Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson set to experience the joy of becoming a Lion
First, the joy of becoming a Lion for the likes of Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson, two young Irishmen among a group of five debutants handed the opportunity of a rugby-playing lifetime to join a select group of players representing the best of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh rugby, if only for one game.
Secondly, an opportunity of a different kind, for Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan, Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose and others besides to stake their claim for Test selection against Australia this Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
They will offer contrasting motivations at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday but head coach Andy Farrell will demand that this team of Test hopefuls and first timers will be synchronised enough to keep the Lions' momentum rolling from last Saturday's Brisbane victory over the Wallabies into this weekend's potential Test decider for the tourists.
Naturally enough, the battle for insertion into a winning Test 23 will occupy coaches' minds most ahead of their final selection meeting on Wednesday night here in Melbourne but that did not stop assistant coach Simon Easterby waxing lyrical about the opportunity this midweek game presents to Clarkson, 25, and Osborne, 24.
'It goes without saying, the quality of those two individuals,' Easterby said.
Jamie Osborne during a training session. Pic: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland.
'Tom's fought through a pretty tough position at Leinster, never mind in the Irish squad, and he's put in some brilliant performances.
'He really has stood up and bringing them on the 'Emerging Ireland' tour. He was certainly someone that we felt could step up over the next couple of years, but he's been excellent.
'He's fought for everything and in a pretty tough position where being a tighthead probably takes a good few years to learn your trade, he's certainly in a really good place.
'Jamie has had a brilliant couple of years. The performance he had in South Africa last summer, his performance for Leinster playing 12, 13, wing, 15, it was pretty impressive, the positions he can cover and the quality that he brings to the group as well.
'I'm really pleased with the two of them. They fully deserve being here and no doubt they'll perform really well tomorrow.'
Ten days on from a blowout win against a scratch AUSNZ Invitational XV that failed to live up collectively that their teamsheet suggested of the individuals concerned, this First Nations & Pasifika XV will at least have a purpose and identity as the first side of its kind selected from Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Māori and Indigenous Australian cultures.
Their head coach Toutai Kefu, won 60 caps for the Wallabies and has named a matchday squad of 17 players with Pasifika heritage and six indigenous First Nations players included.
Even so, they will find it tough going against a hardened Lions side bristling with intent and ambition for Test recognition this Saturday but Easterby gave Kefu's side the respect they deserve.
'You look at the teamsheet and they have some incredible individuals. They'll try to make a mark.
'Some of them have played against the Lions on this trip already, some of them won't, and that is probably is something those players will feel they want to lay down a bit of a marker and bring their own skillset and individuality to their game. It's certainly an impressive outfit when you look at it on paper.
'I guess our challenge, as it always is, is to be as connected as we can be in terms of the way we play, in terms of the guys who aren't involved to prepare the team that plays tomorrow. Everyone's been chipping in and been part of that.
'It's an exciting team, but certainly an exciting challenge and opportunity for our guys to go out and stake a claim for the next couple of weeks.'
FIRST NATIONS & PASIFIKA XV (Cultural heritage in brackets): Andy Muirhead (First Nations); Triston Reilly (First Nations), Lalakai Foketi (Māori & Tonga), David Feliuai (Samoa), Filipo Daugunu (Fiji); Kurtley Beale (First Nations) – captain; Kalani Thomas (Māori); Lington Ieli (Fiji), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Samoa & Māori), Taniela Tupou (Tonga); Darcy Swain (Samoa), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Samoa); Sere Uru (Fiji), Charlie Gamble (Tonga), Tuaina Taii Tualima (Samoa).
Replacements: Richie Asiata (Samoa), Marley Pearce (Māori & First Nations), Mesake Doge (Fiji), Mesake Vocevoce (Fiji), Rob Leota (Samoa), Harrison Goddard (First Nations), Jack Debreczeni (Cook Island), Jarrah McLeod (First Nations).
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: B Kinghorn (Scotland); D Graham (Scotland), J Osborne (Ireland), O Farrell (England) – captain, D van der Merwe (Scotland); F Smith (England), B White (Scotland); P Schoeman (Scotland), J George (England), F Bealham (Ireland); J Ryan (Ireland), S Cummings (Scotland); J Morgan (Wales), J van der Flier (Ireland), H Pollock (England).
Replacements: E Ashman (Scotland), R Sutherland (Scotland), T Clarkson (Ireland), G Brown (Scotland), B Earl (England), A Mitchell (England), M Smith (England), G Ringrose (Ireland).
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia).
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