kids with critical illnesses. Luke explains: 'A lot of wrestlers take part in Make-A-Wish and visit kids in hospital but John Cena is the most famous one for doing it. 'One night when I was home doing nothing I came across this video on YouTube with all these testimonials from kids he'd helped. It was tug at the heart strings stuff and brought a tear to my eye. 'I will never forget the date as it was November 3, 2017 and I had been toying with the idea of joining Al Snow's wrestling academy. 'But after watching John Cena and all the good he had done as a wrestler, I looked at the dug, he looked back at me as if to say 'Just do it'. 'So I did it and, bang, I chucked my job and drove down to London that night to start the six month course the next morning.' Luke bypassed the vibrant wrestling scene in Scotland, that has produced WWE champ Drew McIntyre and cult favourite Grado, as he believed moving south would allow him to concentrate on his training. He says: 'I needed a clean break with no distractions.' Al Snow and his team soon allowed Luke and Odin to stay in their gym where he worked as an informal janitor. He says: 'They saw I was sleeping in the motor so invited us to stay in the building. 'So I offered to keep the place clean and make sure it was ready for the guys to start training when they came in every morning. 'It was great as all I got to do was hammer it, practising for six or seven hours a day.' He adds: 'But I took to it like a duck to water. Wrestling comes naturally to Scots – we're battle-ready by primary school.' Luke worked on his ring persona as Crixus, named after the real-life Gallic Gladiator, and impressed Snow so much he was invited to move to the States to join Ohio Valley Wrestling - ironically the same place that launched John Cena along with Batista to global stardom. And it was there where the Netflix cameras turned up to follow the wannabes from across the world for the 2023 series Wrestlers. He says: 'When the film crew first came in to meet us, they found out I was Scottish and were like 'Wow'. 'They loved my story of how I'd quit everything to be a wrestler and spent about three months following me around. 'Then when it was finally shown things went crazy. I was getting flooded with messages from across the world and a few from back home too saying 'So that's where you f***ed off to'.' Luke, 34, is following in the footsteps of fellow Scot Drew McIntyre, 40, who also trained with Ohio Valley Wrestling on his way to becoming our country's first WWE champ in 2020, while Edinburgh's Joe Hendry made his WrestleMania debut this year. It led to Al, 61, who has shared a ring with the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, to declare that the Scots are 'having a moment'. But Luke admits: 'When Drew became WWE champ it p***ed me off at the time, as I wanted to be the top Scot. 'But I am secretly delighted for him and it only helps me because we have similar styles, so I play off of that sometimes and I've also called him out once or twice (challenged him), but nothing has come of that, so far.' However one part of the job that Luke truly loves is seeing the eyes of sick kids light up when he and his fellow wrestlers pay them a visit. He says: 'We do a lot of outreach stuff and have visited a children's cancer unit in Cincinnati and we've done a few things with Ronald McDonald House too. 'This was a big part of why I wanted to become a wrestler in the first place after watching that John Cena video all those years ago and seeing the sheer delight you can bring. 'I may get booed in the ring but I'm really just a big softy at heart.' Luke is now based in Louisville, Kentucky, where he recently got married to an American woman Rosey, who works for a supplement company who sponsors the Scot. And he's also swapped sleeping in his car for a hammock on his front porch. But sadly, his companion Odin passed away last year aged 24. Luke says: 'Weirdly I actually look back on those times with fond memories even though we were sleeping in a tiny Ford Fiesta. 'Odin came with me when I threw myself into a new unknown world of wrestling. I was able to stick it out because I wasn't alone as I had him.' He adds: 'So yes, it really is amazing to now be a professional wrestler and living the dream, but I couldn't have done it without him.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store