logo
Lions select strong side for Brumbies clash as Test series comes into focus

Lions select strong side for Brumbies clash as Test series comes into focus

Glasgow Times07-07-2025
Maro Itoje leads the side as part of a second-row partnership with Joe McCarthy and across the starting XV there are picks considered first choice, including half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell.
Providing X-factor on the bench are back-rower Henry Pollock and versatile playmaker Marcus Smith in an opportunity for both England stars to prove they are ready to take on the Wallabies on July 19.
Our team to face the Brumbies in Canberra! 🦁#Lions2025
— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 7, 2025
Pollock was due to start Saturday's shaky 21-10 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs but withdrew shortly before kick-off because of a tight calf, an injury that has now healed.
The all-Ireland combination of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose have been chosen in the centres and Blair Kinghorn makes his first start at full-back having joined the squad late because of his Top 14 duties with Toulouse.
Tommy Freeman and James Lowe are the favourites to fill the wings against Australia in Brisbane and both are present, with Mack Hansen adding back-three cover from the bench against his former Super Rugby franchise.
Ellis Genge has been the form loosehead prop on tour while on the other side of the scrum three-times Lions tourist Tadhg Furlong is given another start to develop his match-fitness at the end of a season that has been marred by calf and hamstring injuries. Dan Sheehan is named at hooker.
Normally an unstoppable force, Tom Curry has yet to find his stride Down Under but he is handed the openside duties in a back row that offers an important line-out option in the shape of Ollie Chessum.
Andy Farrell has named a strong side for the game in Canberra (Jason O'Brien/PA)
Jack Conan is included at number eight and it appears as though Chessum will supply second-row cover in the event of injury to Itoje and McCarthy given flankers Josh van der Flier and Pollock are the inclusions on the bench.
Ireland provide eight players to the starting XV, England five and Scotland two with no place in the 23 for Wales openside Jac Morgan.
The Brumbies are the strongest team the Lions will face in Australia outside of the Tests after reaching the semi-finals of Super Rugby, where they lost 37-17 to the Chiefs on June 14.
'In 2013 the Brumbies beat the Lions in Canberra and this year they were the leading Australian team in Super Rugby – so we are fully aware of the challenge in front of us,' head coach Farrell said.
'It will also be a special occasion for Mack Hansen as he returns to his home town and gets the opportunity to play for and represent the Lions against some of his old team-mates.'
Lions team: B Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); T Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), G Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), B Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), J Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); F Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); E Genge (Bristol Bears/England), D Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), T Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), M Itoje (Saracens/England, capt), J McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), O Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), T Curry (Sale Sharks/England), J Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).
Replacements: R Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), A Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), W Stuart (Bath Rugby/England), J van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), H Pollock (Northampton Saints/England), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), M Smith (Harlequins/England), M Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE Tennis at the Australian Open, a visit to Ramsey Street... and Roar & Uncut tracks down James Haskell in the pool during the Lions' tour
EXCLUSIVE Tennis at the Australian Open, a visit to Ramsey Street... and Roar & Uncut tracks down James Haskell in the pool during the Lions' tour

Daily Mail​

time2 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE Tennis at the Australian Open, a visit to Ramsey Street... and Roar & Uncut tracks down James Haskell in the pool during the Lions' tour

Nik and Kev's Lions tour adventure continued as they arrived in Melbourne for the crescendo moment of the series. They touched down in Victoria where they were reunited with some old friends to show them the city that prides itself on being every bit different. With hidden gems around every corner, they ended up stepping out of the rugby bubble to experience street art, coffee culture and the state's vibrant multi-culture. Here is what the guys got up to in the fifth episode of Roar & Uncut, in association with Dr Squatch. MONDAY It was an early start for the Wallabies ' press conference at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne by IHG. As the official tour partners, IHG decked out the riverside hotel with paraphernalia ahead of the big match, so we checked out their pop-up bar before heading out of town to Ramsay Street. The Neighbours set brought back a few teenage memories, visiting the houses that played out so many storylines for the likes of the Bishops and the Kennedies. TUESDAY All kitted up, we made tracks to the iconic blue tennis courts that host the Australian Open. Kev prides himself on being the Essex schoolboys champion at Under 15 level so we brought Mail Sport columnist Dan Biggar along to step up the competition. Dan was a professional sportsman until last month and his athleticism shone through, wiping the court with both of us to win the inaugural Dr Squatch trophy. After the match, we stopped off at Proud Mary, which was recently named in the top 10 coffee shops in the world, to fuel up before the Lions match against the Pasifika XV. WEDNESDAY We boarded a boat up the river for a memorable tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is a colossus of an arena, with 100,024 seats that host concerts, AFL, cricket and more. Damien Fleming, Australia's fast bowler from the 1990s, gave the travelling media a private tour, joining us for lunch in the Long Room. Come Christmas, the iconic stadium will be packed to its old rafters for the upcoming Ashes series. THURSDAY After Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt named their teams for the second Test, we visited the Lightscape exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was an immersive display featuring dozens of illuminations, strolling through floral canopies that offered an enchanting escape from the day-to-day touring schedule. And then it was back to the MCG, where the Hawks were hosting Carlton in an all-Victorian AFL derby. FRIDAY Our hotel, the voco Melbourne Central by IHG, was situated in the heart of the action. We were surrounded by the bright lights of China Town, vibrant street art and independent outlets on every corner. James Haskell and Mike Tindall were also staying in our hotel, as part of their work with the The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. We caught up with Haskell in the hotel's skyline swimming pool, where he shared a few hilarious anecdotes from his rugby career. SATURDAY Match day in Melbourne, but not before some fish and chips down on the beach in St Kilda. We boarded the city's free tram service for a hit of sea air, enjoying the winter coastline. Then it was back to the MCG to join more than 90,000 supporters for the series-defining Test. Kev was a guest of Qatar Airways in their hospitality area, while Nik was sat up in the media tribune to report on a thrilling Lions victory for the ages. Roar & Uncut comes to you in association with Dr Squatch, ensuring Nik and Kev are the best-smelling guys on tour.

Millions of Sky Sports fans warned over huge change to their TV subscription starting today
Millions of Sky Sports fans warned over huge change to their TV subscription starting today

The Sun

time5 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Millions of Sky Sports fans warned over huge change to their TV subscription starting today

MILLIONS of Sky Sports viewers are being urged to check their TV guides today as a major reshuffle hits the channel line-up. The shake-up hits customers across the UK and Ireland from today, July 28, with rebrands, renames and major channel moves across Sky's satellite, Glass and Stream services. 3 Sky has confirmed that Sky Sports The Lions (Satellite 408/865 – Sky Glass/Stream 408) will revert to its original name, Sky Sports Action/ Sky Sports Action HD, after a temporary rebrand. Sky 2025 Recap (Satellite 302 – Sky Glass/Stream 302) will also be temporarily renamed Favourites HD. Meanwhile, a wide reshuffle of the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) will see many popular channels move to new positions. In the UK on satellite, Sky Sports+ HD is moving from 412 to 404. The broadcaster routinely makes changes to its channel line-up, particularly to reflect seasonal sports coverage or temporary promotions. Earlier this year, Sky Fantasy was reverted back to Sky Family (Satellite 306/850 – Sky Glass/Stream 306) after a seasonal rebrand. Sky Hits HD (Satellite 303 – Sky Glass/Stream 303) was renamed Sky Originals HD, and Sky Superheroes (Satellite 302 – Sky Glass/Stream 302) switched to Sky 5* Movies HD. In previous reshuffles, several fan favourites have also disappeared completely. Eurosport channels were removed as their content merged with TNT Sports. Pop Max, a children's channel, and Sky History +1 have also been axed. Fans were left disappointed when ITVBe was dropped in June, although many of its popular reality shows have since moved to a new home. Virgin Media recently axed several of its legacy music and entertainment channels as it prioritises on-demand content. Fans say 'you can't pretend it isn't rigged' as Carabao Cup draw hands out play-off final repeat Customers were surprised when Virgin's Comedy Central Extra and MTV Base were quietly removed from the line-up. Freeview has also caused frustration after dropping BBC News HD in some regions, and reducing coverage of channels like Forces TV and PBS America. ITV made waves when it merged its standalone channels like CITV into its new streaming service ITVX, effectively removing the long-standing kids' channel from live schedules. Viewers are now being urged to recheck their guides to avoid missing any major sporting events or live matches. More channel closures 'inevitable' An industry expert told The Sun that more channel closures are likely in 2025 and beyond. "This is inevitable, more broadcasters will cull broadcast/linear TV channels as viewers are flocking to streaming services," Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight said. "The big TV switch off is around the corner, with all programming set to be delivered via the internet. "Viewers are now spoilt for choice with how and where they watch the TV shows they love across a range of connected devices. "To respond, broadcasters need to be prepared and work more closely with telecom providers to ensure a seamless experience for users." Image credit: Getty 3

Horse racing tips: Monday, July 28
Horse racing tips: Monday, July 28

Telegraph

time28 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Horse racing tips: Monday, July 28

Monday's UK and Irish racing Monday's UK and Irish racing (Flat unless stated) Flat Ayr (2.00-5.15, Racing TV) Yarmouth (2.15-4.55, Sky Sports Racing) Windsor (5.30-8.40, Sky Sports Racing) Southwell (5.50-9.00, Sky Sports Racing) Mixed Galway (5.10-8.20, Racing TV) Ron Wood's selections NAP Crown Of Oaks (4.05, Ayr) 1pt win @ 10/11 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Other Kelpie Grey (3.00, Ayr) 1pt win @ 11/4 with William Hill ⭐⭐⭐ Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (maximum five). If you already have a William Hill account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use on this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts 3.00 Ayr – Class 4 Handicap (7f; Racing TV) KELPIE GREY was as good as ever when second in a Class 3 handicap over a mile at Ayr on his reappearance, a fine effort after 302 days off. This drop in trip is no bad thing – he's a two-time course-and-distance winner – and he also drops in class. With the Jim Goldie stable in flying form, he has strong claims. 4.05 Ayr – Class 4 Handicap (1m 2f; Racing TV) The William Haggas-trained CROWN OF OAKS disappointed when 1/3 favourite for a Redcar maiden last time out, but he has since been gelded and now steps up in trip, and he was so promising on his first two starts that he still makes plenty of appeal on his handicap debut. It's fair to say the form of his reappearance at Newbury, where he finished third in a maiden, hasn't worked out. However, he went through that race like a good horse, shaping better than the bare result suggests, and he was entered in the 2,000 Guineas and the Dante at the time. Haggas had won the same Newbury maiden the previous year with the subsequent Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics, and in 2022 he won it with My Prospero, who went on to win a Group 2. Crown Of Oaks, a 260,000gns yearling, has an opening mark of 79, and he's a brother to English Oak whose peak official rating is 108. When is the next big racing festival? The week-long Galway Festival kicks off in Ireland today, and tomorrow it's Glorious Goodwood. Check out the latest Glorious Goodwood free bets and betting offers. The latter is a five-day fixture and is set to feature Field Of Gold, possibly the best horse in the world, in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, one of three Group 1 races at the meeting. What does NAP mean? NAP is a word used in betting circles to describe a prediction that a tipster thinks has a particularly strong chance of winning. Many horse racing tipsters pick out a 'NAP of the day', which is their favoured selection from all the races across the different meetings. The term derives from the French card game Napoleon. When players of this game thought they had a particularly strong hand that they would win with, they would shout 'Napoleon'. Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence

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