The British & Irish Lions team for the first Test is shaping up nicely
There are only 11 days and two further warm-up fixtures until the British & Irish Lions take on Australia in the first Test of the series in Brisbane.
It hasn’t been perfect but the Lions have emerged victorious in every game to date since arriving in Australia. Every player on tour, apart from Owen Farrell who only arrived last Friday after replacing the injured Elliot Daly, has had minutes on the field.
The likely side for the first Test is emerging, with many of them playing against the Brumbies on Wednesday, and Andy Farrell now has a number of big calls to make.
While there has been speculation the XV taking the field against the Brumbies is Farrell’s first-choice side, that is far from clear with so many tight calls. The coach himself says jerseys are very much still up for grabs.
15. Blair Kinghorn
The Scotsman arrived late on tour after playing his part in winning the French Top 14 with Toulouse.
Kinghorn is competing with Hugo Keenan for the number 15 jersey, although he can also play on the wing.
Keenan hasn’t had the best of tours to date with a calf injury delaying his Lions debut while he was forced to pull out of the victory against Queensland Reds with a stomach bug. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
The Ireland star didn’t put in his best performance against the Waratahs last weekend, missing a tackle on wing Darby Lancaster which cost his side a try.
If Kinghorn performs well against the Brumbies on Wednesday the full-back berth for the first Test is surely his and would be well deserved after an outstanding season for both Toulouse and Scotland.
14. Mack Hansen
There is significant competition out wide but Farrell has always been a huge fan of Mack Hansen who has been an integral part of his Ireland teams over the past few years.
Hansen isn’t the flashiest of wingers but he does the basics extremely well, is an intelligent footballer and has a huge work rate, while he is also strong both aerially and defensively.
The Connacht wing was praised to the hilt by Farrell for his performance in the victory over the Western Force in Perth and might just pip Tommy Freeman for the first Test.
“The play of the day if you want to look what a Lion should do for his teammates was when Mack Hansen went up and down the field, end-to-end, never gave up, and fought for his teammate,” said Farrell after the victory over the Force.
“That’s the type of spirit that we want throughout the team.”
13. Garry Ringrose
The 30-year-old Ireland centre has been quietly effective during his time on the field and is another player Farrell rates very highly.
Ringrose is an excellent defender who reads the game very well, while his decision-making under pressure is of an extremely high standard.
The Leinster star is also a top class attacker who is a big threat with ball in hand and also brings others into the game with his distribution skills.
It is very close between Ringrose and Huw Jones for the honour of wearing the number 13 jersey in the first Test against the Wallabies.
Jones was outstanding in the victory over the Waratahs and is a very potent attacking threat, but Ringrose is the slight favourite to start in Brisbane.
12. Bundee Aki
Who wears the number 12 shirt against the Wallabies is undoubtedly going to be one of Farrell’s toughest calls.
It really is a very tight call between Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu.
Both players have been prominent while wearing a Lions shirt this summer and are world class performers.
Aki and Tuipulotu are both very explosive ball carriers who regularly make significant post-contact metres and very rarely fail to dominate the collisions.
They are also high class ball players with good footwork and distribution skills.
But when it comes to the first Test, Farrell may favour combinations which have worked well in the past.
Tuipulotu and Jones know each other inside out, as do Aki and Ringrose.
11. James Lowe
The 32-year-old is in prime position to line up on the left wing against Joe Schmidt’s side in the first Test.
Lowe is a tremendous finisher but is so much more than a speed merchant with his high work rate off the ball and his ability to act as a playmaker in midfield also a valuable commodity.
The Ireland star is also a left-footed kicking option, which has got his club and country out of trouble over the years. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Lowe was outstanding in the victory over the Western Force bringing others into the game with his distribution while his offloading game is also a weapon.
10. Finn Russell
Despite Farrell’s controversial decision to call his son into the squad ahead of more in-form players, Russell is surely one of the first names on his team sheet for the first Test.
The 32-year-old is the best outside-half in the Northern Hemisphere and played an integral role in helping Bath to their first English Premiership crown in 29 years this season.
Russell has put in a couple of excellent performances thus far on this tour and is one player the Wallabies will be wary of.
The Scotland star is a maverick with a box of tricks in his armoury which is capable of ripping the Australia defence to shreds.
In the past Russell may have been viewed as too much of a free spirit but there is now so much control in his game and if he plays well the Lions will win the Test series.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
The 33-year-old has made a slow start to the tour and missed the first couple of games with a glute strain.
But he is back in action and will be a key figure for the Lions having been central to Ireland’s success in recent years.
England’s Alex Mitchell is pushing hard to wear the number nine jersey in Brisbane but it would take a brave person to bet against Farrell selecting his trusted lieutenant Gibson-Park.
The Leinster and Ireland star brings so much control while his experience of winning big games will also go in his favour.
His partnership with Russell is potentially mouth-watering.
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8. Jack Conan
The backrow is highly competitive and is not set in stone, but given Jack Conan is the only out-and-out No 8 in the squad he stands a strong chance of starting the first Test.
Conan is an explosive carrier who makes huge post-contact metres, while his work rate in defence and at the breakdown are also big plus points.
If Farrell opts for dual opensides he will need a No 8 who can punch holes in the Australian defence.
But England’s Ben Earl is also in the mix and it is a close call between the Saracen’s star and Conan.
7. Jac Morgan
The Wales star silenced the critics with a sensational player of the match performance in the comfortable victory over the Queensland Reds last Wednesday.
Morgan has been a revelation in a poor Wales side, and this tour is the perfect opportunity to establish himself as a world class player.
Farrell was hugely impressed by Morgan’s performance in Brisbane, which put him right in the frame for a starting spot.
“He was everywhere. His offloading game was great, he was aggressive with his hitting,” said Farrell.
“He’ll be delighted. The competition has started and there are reactions all over the place to come.
“If he plays like he did today, he can play wherever he wants.”
But he is still not guaranteed a place, with the outstanding Tom Curry also on tour, while Farrell is a big fan of Ireland’s Josh van der Flier.
6. Tadhg Beirne
Beirne has not been at his best so far on tour and there are suggestions Farrell might opt for Ollie Chessum at blindside flanker while there is also the option of employing dual opensides.
But the 33-year-old is a genuine world class player, while some would describe Beirne as a Test match animal.
If Farrell selects either Beirne or Chessum in the number six jersey he will clearly have the lineout in mind.
But Beirne is as good as any openside flanker at winning penalties or turnovers at the breakdown while he is also a dynamic carrier and a world class operater at the lineout.
Chessum is pushing him hard but Beirne’s experience and reputation might just edge this one.
5. Joe McCarthy
The young Irish lock has been outstanding so far on tour and won the player of the match award for his performance against the Western Force.
McCarthy is a very powerful carrier who relishes the physicality of the game and is the type of player who does the unseen dirty work which allows others to grab the glory.
There is also a school of thought McCarthy compliments tour captain Maro Itoje a little better than the other second-row options.
4. Maro Itoje (Captain)
Tour captain Itoje is nailed on to start the first Test in Brisbane.
Itoje is a genuine world class player and will play a pivotal role if the Lions are to win their first Test series since 2013 over the next few weeks. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
The 30-year-old has been impressive so far on tour with his athleticism, carrying game and ability at the lineout big assets for the Lions.
3. Tadhg Furlong
If we were to select on form at this very moment in time then Finlay Bealham would be starting the first Test at tighthead.
Furlong wasn’t great against the Western Force after being put under pressure by Wallabies loosehead Tom Robertson.
But Furlong is a world class player and is exactly the type of individual who will get selected for the first Test regardless of his form.
Furlong is not only a strong scrummager but brings so much around the park with his explosive carrying, defensive work rate, distribution skills and his ability to influence the breakdown.
2. Dan Sheehan
The 26-year-old has been outstanding for both Leinster and Ireland over the past few seasons and is one of the leading hookers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sheehan has also impressed so far on tour and will almost certainly be one of the first names on Farrell’s team sheet.
He is an explosive carrier with a wicked turn of pace for a hooker and is as effective in the tight as he is in the wide channels.
Sheehan is also a top class operator at the set-piece and will undoubtedly have a big part to play in this Test series.
1. Ellis Genge
The 30-year-old put in an impressive performance in the narrow defeat against Argentina in Dublin in the way he took the Pumas to the cleaners at scrum time.
One very powerful 40-metre surge upfield would have injected fear into the hearts of Australian fans.
Genge is a very destructive scrummager who consistently gets his side on the front foot while he has an extremely competitive edge about him.
Replacements
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie
The England hooker could make a big impact as a replacement with his physicality, explosive carrying and set-piece prowess an asset to the squad.
17. Andrew Porter
Porter is a powerful carrier with an edge and is strong at the set-piece, even if the legality of his scrummaging has often been called into question.
18. Finlay Bealham
Bealham has been the form tighthead on tour so far but is likely to miss out on a starting spot to the world class Tadhg Furlong.
19. Ollie Chessum
The England lock is a world class lineout forward capable of playing both lock and blindside flanker.
20. Ben Earl
The 27-year-old is the perfect bench option because he can cover all three positions in the backrow.
21. Alex Mitchell
The more experienced Jamison Gibson-Park is likely to start but the Wallabies won’t relish defending against attacking livewire Mitchell when the game has broken up.
22. Owen Farrell
This would be extremely harsh on Fin Smith who has performed well so far but why would Farrell call up his son if he did not intend for him to figure in the Test matches?
23. Tommy Freeman
The 24-year-old could cause havoc when the game breaks up and is perfect for the bench because he can also cover the centre.
