British and Irish Lions team vs ACT Brumbies: Henry Pollock returns to bench after injury scare as tourists name side for Canberra clash | Rugby Union News

Henry Pollock was appointed to the bench of the British and Irish lions to face the act that Brumbies was a late withdrawal from the previous tourist match with a concern for calf.

Pollock was selected in the starting XV to face New South Wales on Saturday, but was withdrawn shortly before kick-off while the Lions obtained an unconvincing victory of 21-10 in Sydney.

Any concern that the decision was more than the precaution was rejected on Monday while head coach Andy Farrell appointed the 20-year-old Northampton row attacker on his last day 23, while the Lions are continuing their preparations for the first of the three tests against the Wallabies on July 19.

Captain Maro Itoje returns to direct what seems to be the strongest side that Farrell has appointed through five lights, with Blair Kinghorn in Scotland, the only player of the starting program on Saturday to keep his place in the XV, while he goes from the wing to the full back.

Itoje is part of a second row partnership with Joe McCarthy and through the starting XV, there are choices considered to be First Choice, in particular the half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell.

Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose’s all-house combination was chosen in the centers, Kinghorn making his first departure in the back after joining the team late because of his 14 tops with Toulouse.

Tommy Freeman and James Lowe are the favorites to fill the wings against Australia in Brisbane and the two are present, Mack Hansen adding three rear of the bench against his former super rugby franchise.

X-Factor’s offer on the bench is the Pollock and the versatile playmaker Marcus Smith on the occasion for the two stars of England to prove that they are ready to face the Wallabies.

Farrell had already confirmed that Wednesday’s match would come too early for his son Owen Farrell, who was added to the team to replace an injury to Elliot Daly after the back fractured his arm in last week’s victory over the Queensland Reds.

On the British and Irish lions side to cope with Act Brumbies – live on Sky Sports

British and Irish lions: 15 Blair Kinghorn, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje (C), 5 Joe McCarthy, 6 Ollie Chessum, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.

Substitutes: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Andrew Porter, 18, Will Stuart, 19 Josh Van der Flier, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Alex Mitchell, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Mack Hansen.

Experts choose their starting XV to face Australia

The former British and Irish Lions Sam Warburton and Will Greenwood predicted the test side of Andy Farrell to face Australia and believe that five places remain to be won.

The tourist Lions twice Warburton (2013, 2017 – both as a captain) and the triple tourist Lions Greenwood (1997, 2001, 2005) presented a potential XV test following the Lions 21-10 victory over the Waratahs on Saturday.

In the attackers, the positions of the propeller Tighthesad, the flanker and the blind flank have been reported as areas where there are no current favorites.

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Highlights: Lions tour so far

Visit of the British and Irish Lions in Australia on Sky Sports

Sky Sports will exclusively show the tour of the British and Irish lions in 2025 in Australia, with the three tests against the Wallabies and six warm -up matches to show exclusively live.

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