Owen Farrell and Henry Pollock to be left out of Lions Test squad
The Times understands that Tom Curry will play at open-side flanker with Tadhg Beirne at blind-side and Jack Conan at No8 forming an abrasive, physical back row. For Curry and Conan it will be their fourth consecutive Lions Test. Ollie Chessum, a lock or blind-side option like Beirne, and Ben Earl will provide cover from the bench.
The Lions are going for power and lineout dominance over pace or a primary jackal threat, which is set to mean no place for Pollock, Jac Morgan or Josh van der Flier. With Morgan not involved, the Lions would go into a Test without a Welshman for the first time since 1899.
Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones will form an all-Scottish midfield, operating outside the half-back partnership of Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell.
The Tuipolotu-Jones combination always felt likely once Garry Ringrose, the Irish outside centre, was ruled out of the game through concussion.
The Lions' back line options have been limited by injuries to Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn. The back three therefore picks itself, with James Lowe and Tommy Freeman on the wings, either side of Hugo Keenan at full back.
Other than Jamie Osborne, who came on tour late, Marcus Smith is the only player from outside the expected starting XV who can cover full back.
Had Hansen or Kinghorn been available, that might have altered the balance and improved Owen Farrell's chances of being included as a fly half/centre.
Smith struggled last season after being recast by England as utility player, having been their starting fly half in 2024. But that versatility appears to have secured the 26-year-old a Lions Test selection, potentially alongside Bundee Aki on the bench.
The Lions still have one training session to negotiate before Andy Farrell, the head coach, announces the 23-man squad officially early on Thursday morning. 'It certainly wasn't easy,' Richard Wigglesworth, the assistant coach, said of the initial selection meeting.
The opening match of the three-match series against Joe Schmidt's Wallabies will be played at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
Curry's performances have not been flashy in Australia — and they have been lauded by Farrell because of it. The head coach admires the 27-year-old's engine, his work rate and his ferocity in the collisions. He started all three Tests on the 2021 Lions tour.
'He's a machine,' Farrell said. 'His work rate, his stuff off the ball is very impressive. The stuff that he does off the ball makes teams tick. He's so fit, so determined to have an impact on the game, especially as far as physicality is concerned. I think he started the tour really well.'
Beirne has switched between back row and second row on this tour but he has been preferred to Chessum at blind-side flanker. He will provide a key lineout option and he is also a member of the Lions' senior leadership group, having captained the team against NSW Waratahs and the Australia-New Zealand Invitational team.
His selection in the back row is a show of force from the Lions, although somewhat of a surprise given the man himself believes he is now a lock. 'If anything, I've probably become more settled in the second-row spot over the last couple of months, particularly with Munster,' Beirne, 33, said.
'I like to think I've convinced myself that my game has improved a bit over the last four years. Just in terms of understanding the game and being a smarter rugby player, particularly in the second row. I've been playing there a lot more.'
It had been widely expected that Owen Farrell, drafted in late and primarily as an inside centre option, would be fast-tracked into the first Test squad because of his ability to also cover fly half.
He came off the bench with Smith in the most recent game but if the Wallabies were looking for Test clues in their joint deployment, it would appear they have been misled.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Scottie Scheffler's young son steals limelight as he joins father to celebrate The Open win
This is the moment young Bennett Scheffler drew applause from the crowd after a gentle stumble while trying to reach his father, Scottie Scheffler, following his Open Championship win on Sunday, 20 July. The moment, captured on camera, took place on the 18th green at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where Scheffler had secured his fourth major title. As the golfer celebrated, his 14-month-old son toddled forward but lost his balance momentarily. The crowd responded with cheers, encouraging him. Scheffler waited for Bennett to steady himself before lifting him into his arms. The toddler then looked curiously at the Claret Jug his father had just won.
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
First Test scoreline flattered the Wallabies... but our brave Lions can only improve Down Under
The first Test between the Lions and the Wallabies might not have produced the fireworks we were expecting, but there were still plenty of issues for our Three Wise Men to sink their teeth into. Here, former Scotland captains ANDY NICOL and JASON WHITE join Mail Sport's deputy chief sports writer CALUM CROWE to run the rule over the Scottish midfield axis, why the victorious Lions dropped off in the second half, and whether we should be anticipating a 3-0 whitewash or a stirring Aussie fightback. What were your overall thoughts on the game and why do you feel there was such a drop-off in the second half? Andy Nicol: It was a very comfortable win for the Lions. They were excellent for the first 50 minutes, sharp in attack and strong in defence but then almost stopped playing. At 24-5, it looked like it could get to 40 and the Aussies around me in the stadium were fearing the worst. In fact, many ended up talking to each other rather than watching the game. Australia upped their game a little in the second half but it was more because the Lions dropped in their accuracy and intensity and let them back in the game. The eight-point difference hugely flattered the Wallabies and the Lions won with some ease. Jason White: The Lions were so dominant in the first half and should really have had another couple of tries through Huw Jones and James Lowe. They were good value for their victory, with Ellis Genge, Tadhg Beirne, Finn Russell and Huw Jones producing the big performances the occasion required. The second-half drop-off was a concern. They could have kept some of the players on the pitch for a bit longer before bringing on replacements. Australia certainly grew into the game and have the capacity to improve their performance by 20 per cent for this week, which is a concern for the Lions. Calum Crowe: The Lions were running riot in the first half and physically dominated the Wallabies. But there seemed to be an element of complacency in their performance during the second half. Leading 17-5 at the break, they should have kicked on and racked up a record score against Australia. After taking their foot off the gas, it was Australia who emerged with more credit at full-time. Andy Farrell and Maro Itoje have spoken about standards and they will be driving the message this week that the second half just wasn't good enough. How did you rate the Scotland midfield axis of Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones? CC: They were outstanding in a dominant first-half performance. Russell's pass to create the opening try for Tuipulotu was world class and the Wallabies defence had no answer to the Scotland playmaker. Tuipulotu revelled in the occasion after some of the jibes from the Aussies, but it was Jones who really impressed me. He has been one of the Lions standout performers across the tour so far. He was unfortunate to have a try ruled out but some of the lines he was running were devastating and he's clearly a player at the peak of his powers right now. AN: Finn was magic in the first half. He controlled the game beautifully, kicking well, passing sharply and looked total class. His build-up play for Sione's try was brilliant; two very different passes but both executed perfectly. His only blip was when he butchered the cross-field kick for Joe McCarthy. He will be gutted as he normally gets those kick passes right on the money. Sione was excellent as well, bringing great shape to the Lions attack, running direct when it was required. Huw almost got on the scoresheet as well but his try was ruled out fo not releasing the ball in a tackle. Huw did a lot of good things and, collectively, they defended very well against the strength of this Australia team, their centres. JW: They were excellent as a unit and should be proud of their input. One of Finn's super strengths is his ability to have time on the ball and assess which option to take, all within milliseconds. His pass for Sione's try was a brilliant example of that. Defensively they were capable of keeping the Australia X-factor players quiet. A good day's work all round. Australia looked under-cooked in the first half. Have you been surprised by their approach, their lack of game time, and their reluctance to release players to play for their club sides during the warm-up games? AN: They were really poor in the first 50 and only got back in because the Lions dropped off. There's been a lot of talk out here about how Australia have got the build-up all wrong. Which seems very strange as they have known for 12 years the Lions were coming. One theory is they are still correcting the huge errors made by Eddie Jones but, fundamentally, they haven't got the players and t did not look fully prepared. This series could make or break Australian rugby because there is so much sport out here that it's competing against, and one thing Aussies like is success. They will not get behind a losing team, so the next two weeks are huge for Australian rugby. JW: The biggest head scratcher for me has been their Test team only playing one Test, against Fiji, in the run-up. If their internationalists were not playing for clubs/provinces, I don't understand why they did not schedule more full fixtures. The CEO and planners in Australian rugby appear to have got it majorly wrong in that respect. CC: They came into this series with only one game under their belt. This tour has essentially been in the diary for 12 years, so I can't understand why the Wallabies have been so badly prepared. It would have made much more sense for more of their Test players to play in the warm-up games and get a taste of what the Lions are all about. In the first half on Saturday, they looked woefully off the pace and that ultimately comes down to a lack of proper preparation. Given the gulf in quality between the teams, should we be expecting 3-0 series whitewash? This could be the most one-sided Lions series in history. CC: If the Lions don't win 3-0, the tour will be viewed as a failure. They are miles ahead. We love to build these things up and try to portray the matches as having jeopardy attached to them. But the reality is these two teams are a total mismatch in terms of quality. The Lions should wipe the floor with the Wallabies and rack up some big numbers on the scoreboard. They dropped off massively in the second half on Saturday. I don't expect the same slackness in the next two games. We could well see them put 50 points on the Aussies in either of the next two games. AN: I always saw the second test in Melbourne as the potential banana skin for the Lions, mainly because of the scale of the stadium, the importance of the stadium in Australian culture and how it might inspire the Wallabies into action. After watching them on Saturday, I am not concerned. The Lions are the much better team, look better connected and coached and should win this series 3-0. JW: My worry is that Australia have the capacity to improve by at least 20 per cent this weekend, which will definitely cause the Lions trouble if they do. Having said that, the Lions can play better than they did and Farrell and the players will know they need to recover well, refocus and find another 10-15 per cent in their performance levels. What's your view on the tour as a whole so far? Has it lived up to previous tours or been a bit flat so far? AN: From a rugby perspective, it has not been that exciting because the opposition have not been able to be really competitive in the warm-up games. It felt flat when I was watching it from Edinburgh, but since arriving into the Sea of Red in Brisbane the Lions still has huge interest for the fans. Russell's valiant attempt to stop Max Jorgensen comes to nothing as the Wallaby hits the line I hosted an event on Saturday with almost 5,000 Lions fans and the stadium was split 50/50, so there is huge excitement from a fans perspective. JW: The one disappointment has been the lack of genuine jeopardy in the games running up to the first Test. Australia are the weakest Southern Hemisphere team at the moment so it was always likely to be the case. Releasing the Test players to the warm-up games was a no brainier to me. It will likely mean a change to how any future Lions tours to Australia look in future. CC: It has undoubtedly been flat. Rugby union is dying a slow death in Australia. As a sport, it's just not all that popular any more. The fans haven't really bought into the tour and it hasn't been helped by the fact so many of the warm-up games were so uninspiring. When the Lions go on tour in New Zealand and South Africa, you know it's going to be box-office. The Springboks and the All Blacks represent a mighty challenge, whereas the Wallabies are very much the poor relation. What changes would you like to see being made for this week? Or will Andy Farrell stick with the same team? JW: Everything points to the same team unless there are injuries. There is definitely room to make changes on the bench. Henry Pollock is the obvious one to bring into the conversation due to his high energy and ability to influence a game. I also have a sneaky feeling Owen Farrell might just find his way into the Test squad over the next two weekends. CC: I expect Farrell will probably stick with the same team. But there is definitely an argument for adding more firepower out wide. Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham would have scored a bucketload of tries on Saturday, especially during a dominant first half. But James Lowe and Tommy Freeman were relatively quiet on the wings. I don't expect Farrell to drop Lowe given their relationship with Ireland, but Freeman might be the one whose place is under threat. Van der Merwe and Graham would bring explosive pace and finishing prowess to a back-three who looked slightly one dimensional at times. AN: Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry were simply outstanding and fully vindicated the decision to pick them. Garry Ringrose will be available again after his head knock which will definitely mean there will be a discussion on the 13 jersey. Huw Jones played well so I would stick with him, mainly because I would not want to change that winning partnership and understanding with Sione and Finn. If Blair Kinghorn is fit, he will be in the mix but I think Farrell will go with the same team, with the message to take the series with a convincing win in Melbourne.
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Talented 10-year-old runner is BANNED from competing because he has autism
A 10-year-old boy with autism, Charlie Cox, has been excluded from the NSW Primary School Cross Country Championships. Despite qualifying for the state finals as a special needs athlete, the NSW Education Department ruled him ineligible to compete. The decision has sparked scrutiny of the state's athletics guidelines for students with disabilities. 'We were very disappointed that Charlie was excluded,' his father Owen Cox told Channel Seven. 'We are hoping that there's some type of intervention from the government. Fingers crossed things can change.' The number of autistic Australians rose by 41.8 per cent from 2018 to 2022, reaching 290,900 people or 1.1 per cent of the population, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts, and experiences the world. It is recognised as a disability in Australia under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); however, funding is restricted to only the more severe cases on the spectrum. Because autism is a spectrum, not every case is the same. While some children may be impacted by developmental delays or issues with motor skills, sensory processing, social interactions, and cognitive functions, others thrive in sport with appropriate support and accommodations. NBA player Tony Snell, NFL defender Joe Barksdale and Major League Baseball star Jim Eisenreich are some high-profile autistic athletes who have competed at the highest level. The spectrum is what has made it challenging to create an autism category. 'As such, the inclusion of an autism category for the sports of athletics and cross country are not feasible in the Representative School Sport Pathway,' the NSW Department of Education told Charlie's family. 'There are no nationally recognised benchmarks to support fair and consistent result calculation. 'Other states and territories that have made local provisions for participation do so outside the formal School Sport Australia pathway and there is no fair or consistent result calculation, nor is there a pathway to the next level of representation. 'Your concern is acknowledged and please be reassured that the NSW Department of Education remains committed to advocating for broader inclusion through national sporting bodies such as Athletics Australia.' 'He is so keen [to run],' his mother Sasha told Radio 2GB host Ben Fordham. 'He keeps asking, 'Do I get to run? Do I get to run?" 'It's heartbreaking when you have to tell him we don't know, we have to wait and see. 'But I try and digress him [to] possibly take up tennis next year, so I am already prepping him for that.' Fordham said he was surprised there is no category for ASD children given the rapid rise in Australians with the condition. 'That would make common sense, wouldn't it?' Sasha responded. 'But unfortunately it hasn't gone that way and it's not really inclusive for autistic athletes in athletics.' Fordham asked Sasha what competing meant to her son. 'He is so proud of himself. Just the pride and the self awareness and being able to encourage him to go further,' she said. 'It's really helped him as a person to grow and adapt. 'Intellectual abilities are allowed to compete. 'The fellas he was running up against will be participating there on Wednesday, so yes, they're included. 'But not Charlie, not autism, unfortunately.' Fordham said that it appeared that Athletics Australia had put Charlie's case in the 'too hard' basket. 'Is it too much to organise?' Sasha asked. 'Maybe they need to speak to other bodies and see how they administer their policies in including autism and categorising them. 'I'm not too sure, but there has to be something that can be done, surely.' Charlie has received plenty of support, with a large number of Aussies claiming his exclusion was discrimination. 'He won the race and qualified to go further, but because he has autism he is disqualified from competing? What a joke, he has autism, he is not from another planet,' one commented. 'He has earned the right to run, just let him run,' another said. Others pointed out that because of the autism spectrum it was not as simple as creating an ASD classification. 'I'm autistic, I get what they are saying. It's too much of a spectrum they haven't nailed down yet,' one Aussie posted on social media. Many commenters were united in the belief that Charlie should be allowed to run, not just excluded because there is no classification for him. 'Just because there arent any classifications for different disabilities doesn't mean they should exclude,' one follower posted. 'It is terrible that he can't compete because their [sic] is no classification for autistic athletes in the but why can he not just compete in the 'able body class' with everyone else?' asked another.
