Lions vs Australia
Kickoff: 11am GMT, Saturday
Watch on: Sky Sports
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
The Lions will kick off their test series down under in Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium against the Wallabies. This is a test series with perhaps more questions surrounding the teams involved than any in recent memory. The Lions have had very few obvious starters since day one with multiple positions up for grabs throughout. As for the hosts, multiple injuries and a rebuilding squad have combined to create a number of dilemmas for the departing Joe Schmidt to consider. Don't be surprised if both teams look quite different come the final game of this series. With that being said, here are the teams for this Saturday.
British and Irish Lions
1.Ellis Genge 2.Dan Sheehan 3.Tadhg Furlong 4.Maro Itoje(C) 5.Joe McCarthy
6.Tadhg Beirne 7.Tom Curry 8.Jack Conan 9.Jameson Gibson-Park 10.Finn Russell
11.James Lowe 12.Sione Tuipulotu 13.Huw Jones 14.Tommy Freeman 15.Hugo Keenan
16.Ronan Kelleher 17.Andrew Porter 18.Will Stuart 19.Ollie Chessum
20.Ben Earl 21.Alex Mitchell 22.Marcus Smith 23.Bundee Aki
Australia
1.James Slipper 2.Matt Faessler 3.Allan Alaalatoa 4.Nick Frost 5.Jeremy Williams
6.Nick Champon de Crispigny 7.Fraser McReight 8.Harry Wilson(C) 9.Jake Gordon 10.Tom Lynagh
11.Harry Potter 12.Len Ikitau 13.Joseph-Aukuso Sualii 14.Max Jorgensen 15.Tom Wright
16.Billy Pollard 17.Angus Bell 18.Tom Robertson 19.Tom Hooper
20.Carlo Tizzano 21.Tate McDermott 22.Ben Donaldson 23.Andrew Kellaway
In the front row for the Lions, Ellis Genge has been the standout loosehead and has been rewarded with a starting spot. He'll be alongside the Irish duo of Sheehan and Furlong. Sheehan was an obvious starter but Furlong has been in a fierce competition with Will Stuart but has been more consitent so starts ahead of Stuart who is on the bench. In the second row, Itoje is captain and the best player at the position - he was probably the first name on the teamsheet. He is partnered by Joe McCarthy who will act as the enforcer and wrecking ball up front. The back row has had more questions surrounding it than any other position group. In the end, Tadhg Beirne has won out over Ollie Chessum. The Irishman will be crucial at the line-out and bring experience to the pack. Jack Conan has stepped up impressively at number 8 - he'll provide strong links with the exciting back line in this team. The only real surprise, which isn't really that much of a surprise anyway, is Tom Curry starting at openside flanker. Morgan has been the most consistent player at the position whereas Curry has struggled to make his usual impact. Perhaps the thinking from Andy Farrell is that Curry brings a combative force to the team that will look to put Australia on the back foot and dominate the gain line.
In the backs. Gibson-Park and Russell were the obvious picks and they'll play inside of a midfield duo of Tuipulotu and Jones who have won the battle with the Irish pairing of Aki and Ringrose. Keeping the Scottish continuity of Russell-Tuipulotu and Jones will provide the perfect spine for this group to attack with more accuracy than they have previously. Outside of them, Freeman and Lowe will start on the wings with Keenan at fullback. Those three will need to be at their best to deal with the aerial onslaught that will be brought by Austrlia.
On the bench, Kelleher, Porter and Stuart will provide some beefy backup in the second half and could be a well-timed addition to take advantage of Australia's injury woes in the front row. Elsewhere in the pack, Ollie Chessum could come on in a couple of positions but will absolutely up the level of physicality in the side in the closing stages. Next to him, Ben Earl will act as a lightning rod when he emerges from the bench to spark the attack into life and up the pace and intensity of the attack. Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith are the half back pairing on the bench which means that Farrell is looking for versatility and the ability to speed up the game in the final moments when things are tight and tense. The final player on the bench is Bundee Aki who will act as a wrecking ball against a tired defence in the second half and look to dominate the game for the Lions in the crucial stages.
The Wallabies are missing several forwards including: Tupou, Skelton and Valetini. Despite that, this is a strong pack with some real danger-men. The front row is full of experience with Alaalatoa and Slipper providing a stiff test for Genge and Furlong. The Lions scrum has saved the team from a couple of embarrassing defeats on this tour but it has never been tested to anywhere near the same degree as it will in this game. This battle is also crucial for Australia; if the host's don't at least maintain parity at the scrum, they have no chance in this game. Behind the front row, there is a rather large, Will Skelton-sized gap which will be filled by Jeremy Williams and Nick Frost. In the back row, Australia will miss the presence of Gleeson or Valetini who leave a massive gap. Nick Champon de Crispigny will have a tough debut against the Lions but he'll need to step up to give his side a chance. Luckily for him, McReight and Wilson are an experienced duo who will provide energy and stability to the team.
The half back positions have been up in the air for years at this point and the questions have only gotten more troubling since news of a serious injury to the presumed starter, Noah Lolesio. In his place, Lynagh will start despite completely lacking experience. The 22-year-old will face a tough challenge against Finn Russell. The strength of this side is in midfield. Ikitau and Sualii are both physical freaks who will pose a challenge to any team in the world. Ikitau will bring the carrying presence through the middle and Sualii will make the big breaks and look to dominate in the air. Out wide, Joe Schmidt has opted for a couple of wingers who are very good in the air and can target the Lions from that point. Tom Wright is someone to watch out for at fullback - he is an electric runner which is something I don't need to tell Welsh fans who would probably still be having nightmares about him if he wasn't one of so many to score against them - even within that game!
Score Prediction
Lions 36 vs 28 Australia
Add comment
Comments