Lions vs AUNZ XV: Owen Farrell on the bench; Beirne captain, Keenan starting

Owen Farrell on the bench for the British & Irish Lions match

Former England captain Owen Farrell has been selected for the bench in the upcoming British & Irish Lions match against a combined team from Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide this Saturday. Tadhg Beirne of Ireland will captain the Lions for the second time, as Maro Itoje, who led the team in their victory against ACT Brumbies on Wednesday, will rest. Lions head coach Andy Farrell called up his son Owen to the squad last week following the injury to Elliot Daly, who suffered a broken arm and was ruled out of the three-match series against the Wallabies.

Despite not having played an official match since 2023 and a season marked by injuries in French club rugby, Farrell, 33 years old, joins the team. The lineup for the match has undergone several changes compared to the team that defeated ACT Brumbies 36-24 in Canberra on Wednesday, although several players have been retained.

Wing Mack Hansen and flanker Henry Pollock, who featured from the bench against the Brumbies, were included in the starting XV. England back Marcus Smith has also been kept on the bench after replacing injured fullback Blair Kinghorn in Canberra. Farrell is expected to provide an update on Kinghorn’s fitness at a press conference on Thursday, as the player is dealing with a knee issue. Hugo Keenan will start at number 15 in place of Kinghorn.