Farrell selects strongest British and Irish Lions squad for Brumbies game to avoid 2013 repeat
England lock Maro Itoje returns as captain in a second-row partnership with Ireland's Joe McCarthy in a starting lineup that includes a number of first-choice picks for the test squad.
Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell will start against at No. 10 in a halves pairing with Jamison Gibson-Park.
Ireland centers Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose will start in the midfield and Blair Kinghorn will make his first start of the tour at fullback in a back three with Tommy Freeman and James Lowe.
Australia-born Ireland winger Mack Hansen is among the reserves for the game against his old Super Rugby franchise. Joining him on the bench are Englad backrower Henry Pollock and England flyhalf Marcus Smith.
The Brumbies have been the best performing of the Australian Super Rugby clubs, reaching the semifinals last month.
'In 2013 the Brumbies beat the British and Irish 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,' 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 teammates.'
The Brumbies will be well below full strength, with players involved in the Australian team preparing for the three-test series that starts July 19.
Prop Lington Ieli, flanker Rory Scott, scrumhalf and captain Ryan Lonergan, center David Feliuai and winger Corey Toole will all start after being involved in the Wallabies camp before being released to train with the Brumbies last week.
The Lions are 3-0 since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin before the traveling Down Under for their nine-game tour.
After wins over Western Force in Perth, Queensland Reds in Brisbane and New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney, the Lions will play the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday before taking on the combined AUNZ invitational squad on Saturday in their final preparation for the test series.
___
Squads:
British and Irish Lions: Blair Kinghorn (Scotland), Tommy Freeman (England), Garry Ringrose (Ireland), Bundee Aki (Ireland), James Lowe (Ireland), Finn Russell (Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); Jack Conan (Ireland), Tomm Curry (England), Ollie Chessum (England), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England, captain), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England). Reserves: Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Will Stuart (England), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Henry Pollock (England), Alex Mitchell (England), Marcus Smith (England), Mack Hansen (Ireland).
Brumbies: Andy Muirhead, Ben O'Connell, Ollie Sapsford, David Feliuai, Corey Toole, Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan (captain); Tuaina Taii Tualima, Rory Scott, Tom Hooper, Cadeyrn Neville, Lachie Shaw, Rhys van Nek, Lachlan Lonergan, Lington Ieli. Reserves: Liam Bowron, Cameron Orr, Feao Fotuaika, Lachie Hooper, Luke Reimer, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Hudson Creighton.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
‘Keep pumping': The new dance inspiring Novak Djokovic's quest for a record-equaling Wimbledon title
If ever there was a time for Novak Djokovic to shake off his troubles and share a dance with his son and daughter, it was after being tested to his limit against Alex de Minaur in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday. The Serb battled through a four-set fight against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, eventually finding a way to secure a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win after more than three hours of play. But despite looking both physically and mentally exhausted after match point, Djokovic still had the energy to perform a new celebratory dance with his children who were watching on from the stands. Son Stefan was seen joining him in the movement after outlasting de Minaur. The dance – reportedly inspired by a 2004 song by Danzel – has found new popularity during this year's Wimbledon, with the 24-time grand slam champion performing it with his children after winning his matches. The moves involve Djokovic pumping his fists down, then to the left, then the right, and finally up to the sky. His daughter Tara stole the show after her dad's third-round win on Saturday, pushing herself to the front of the stands to perform the 'pump it up' dance moves while Djokovic was being interviewed. 'It's called 'pumpa' in our language and 'pump it up' in English. There's a song with my kids,' Djokovic explained on Saturday. 'And look, my daughter is doing it right now,' Djokovic continued, as the camera turned to Tara. 'You want to show it, darling? You want to show how it goes?' Tara gave a shrug with a smile and proceeded to demonstrate, drawing delight from the crowd. 'She's the master,' Djokovic said. 'It's a little tradition we have right now so hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon.' Danzel, the artist behind the song, posted a video of Djokovic explaining the dance on Instagram, saying it was an 'honor' to have inspired the new celebration. There were plenty of times during Monday's match when it looked as though Djokovic would be unable to perform his new dance craze. Djokovic looked way off his best in the opening exchanges and struggled initially to get to grips with the gusty conditions on court. The first set was particularly puzzling, with de Minaur breaking Djokovic's serve three times to take a one-set lead in the match. The start of the second was equally erratic, with both players breaking each other's serve in quick succession – the set also involved an energy-depleting game that lasted 24 minutes alone. The 38-year-old Djokovic started to grow frustrated by the close of the second set after the net seemed to help de Minaur on several occasions, but all that angst and tension flew out of Djokovic in an almighty roar to his team after he wrapped up the second set. It then looked as though the seven-time Wimbledon champion had found his form, winning the third set and taking a huge step toward the next round. But de Minaur came racing back at the start of the fourth to break Djokovic's serve early on. With many expecting the match to go into a deciding set, Djokovic upped his level and broke back twice to fight his way into the quarterfinals. '(De Minaur) is so good,' Djokovic said during his post-match interview on court. 'He's one of the quickest, if not the quickest player we have on the tour and on the grass, where the ball bounces very low. It's extremely difficult to play someone like him if you're not feeling the ball. 'I was just very pleased to hang tough in the right moments and win this one.' Djokovic also had the added pressure of playing in front of tennis legend Roger Federer, who was the special guest in the Royal Box. The 43-year-old smiled as Djokovic gave him a special shoutout during his interview – the Serb is bidding to equal Federer's men's record of eight Wimbledon titles in this year's tournament. 'I think this is probably the first time he's watched me and I've won the match,' Djokovic joked. 'The last couple I've lost but it's great to have Roger here. A huge champion and someone I admire and respect a lot.' Djokovic will now look to recover from Monday's grueling encounter before facing either world No. 1 Jannik Sinner or tour veteran Grigor Dimitrov in the next round.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Injuries end season for Bomber, No.1 draft pick
Richmond's No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor might need surgery and Nik Cox's concussion history has also ended his AFL season. Lalor re-injured his left hamstring only a couple of minutes into his return on Saturday against Geelong, with the Tigers confirming on Monday his season is over. The AFL's concussion panel, which last month recommended West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern should retire on medical grounds, gave Cox hope he will resume his playing career. While Cox will not play this year due to his concussion problems, the panel gave him a pathway to make an AFL comeback after meeting him last month. Lalor has succumbed to a left hamstring injury for the third time, previously injuring it before he was drafted last year and then in the May Dreamtime at the 'G match against Essendon. The Tigers were cautious, holding him back for a week, but he limped off GMHBA Stadium after tackling Tom Atkins early in the first quarter. "We are all devastated for the young man, and I am sure our fans are too," Richmond high-performance manager Ben Serpell said. "The injury mechanism here for Sam this time was very different to his original injury mechanism. "He sustained the injury in a tackle. I think anyone who throws their body at the game as he did, and credit to him for doing that, is going to put their body at some risk irrespective of their injury history." Given Lalor's terrible injury history, he might undergo surgery on the hamstring. "We are a bit concerned about the integrity of the hamstring structure," Serpell said. "As part of that we will consult a few surgeons over the next little while to see if there is some surgical intervention available for us." Meanwhile, Cox is upbeat about his future after being told by the concussion panel he can resume his AFL career. "While I'm disappointed that I won't return to the field for the remainder of the 2025 season, this time away from the game will be used to focus fully on my health, recovery, and building the strongest possible foundation heading into pre-season," Cox said. "I've learned a lot about myself over the past few months, and I'm more motivated than ever to get back to doing what I love. "My focus now is on continuing to work closely with specialists and the club to make sure I'm in the best place physically and mentally to return to football."
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Swift reunion! Ex-Wrexham star Paul Mullin bumps into former team-mate James McClean at the airport after completing Wigan loan
WHAT HAPPENED? Mullin, who enjoys legend status at SToK Racecourse, has linked up with the Latics on a season-long loan. He still has two years left to run on his contract in North Wales, but would appear to have little future with the ambitious Red Dragons. Advertisement THE BIGGER PICTURE He has taken on a new challenge as a result, with the 30-year-old striker looking to earn fan-favourite status at the Brick Community Stadium. Mullin has already figured in a pre-season friendly fixture for his new employers. Paul Mullin Wrexham 2024-25 DID YOU KNOW? Wigan's next outing will take place in Alicante, as they soak up some summer sun, and Mullin ran into familiar faces before jetting out to southern Spain. That is because Wrexham are also on their travels, as they head to Australia and New Zealand. WHAT WIGAN SAID Red Dragons captain McClean forms part of that travelling party, and he was happy to meet up with Mullin again before they headed in opposite directions once more. Wigan posted a picture of the pair on social media with the caption: 'You never know who you're going to bump into at the airport!' WHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN? Both Wrexham and Wigan have promotion bids in mind for 2025-26. The Red Dragons, with Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at the helm, are taking aim at the Premier League while the Latics are looking to end a three-season stint in League One.