Nine Irish players in starting team to face Australia in Second Test

Andy Farrell has named nine Irish players, seven of them from Leinster, in the Lions team to face the Wallabies in the Second Test at the MCG on Saturday.

And it transpired there would have been a tenth, and eighth from Leinster, had Garry Ringrose not effectively ruled himself out after initially being picked when revealing to Farrell and the Lions medics after training that he was showing symptoms of concussion again.

Bundee Aki and Andrew Porter are promoted from the replacements in the 27-19 victory in the First Test last Saturday, as is Ollie Chessum in place of the injured Joe McCarthy.

The other seven Irish players retain their places from the starting XV in the First Test, namely Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Hugo Keenan, as does captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, Finn Russell, Huw Jones and Tommy Freeman.

James Ryan is also promoted to the bench in the match-day ‘23’, where he joins Ronan Kelleher, as is the sole Welsh player in the squad Jac Morgan.

As expected, Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn are also named among the replacements, with Marcus Smith missing out, as does Sione Tuipulotu, who has a slight hamstring issue in any case.

As well as McCarthy and Ringrose, the Irish representation might have been even stronger but for Mack Hansen’s foot injury ruling him out of consideration too.

However it is Ringrose, whose wife Ellen and baby son Freddy are among his extended family here in Melbourne, who suffered the cruellest cut of all in missing out on a Test debut having originally being picked, meaning Jones ultimately retains his place. Freddy turns one on Saturday too.

“Garry was actually selected and unfortunately, in training today, he’s had to pull out,” confirmed Andy Farrell moments after the squad’s session on a sun-kissed morning in the elevated Xavier College, with its magnificent view of the Melbourne skyline.

“That’s unfortunate for Garry. But we’ve always said it’s about the squad, and nothing but about the squad. And we’re delighted for Huw to come in and be ready to go for Saturday.”

“It’s head-related again,” confirmed the head coach, who did not know whether this would also rule Ringrose out of the mix for the Third Test on Saturday week in Sydney. The 30-year-old had to stand down for 12 days in the wake of a delayed concussion after the win over the Brumbies a fortnight ago, having also suffered concussion in Ireland’s Six Nations win over Scotland.

“I actually don’t know at this stage. It was literally as I was walking off the field, he came to me, and once it’s mentioned, that’s that. There was no incident. He was feeling good, well in advance of Tuesday, and fit and ready to play. No incident through the game at all, nothing yesterday and nothing this morning at all, but with these type of things, players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away.”

It was put to Farrell than Ringrose’s actions had been incredibly unselfish.

“I thought exactly the same the minute that he mentioned it because it’s tough to do that,” said Farrell. “It’s very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do. For the team as well, not just for Garry.”

The Lions captain, Maro Itoje, recalled playing against Ringrose since their Under-20s days. “To play with him and get to know him over the last couple of months has been a real privilege and honour. I’m gutted for him that he’s in this position.

“But, also, it shows the measure of the man to be so selfless. All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first. When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it.”

As well as having last Tuesday’s match, Farrell said the Lions also changed up their week by having a full training session on Wednesday rather than Thursday.

“We’ve adapted pretty well to that, and everyone’s been out there today and ready for an abbreviated captain’s run tomorrow and ready for what is going to be a huge occasion on Saturday.”

Farrell knows the Wallabies will be a wounded animal and inspired by the 90,000 or so crowd expected for the Lions’ first Test in the iconic MCG.

“It’s what we expect coming our way, but it’s what we expect of ourselves more importantly. We thoroughly believe that we’re way better than what we showed, and we’ve got another chance to prove that.”

His counterpart, and predecessor as Irish coach, Joe Schmidt, has also made three changes to the Wallabies’ starting XV in recalling the fit-again hooker David Porecki, lock Will Skelton and Australia’s Player of the Year Rob Valetini, as well as Langi Gleeson to a reconfigured 6-2 bench.

“It’s obvious what they’re going to bring and why they’re selected, so I suppose they’re delighted with that, and the 6-2 bench just backs that up a little bit, doesn’t it? So it’s not unexpected,” said Farrell.

The Lions have the chance to seal the series on Saturday, and Farrell said: “Yes that’s been spoken about from day one when we met as a group. We’ve got the privileged ones that get the opportunity to do something special and hopefully create a bit of history. There’s a determined Australian side that’s in our way that’s going to try and stop us to do that, so it’s a hell of a test.”

British & Irish Lions to play Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 26th at 7.45pm local time:

Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #88114

Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) #85813

Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #87812

Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #83711

James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #870

10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #8359

Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #8791

Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #8762

Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #8733

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #8184

Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (C) #8255

Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) #8756

Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #8387

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #8538.

Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839

Replacements:

Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #86417

Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) #85918

Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) #87719

James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #88020

Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) #86121

Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #86022

Owen Farrell (Saracens/England) #78023

Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) #882

Wallabies team:

1. James Slipper (145 Tests) – #843; Bond Pirates

2. David Porecki (20 Tests) - #952; Seaforth Raiders

3. Allan Alaalatoa (82 Tests) – #896; West Harbour Juniors

4. Nick Frost (27 Tests) – #953; Hornsby Lions

5. Will Skelton (32 Tests) - #883; The Hills Sports High School

6. Rob Valetini (52 Tests) - #929; Harlequin Junior Rugby Club

7. Fraser McReight (27 Tests) – #937; Albany Creek Brumbies

8. Harry Wilson (c) (24 Tests) – #933; Gunnedah Red Devils

9. Jake Gordon (30 Tests) - #925; Canterbury Juniors

10. Tom Lynagh (4 Tests) - #977; University of Queensland

11. Harry Potter (4 Tests) - #989; Moorabbin Rams

12. Len Ikitau (41 Tests) – #944; Tuggeranong Vikings

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (6 Tests) – #988; The Kings School

14. Max Jorgensen (9 Tests) – #984; Balmain Wolves

15. Tom Wright (39 Tests) – #939; Clovelly Eagles

Replacements: 16. Billy Pollard (8 Tests) – #958; Lindfield Junior Rugby Club17. Angus Bell (38 Tests) – #940; Hunters Hill Rugby Club18. Tom Robertson (32 Tests) – #898; Dubbo Junior Rugby Club19. Jeremy Williams (12 Tests) – #973; Wahroonga Tigers20. Langi Gleeson (15 Tests) - #960; Harbord Harlequins21. Carlo Tizzano (7 Tests) – #982; University of Western Australia22. Tate McDermott (43 Tests) – #936; Flinders Rugby Club23. Ben Donaldson (18 Tests) – #962; Clovelly Eagles

Click here to read article