
Itoje insists there will be no repeat of 'geography six' as Scots trio join up
Scottish trio Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham are set to join Andy Farrell's squad in the coming week, boosting the team size to 44 following the inclusion of Jamie Osborne, Jamie George and Tom Clarkson.
These new recruits have been drafted in to provide cover, ensuring key players won't have to play in the Test series whilst also featuring in next Tuesday's match against a First Nations and Pasifika XV.
Farrell's decision to turn to those from Scotland's tour of nearby New Zealand has evoked memories of eight years ago when Finn Russell, Allan Dell, Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davie joined Warren Gatland's Lions.
Picked because of their geographical location with their national sides and not on merit, they were shunned by some squad members and Gatland later revealed that internal concern over 'devaluing the jersey' forced him to not deploy them off the bench against the Hurricanes.
Itoje's Lions will take a different approach with their captain declaring 'we are all in this together'.
'I have no doubt that they will be welcomed in,' said Itoje ahead of the Saturday's first Test in Brisbane.
'The boss, Andy, has called them in because he believes they will help the Lions to achieve their goal of winning a Test series.
'All of the players who have been called in are quality players. They are players like everyone else in the team, have a high level of experience and have achieved things in their career.
'We are all in this together. It's not us and them. It doesn't matter if there's a late call-up. We've seen in the past how late call-ups have had huge impact on the tour in positive ways.
'I have no doubt that everyone who has called up will play a significant role in helping the team achieve its goal.'
Meanwhile, Itoje has doubled down on Henry Pollock's revelation that the Lions are determined to complete a series whitewash of Australia – an aim that has been noted by the hosts.
'That's definitely the ambition. It goes without saying – no one ever wants to lose a game,' Itoje said.
'It would be a bit weird if one of my team-mates said we want to win two and lose one.
'If you asked any of the Wallabies players, I hope it's also their ambition to win all the games.
'We want to win, but all we're focussed on is this Saturday. The other two games will look after itself.'
After playing four matches in four different states in 11 days, the Lions are based in Brisbane where preparations for the first Test have begun,
'We know there's going to be a big step up. As we get closer and closer to the game, we'll sharpen and sharpen,' Itoje said.
'There's a healthy tension in the squad because we know this is what we've been working towards.'

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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
‘Babies get big': Andrew Porter reflects on Lions sacrifices before second Test
Perhaps nothing symbolises the unity of the Lions squad more than Ellis Genge and Finlay Bealham quickly developing a 'bromance' and, similarly, the bond between the English loosehead and his Irish counterpart Andrew Porter runs deep. The greater good comes first, and on foot of Farrell deciding that Porter assuming the starting role and Genge being entrusted to bring his energy off the bench, it thus comes as no surprise than the latter was the first to congratulate the former on his promotion, despite it being at his expense. As Porter put it: 'It's been said so many times but you come into this squad with perceptions of different players. You're so used to playing against them in the Champions Cup or Six Nations or wherever, but your perceptions are dashed pretty much the minute you step in the door. 'Me and Ellis were rooming together as well, so I got to know him better. He's an incredible guy, an incredible player, and it's been great to build a friendship as well as learn from him. He's one of the best in the business so it's great being able to become closer as mates and learn from each other along the way. READ MORE 'But yeah, he was the first one to congratulate me yesterday and sure he handed out my cap to me last week instead of my dad. He's the dad of the squad. He's a great fellah and he's a great player as well.' All the more so as he was picked but forced to withdraw from the Lions tour four years ago, it was good to hear that Porter's dad Ernie, a former crash ball inside centre of some repute with Old Wesley, arrived in Australia last week to support his son. By no means uniquely in this squad, this tour has led to quite a reunion for the extended Porter clan, and his dad's sisters, Porter's aunts, have long since been living and rearing their families in various parts of Australia. 'He's having a nice old holiday. We have a load of family down here as well, all around the place; Perth, Brisbane, most of them in Sydney. Lions Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter celebrate after the game. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'It's a good opportunity for him to go and meet up with all the family and everything. It's great for me as well. There's a lot of them I wouldn't have even met before. A few cousins and stuff, and a lot I haven't seen in years and years. 'So, it's a great opportunity, obviously, to reconnect with family as well as being down here. Yeah, a lot of family down here. A lot of Porters all over the world now.' But, alas, not his wife Elaine and their first child, who are back in Ireland, So, when asked what he learned most on this tour, his answer had a certain poignancy. 'You're putting me on the spot now. I can't think. It's a curveball. What have I learned about myself? I learned that babies get very big when you're away from home. Yeah, my wife is at home looking after the baby. He's nine weeks now.' While this thought was something that evidently saddened him, he had to concede: 'I could say it's not easy for me but I don't think my wife would like that too much. 'I wouldn't get much sympathy,' he added with a wry smile. 'Yeah, it's that side of it as well. My wife is at home looking after our baby at the moment. She's the one in the trenches at home at the moment. I'm in the trenches over here. Well, I can't really say that. We're looked after here quite well. 'But it's a sacrifice on both ends. She's there with sleepless nights at home looking after him and I'm here representing my family, my country, and representing the Lions. It's two different kinds of sacrifices. But I'll definitely owe her for this for a long time anyway.' And he does have the not inconsiderable prospect of playing in one of the biggest games of his life. 'How often can you say you've done this down in the MCG with 90,000 plus people there? With, obviously, the series, on the line like this and being able to back up 2013, to win back-to-back tours in Australia.' Playing with the number one on his back is also a role he's more used to with Leinster and Ireland. 'It kind of allows you that chance to get into the game a bit more from the get-go. Sometimes I feel like I'm getting going when it's about 50 minutes in, because I'll be used to playing a bit longer at home. 'Starting or finishing, it's a huge honour to do both in a Lions Test team. Probably everyone would prefer starting but being a part of this squad is just an incredible privilege and incredibly grateful to be part of it, whether it's on the bench last week or starting this week.'


Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
'Another dream ticked off' for Porter as Lions Test start awaits
It just keeps getting better for Andrew Porter. From being a Lions Test debutant off the bench in Brisbane last Saturday to reaching the pinnacle of any Irish player's career and becoming a starter, it cannot get much better for the 29-year-old loosehead prop. Except that the Leinster and Ireland star gets to do it in an all-Irish front row alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong and in a pivotal Test match against Australia that could end in a first Lions series victory for a dozen years. At the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and in front of an expected crowd in excess of 90,000. If Carlsberg did perfect scenarios and all that. Definitely. 'It's a dream come true,' Porter said. 'Firstly just being a part of this squad and then hearing your name in the Test team last week was incredible. Hearing my name in the starting line-up for this week is another dream ticked off again. 'I'm just incredibly excited for the opportunity to go out there and play for this team and play with these lads who we've created such a great connection with over the last few weeks. It's incredibly exciting and looking forward to ripping into it. 'I'd say it's up there with one of the biggest games of my life. How often can you say you've done this down in the MCG with 90,000 plus people there? 'With, obviously, the series on the line like this and being able to kind of back up 2013, to win back-to-back tours. It's definitely up there with one of the highlights. 'Like, even just being on this tour up there with one of the highlights of my life and career as a professional rugby player.' That the first squad member to congratulate Porter was the man he will replace on Saturday, Ellis Genge, made it all the sweeter as a moment to savour. "Yeah, he was the first one. It's been said so many times but you come into this squad with perceptions of different players. You're so used to playing against them in the Champions Cup or Six Nations or wherever but your perceptions are dashed pretty much the minute you step in the door. 'Me and Ellis were rooming together as well, so I got to know him better. He's an incredible guy, an incredible player, and it's been great to build a friendship as well as learn from him. He's one of the best in the business, so it's great being able to become closer as mates and learn from each other along the way. "But yeah, he was the first one to congratulate me yesterday and sure he handed out my cap to me last week instead of my dad. So he's the dad of the squad. He's a great fella and a great player. 'Starting or finishing, it's a huge honour to do both in a Lions Test team. 'Probably everyone would probably say starting. But, being a part of this squad is just an incredible privilege and incredibly grateful to be part of it, whether it's on the bench last week or starting this week.' Either way, Porter has and will have given blood to the cause. His ears were weeping as he spoke and he said: 'They're cut all year round now. They're just all year round. I can't have white pillowcases at home anymore because it looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre after I wake up in the morning. 'So, yeah. I've been banned from the white linens anyway at home.' Porter now favours black pillowcases, explaining: 'You can't see anything on them. Probably disgusting though.' The patience of Mrs Porter, Elaine, has been further stretched by her husband's lengthy absence so soon after the birth of their first child. 'What have I learned about myself? I learned that babies get very big when you're away from home. Yeah, my wife is at home looking after the baby. He's nine weeks now. 'I could say it's not easy for me, but I don't think my wife would like that too much. I wouldn't get much sympathy. 'Yeah, it's that side of it as well. My wife is at home looking after our baby at the moment. She's the one in the trenches at home at the moment. I'm in the trenches over here. Well, I can't really say that. We're looked after here quite well. 'But it's a sacrifice on both ends. She's there with sleepless nights at home looking after him and I'm here representing my family, my country, and representing the Lions. It's two different kinds of sacrifices. But I'll definitely owe her for this for a long time anyway.' Porter is not totally without family support in Australia. His father Ernie arrived in time for the first Test and has been catching up with his sisters, Andrew's aunts Becky and Vera, both of whom left Dublin when they were young. 'My old man came down. He was down there for last weekend in Brisbane and he's down here now. So, he's having a nice old holiday. We have a load of family down here as well… all around the place. Perth, Brisbane, and most of them in Sydney. 'It's a good opportunity for him to go and meet up with all the family and everything. Yeah, I mean, it's great for me as well. There's a lot of them I wouldn't have even met before. A few cousins and stuff, a lot of them I haven't seen in years and years. 'So, it's a great opportunity, obviously, to reconnect with family as well as being down here. A lot of Porters all over the world now. 'They got most of their own tickets, in fairness. So, yeah, I'm trying to get rid of tickets now.'


The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Lennox Lewis says he would've beaten count if he was Daniel Dubois but refuses to slam Brit for party before Usyk loss
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