Latest news with #Saracens-bound
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Scotsman
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Lions chance for key Scotland pairing but Owen Farrell call is tough on Tom Jordan
Kinghorn also to start against the Waratahs Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones have been given the chance to reprise their club and country partnership with the British and Irish Lions after being selected to play against the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday. It's the first time the two Scotland centres have been picked to start together on this tour and it affords them the opportunity to show head coach Andy Farrell they should be the pairing for the first Test against Australia which takes place in Brisbane on July 19. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jones made his first Lions start in Wednesday's win over the Queensland Reds and scored a fine try in the 52-12 victory. Tuipulotu, meanwhile, started the matches against Argentina and Western Force. Now the Glasgow Warriors duo, nicknamed Huwipulotu, have been named together in a Lions XV for the first time. Glasgow Warriors' Huw Jones (L) and Sione Tuipulotu will start for the Lions on Saturday. | SNS Group Meanwhile, the big news coming out of the Lions camp on Thursday is that Owen Farrell has been called into the squad. The Saracens-bound fly-half is being brought in to replace Elliot Daly who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tour with a fractured arm, sustained against the Reds. Fourth Lions tour for Farrell It will be Farrell's fourth Lions tour and he has been given the call despite a mixed season with Racing 92. Tom Jordan, the versatile Scotland back, can consider himself unlucky not to be drafted in. There are two other Scots in the starting XV to face the Waratahs. Most notably, there is a first outing for Blair Kinghorn who has been selected on the left wing. The Toulouse player joined up with the Lions this week after playing the full 100 minutes for his club in Saturday's night's pulsating extra-time win over Bordeaux Begles in the Top 14 final in Paris. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Huw Jones of the British & Irish Lions breaks away to score against the Queensland Reds. | Getty Images Pierre Schoeman, the Edinburgh prop, will also start for the Lions against the Waratahs in Sydney and there are two more Scots on the bench, including Ben White who was called up this week following the injury to Tomos Williams. White left the Scotland tour in New Zealand on Monday to link up with the Lions. He is joined on the bench by Scott Cummings, the Glasgow Warriors lock forward. Munster and Ireland's Tadhg Beirne will captain the side as Maro Itoje is given the evening off after leading the tourists to victory against the Reds. Coach Farrell said: 'Congratulations to Tadhg who will lead the side on Saturday night - and also to Blair, Hugo and Ben who will all make their Lions debuts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Blair Kinghorn has been picked on the wing for the Lions. | Getty Images 'The games are coming thick and fast now as we face a Waratahs side who will want to make their mark.' Regarding the decision to call up his son, Owen, to replace Daly, Andy Farrell added: 'It is heartbreaking for the group that Elliot's tour is over. He is a Lions legend who has added so much to the group on and off the field over the past few weeks and over the course of three tours. Read More Scotland hand trio big chance as Gregor Townsend names team for Maori clash 'Owen will now come in and add to our options and bring his own Lions experience to the group.' Owen Farrell, 33, has made 18 appearances for the Lions across the tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad British and Irish Lions team
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Gavin Henson makes Owen Farrell Lions call after spotting problem with Finn Russell
Gavin Henson makes Owen Farrell Lions call after spotting problem with Finn Russell Wales icon Gavin Henson says the starting fly-half for the first Test is the biggest call for Andy Farrell. Gavin Henson thinks Andy Farrell could still call on his son for the Lions tour. (Image: David Davies/PA Wire. ) Gavin Henson thinks Owen Farrell may be called up during the Lions tour, and has made a bold call on who he thinks should wear the number 10 jersey in the first Test against the Wallabies on July 19. Going into 2025, most rugby fans and pundits assumed that Scotland international Finn Russell would be a guaranteed starter come that first game against Joe Schmidt's side. He'd been a star performer for Bath and excelled on the Test stage for quite some time. However, Northampton Saints number 10 Fin Smith emerged as a potential competitor after impressing for Steve Borthwick and England in the Six Nations. Speaking in an interview with The Rugby Paper, former Wales international Henson explained that he thinks Andy Farrell would be better off selecting Smith over Russell in the first Test. Henson explained that Russell tends to "boss" games and "everyone else has to understand and work out what he is going to do next with the ball." "The number 10 spot is a big decision for Farrell to make… probably the biggest," Henson said. "Personally, I would start with Smith. He brings other players around him into the game, whereby with Finn Russell it is more of an individual thing. You need to bring the whole game around him - and I'm not sure we have the time with the limited warm-up games to do that. Article continues below "For me, it is going to be a big call to put Russell in for that first Test because of the way he plays. He likes to boss it and everyone else has to understand and work out what he is going to do next with the ball. "Whether that can all come together so quickly is difficult. But with Smith, it will probably just all click into place easily because he makes other players look good… it's all about them and not just the number 10." One fly-half not on tour is Saracens-bound Farrell, who has not been involved in international rugby of late, after he decided to take a break for the betterment of his mental health. Despite this, Henson believes Lions boss Farrell could pick his own son further down the line. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia. "I believe (Andy) Farrell will get it right. He's a great guy, great talker and a great leader. I wasn't surprised he didn't pick his son as he has been injured and not playing international rugby. "But I will be surprised if he doesn't end up out there." Article continues below Farrell has been playing his rugby out in the Top 14 with Racing 92, but it was confirmed earlier this month that the legendary fly-half would be returning to Saracens on a two-year deal.
