He Is Back: ITOJE RETURNS FOR REDS AT SUNCORP STADIUM
Andy Farrell has named his British & Irish Lions team that will take on the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday evening.
In the Lions second outing on Australian soil Saracens and England lock Maro Itoje returns to captain the side.
Itoje is joined in the second-row by fellow countryman and Leicester Tiger Ollie Chessum. The second rows will pack down behind a front row of Leinster Rugby and Ireland prop Andrew Porter, his club and country teammate Ronan Kelleher and Bath Rugby and England tight-head Will Stuart.
Leinster and Ireland no.8 Jack Conan gets his first start of the Tour and is joined in the backrow by Sale Sharks and England’s Tom Curry and Ospreys and Wales’ Jac Morgan.
Leinster and Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan will make his Lions debut against the Reds. He will be supported in the backfield by Northampton Saints and England wing Tommy Freeman alongside Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe.
Connacht Rugby and Ireland centre Bundee Aki and Glasgow and Scotland and Glasgow Warriors back Huw Jones form a new centre partnership. Scotland and Bath Rugby’s Finn Russell continues in the no.10 shirt and Leinster and Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park makes his Lions debut.
Lions Head Coach Andy Farrell, said: “We know each game on this Tour will be a step up from the game before and three more players are set to make their Lions debuts on Wednesday night, so congratulations to those guys.”
The game kicks off at 11.00am BST and will be broadcast live on SKY in the UK and Ireland.
In the corresponding fixture in 2013, the Lions won 22-12, but required a 100% record off the tee from Owen Farrell as the hosts outscored the visitors two tries to one.
SQUAD UPDATE
The British & Irish Lions can confirm that Tomos Williams suffered a Tour-ending hamstring injury in Saturday’s win against the Western Force in Perth. Toulon and Scotland scrum-half Ben White has been called up to replace him and will join up with the squad in Brisbane.
Lions Head Coach Andy Farrell said: “Unfortunately Tomos has been ruled out of the rest of the Tour with a hamstring injury. Ben White will join us from the Scotland squad and will fly over from New Zealand.”
White was first capped for Scotland against England in the 2022 Guinness Six Nations Championship and has won 29 caps for his country to date.
Lions Tour Manager Ieuan Evans said: “This is desperately sad news for Tomos and we wish him all the very best in his recovery. “Tomos is an exemplary Lion who has had a brilliant season having joined the Tour after being named as Premiership Rugby’s player-of-the-season. “He lit up this Lions Tour with both his personality and his talent.”
LIONS TEAM
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) #858
13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #878
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841
10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #876
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #864
3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) #877
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (C) #825
5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) #875
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853
7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) #861
8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851
17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) #859
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #856
19. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
20. Ben Earl (Saracens/England) #857
21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #860
22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) #862
23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #872
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