British and Irish Lions vs Wallabies Preview: Tom Curry favoured over Jac Morgan in first Test

Head Coach Andy Farrell has revealed a fearsome lineup for Saturday’s first Test match against Australia, featuring a record eight Irish starters, with three more on the bench and the number ten shirt firmly in the hands of Scotland‘s Finn Russell.

Both the starters and the bench boast a wealth of talent and experience, which must make the selection process noticeably harder for Farrell and his team, with every player in contention for Test starts.

Noticeable absentees include Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock, the three of whom have played out of their skins in recent weeks and with the absence of Morgan, Saturday’s game will be the first British & Irish Lions Test match featuring no Welsh representation.

Andy Farrell’s Ireland have a unique, quick-paced attack and flourishing set-pieces, so this selection could suggest that this is what we could expect to see on Saturday, along with a bolstered and improved lineout compared to the opening game against Argentina.

Joe Schmidt has also shown his hand with a partially weakened team due to the loss of the two mighty forwards in Will Skelton and Rob Valentini.

However, Schmidt, who has previously worked with Andy Farrell and Ireland for several years, has an ace up his sleeve with the fiercely talented Centre Joseph Suaalii.

Andy Farrell

The Lions are currently unbeaten on this tour, and game by game, the performances from each member of the squad have only been improving to Farrell’s delight as he wants strong, healthy competition when it comes to selection.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Farrell thinks that due to this fixture happening every twelve years, the British & Irish Lions can expect to see only the best from the Wallabies on Saturday, and the tourists need to be at the top of their game.

“We know Australia’s quality as far as the attacking threat, athletic ability, the way they want to play the game from turnover ball and counter attack and their good set piece.  

“But this fixture comes around every twelve years, and when you have the privilege to represent the Lions, that’s the main strength that stands out.”

Team Selection

With Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn not only missing the first Test but also next Tuesday’s game against First Nations & Pasifika XV, Andy Farrell and his team take selection very seriously and are confident that Saturday’s lineup will represent the shirt proudly.

“This is what we came for. It’s a big responsibility to show each other how we’re going to attack this game.

“It’s been a very thorough and rigorous debate in how we got to this point, and that’s exactly what you would hope as far as selection for a first test in the Lions series.”

“We want to see a performance that does everyone proud. You can talk about everything that the first test always is on a Lions tour, but it’s making sure that we’re concentrating on our own performance and making sure that we attack from the get-go.”

By Chris Collyer

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