There have been 11 Lions midfields... but trio with six minutes together looks set for first Test
Like every Lions honcho before him, Farrell senior has faced the question of whether to tap into existing familiarity or to formulate a new combination. Even before May 8, when he unveiled his initial squad of 38, the back line for the first Test against Australia was likely to be shaped by one question: would Finn Russell start the Tests alongside Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones – 'Huwipulotu' – or would the Ireland centres break up that enterprise?
The line-up for Brisbane will be confirmed on Thursday morning, but it appears as though that Scotland trio – who have only featured together fleetingly in tour games to date – will have a first crack at the Wallabies.
They face a critical task, not least because the centre partnership of Len Ikitau and Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii is one of Australia's best assets. And, even as recently as the victory over the Brumbies last week, this selection was not guaranteed. Injuries to Garry Ringrose and Mack Hansen, with the latter possibly affecting the bench make-up, have led us here.
Until now, Farrell has kept Joe Schmidt on his toes. Over six matches, beginning with the defeat by Argentina on June 20, the Lions have aired 11 different midfield trios and eight different centre partnerships, either from the start or after replacements and reshuffles.
Among the centres specifically, Tuipulotu and Jones have been the most prominent. They have appeared together in three separate fixtures, accruing 154 minutes together. That is almost double that of the second most-used centre duo, which is Bundee Aki and Ringrose.
Aki and Ringrose started the Brumbies win and were kept on for the entire game, with Russell also given all 80 minutes. This looked like a strong hint regarding the Test team, yet will have been affected by Marcus Smith being required at full-back from the bench as a replacement for Blair Kinghorn. Ringrose failed a head injury assessment in the aftermath, ruling him out of this weekend anyway.
That clearly increased the chances of a Scotland 10-12-13, a combination that has seen minimal action on this tour so far. Indeed, the axis of Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones has been deployed for precisely six minutes in the middle of the second half in Perth as the Lions pulled away to beat Western Force 54-7.
There was scope for a single-strike play, which showed us a familiar shape. Tuipulotu steps up at first-receiver with Russell fading out the back. Jones carves a trademark short angle and so nearly escapes the tackle of Hamish Stewart. However, he spills in contact…
…and, seconds later, Russell is replaced by Marcus Smith.
This slice pattern is ubiquitous, though Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones must be among the best at running it. They all fulfil their individual roles beautifully. Jones sliced through England in 2024 from Tuipulotu's short pass…
…and did so against the Waratahs from the same set-up:
Huwipulotu combines for the Lions! 🤝💥 pic.twitter.com/YiINFkSLIy
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 5, 2025
Tuipulotu is fantastic at fixing defenders with subtle footwork to give Jones a gap – or at least the possibility of a weak tackle – as the 'front-door' option'. Defenders will be eager to push past Jones to shut down the space of the fly-half in behind, especially when it is Russell lurking deeper. If Russell is afforded space as the 'back-door' playmaker, he brings his back three into the game:
With 'Huwipulotu' integral, the Lions used the same play from a scrum against AUNZ to spark a fluid sequence of attack. Tuipulotu steps off his right foot to draw Tane Edmed and swivels his head towards Fin Smith, which causes David Havili to creep beyond the ball towards the pull-back option. That opens the gap for Jones and a half-break follows:
Opposite Ikitau and Aukuso-Suaalii, familiarity will be equally helpful in defence. Tuipulotu and Jones have started 36 matches together for Scotland and Glasgow Warriors, winning 25 of them. As a collective, Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones have started 14 Tests. One of those was the 27-13 victory over the Wallabies last November.
Farrell will not have needed to see any more from the Scotland midfield three in warm-up matches. They will have prepared in training away from the prying eyes of Australia analysts as other configurations were used in tour matches. Fin Smith has been at fly-half with 'Huwipulotu' for 108 minutes across two games. Marcus Smith, set for a bench spot in Brisbane, has also had two different fly-half cameos with 'Huwipulotu'.
All that said, Aki can still be an influential figure. The 35-year-old has 42 Test match appearances for Ireland out of a possible 61 since Farrell became head coach in 2020. Only nine players have more. He and Ringrose wore 12 and 13 in two separate victories over a Scotland team featuring Russell, Tuipulotu and Jones in 2023, the second one a 36-14 thumping at the World Cup.
Despite blowing hot and cold on this tour, Aki has earned impetus in some of the Lions' most convincing passages. He was in between Russell and Jones for the first 50 minutes against the Reds. Aki was later replaced by Ben Earl, the England back-rower demonstrating his capacity to be an emergency centre. Ringrose, incidentally, wore 23 and finished that evening on the right wing.
Bench composition is the final piece of this jigsaw. In 33 of their 61 Tests since the 2019 World Cup, Ireland have fielded a potential centre – Robbie Henshaw (nine times), Aki (seven), Ringrose (six), Stuart McCloskey (four), Chris Farrell, James Hume, Jamie Osborne (twice each) or Will Addison (once) – in the number 23 jersey. They have evidently wanted to sustain dynamism and thrust in midfield.
Only four times in 61 Tests – against France, Wales and England in the 2024 Six Nations and again against France the following year – have Ireland opted for six forwards on the bench. Their typical formula is a five-three split, with a possible centre wearing 23. Hansen's injury makes that even more likely for the Lions, though Earl would be the hybrid to facilitate a six-two.
Most scenarios have been covered even before one considers repetitions in training. Tommy Freeman can slot in at outside centre and Earl's adaptability could come in handy. Test matches often finish up with obliterated back lines as coaches are forced to improvise due to injuries.
Having racked up 320 minutes, 43 more than Hansen, Tuipulotu has accrued the most game-time of any 2025 Lion to date. His case to be involved in the first Test will have been improved by a couple of appearances at outside centre to showcase versatility; alongside Aki against Argentina and outside the axis of Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell for the final half-hour of the 48-0 win over AUNZ. Farrell junior's ability to cover 12 as well as 10 was cited by his father as justification for the call-up.
The waiting is almost over. Andy Farrell and his Lions have deliberated the make-up of their 23 and decided upon what they believe to be the best side to go 1-0 up. Scotland's midfield three will be major protagonists in this endeavour.
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