Jamie Osborne among four Irish to start for Lions against First Nations and Pasifika XV
and
Thomas Clarkson
are set to make their debuts for the
British and Irish Lions
in the tourists' final midweek game against the First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off 8pm local time/11am Irish).
Osborne is named at outside centre, partnering
Owen Farrell
in midfield, and is one of four Irish players named in the Lions' starting XV along with Finlay Bealham, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier up front.
Farrell, called up as a replacement for Elliot Daly for his fourth Lions tour, has been named as captain by his father Andy in what will be the player's 20th Lions appearance.
Clarkson is included among the replacements to cap his breakthrough season, as is
Garry Ringrose
, which suggests the Irish outside centre is under serious consideration for Saturday's second Test in front of a 90,000-plus crowd at the MCG. Ringrose missed the last Saturday's 29-17 win over the Wallabies in the first Test through the delayed concussion he suffered in the win over the Brumbies almost two weeks ago.
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Osborne and Clarkson will thus become take Ireland's representation on this tour to 18 players, of which 14 are from Leinster.
Mack Hansen
, who was also ruled out of consideration for the first Test due to the foot injury he sustained in the win over an Invitational XV in Adelaide last Saturday week, is the only player in the expanded 45-man squad not to feature either last Saturday or in this game against the Pasifika XV.
Blair Kinghorn returns from the knee injury he suffered against the Brumbies to start at full-back in an all-Scottish back three featuring Darcy Graham (also making his Lions debut) and Duhan van der Merwe. Another Scot, Nick White, will partner Fin Smith at half-back.
Bealham will make his third Lions start alongside Pierre Schoeman and Jamie George, a veteran of the last two tours who who will make his 11th appearance in the Lions' red jersey after earning a late call-up. Ryan has also been afforded his third Lions start alongside Scott Cummings, as is van der Flier, who last started against the Waratahs 2½ weeks ago, as the other open side, Jac Morgan, starts at six with Henry Pollock at number eight.
There are another couple of recent Scottish call-ups in line for their Lions debuts off the bench: hooker Ewan Ashman and lock Gregor Brown. The only players from the match-day 23 in the first Test being asked to back up are the reserve half-backs Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith.
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS
: B Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland), D Graham (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), J Osborne (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), O Farrell (Saracens/England),D van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), F Smith (Northampton Saints/England), B White (Toulon/Scotland); P Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), J George (Saracens/England), F Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), J Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), S Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland), J Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), J van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), H Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)
Replacements
: E Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), R Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), T Clarkson (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), G Brown (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), B Earl (Saracens/England), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), M Smith (Harlequins/ England), G Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
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Irish Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland will big winners as two of their rookies chosen for Lions midweek clash
Nobody in world rugby has 'travelled' as far as Jamie Osborne and Thomas Clarkson this season. Osborne, finished the 2023/24 season with 39 starts and a further nine games as a sub at Leinster and having scored five tries. He had yet to be capped by Ireland. Clarkson, finished last season having tallied 19 starts and a further 22 games as a sub at Leinster and having scored two tries. He had yet to be capped by Ireland. This season, the first mentioned 23 year-old has added a further 15 club starts, two more as a sub, adding eight tries and, having made his Ireland debut, earned eight caps. The second-named 25 year-old has added a further 11 club starts, seven more as a sub, scored eight tries, adding two tries and, having made his Ireland debut, also earned eight caps. And as if that wasn't 'far' enough both have spent the last few weeks traversing the globe following initially going on tour with Ireland but getting called up by the British and Irish Lions. Osborne has travelled 19,800kms Dublin-Tbilisi-Brisbane-Melbourne. And that's not quite matching Clarkson's 26,250kms Dublin-Tbilisi-Lisbon-Melbourne jaunt. They are both in the same place now though and, in something of a surprise twist, have been chosen for the British and Irish Lions against a First Nations & Pasifika XV at Melbourne's Marvel stadium (11am Irish time, today). It has been a jump from a national squad to an inter-national squad and Osborne is willing to accept it's a fantastic opportunity. British & Irish Lions Gym Session, Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane - Thomas Clarkson (Image: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland) 'Yeah, I suppose when you're in the squad with people with a lot more experience, you're probably looking to learn off them a lot. You're looking up to them, you're asking more questions. "Whereas, maybe in the Ireland environment, I've been there a couple of years now. "So (with the Summer Tour) it was probably about passing on a bit more knowledge than I would if so many players hadn't been away." It is interesting to that Osborne has been called up to play for the Lions at no13 with Garry Ringrose being asked to sit on the bench. This could be that Farrell is not fully convinced about Ringrose recovery from injury or, more likely, that he doesn't want to overwork the player as he is in mind for the Second Test matchday squad. There was also the option to start Osborne at full-back which would have allowed Blair Kinghorn ease his way back from injury via playing on the wing first. 'I suppose, defensively, as a no13, you're probably a bit of a defensive leader in the team," says Osborne who owns up to marginally preferring playing in the centre. "You look at Garry, what he does for whatever team he's involved with these days, he's really, I suppose, combative and he leads the line. 'It's probably different from, say, being a full-back. You're close to the ball as well. "There's that little bit around where you're scanning, you're talking to the ten and stuff like that. So there are differences, but I'm enjoying each position. I'm ready." The young Leinster star has been involved in a lot of games this season but playing for the Lions is yet another level up. 'It was obviously challenging but I really enjoyed the challenge. "The more big games you play, the more you want to play in the big games, if you know what I mean. "Once you get a first taste of a really big game, you do anything you can to get back in there and you learn a lot from the preparation in the week and you learn a lot from those games so I really enjoyed them. "I suppose it probably builds you as a player as you're going along and getting those experiences. "I think you definitely get a bit more confidence in your abilities once you're able to perform in those games." But then Jamie's rugby career seems to be one challenge following another. Last season he had to contend with Jordie Barratt being parachuted into Leinster for seven months, December to July, and having to fight for his spot. Barrett may have returned to New Zealand but Leinster have seen fit to sign Rieko Ioane on a similar deal to Barrett. 'I'd say there's a lot of players in Leinster who are probably feeling similar (about their place) because obviously Rieko's played in a lot of different jerseys and he's obviously spent time no13 recently. "He's also played a lot in the wing, so there's probably a lot of us in Leinster who are eager to see what he's like. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of trying to maybe compete with him in training and also be his teammate on the pitch" Clarkson has had something of a similar fight on his hands to get first team game time at Leinster as he has theoretically been 'blocked' by another foreign import, French star Rabah Slimani. Yet his call up, along with Osborne, to the Lions suggests two players who simply improved by virtue of watching, learning and competing. Ireland are surely going to end up major winners here. First Nations & Pasifika XV v The British & Irish Lions, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, Tuesday 22nd July, 2025, KO: 11:00 BST 15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) #882 14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) 13. Jamie Osborne (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 12. Owen Farrell (Saracens/England) #780 (c) 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841 10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) #862 9. Ben White (Toulon/Scotland) #883 1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #868 2. Jamie George (Saracens/England) #819 3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #856 4. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #880 5. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #869 6. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) #861 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #874 8. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) #865 Replacements: 16. Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) 17. Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #840 18. Tom Clarkson (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 19. Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) 20. Ben Earl (Saracens/England) #857 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #860 22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855 23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #872 Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
Irish Times
44 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: Tom Curry walked tightrope in first Lions Test, but maybe he knew tackle would go unpunished
The Lions discovered controlled, physical aggression in last Saturday's first Test . It had been worryingly absent up to then. However, after Dan Sheehan went over for a try just two minutes into the second half, the tourists' dynamic energy went AWOL. Perhaps it went for a walk in the Outback. Australia, on the other hand, did very well to then get their own mojo going, despite being down 24-5. They won the remaining 38 minutes 14-3, scoring two converted tries to a solitary penalty goal in that time. As always, there were issues of interest. Tom Curry did not get a yellow card when he stuffed young Wallaby outhalf Tom Lynagh, who was airborne at the time. Curry, who otherwise brought so much to the party, couldn't have complained if Ben O'Keeffe had reached into his pocket. But perhaps he knew that the other actors in this particular scene – Lynagh and the referee – would not have anticipated a card. Here's why. Lynagh was nearly cut in two by the Chiefs' Samipeni Finau in last year's Super Rugby Pacific competition, with the same referee in charge. It was outrageously dangerous, far worse than Curry's offence. While Lynagh's head whiplashed violently like a shaken rag doll, O'Keeffe called 'penalty only'. By that measure, the England backrow was never going to be carded. It's worth googling and seeing for yourself. READ MORE Then, at a crucial moment, Joseph Suaalii had a try disallowed. The officials took an age to rule it out. I thought they would then penalise the Lions' Ben Earl for a low, no-arms dangerous chop tackle on Suaalii, just moments before. It was another occasion when a Lions player flirted with a yellow card. Australia's Joseph Suaalii celebrates with teammates after scoring a try against the Lions that was subsequently disallowed. 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The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Lions sweat on Irish duo as injuries cast shadow over second Test selection against Australia
JOE McCarthy and Mack Hansen were both absent from British and Irish Lions training in Melbourne on Monday. But there is optimism within the camp that the Irish pair will be fit for Saturday's second Advertisement 2 Andy Farrell has some selection decisions to make ahead of the second test vs Australia 2 Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen are injury concerns for the Lions Hansen, who missed the first Test due to a foot injury, could be in contention to feature at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this weekend. The Leinster lock was forced off early in the second half during the Lions' 28-19 victory in Brisbane. Neither Advertisement READ MORE ON RUGBY But the Lions received a boost with the return of Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose to training. And Speaking on Monday, he said: "You get to this stage in any tour, but there is still loads to be played out. "There's an opportunity for guys to play in a Lions jersey tomorrow, and opportunities for those performances to get a return on being involved next Saturday and the week after. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union "There's still so much to play for, for us as a team, but for guys individually as well. "I think it's probably unspoken, but they know it's there. They know that there's an opportunity. England rugby stars marched off pitch after lightning strikes vs USA.. with match already delayed by hour due to storms "They know that every time they get an opportunity to perform, I think Faz [head coach Andy Farrell] in his selection has, on the whole, given guys opportunities based on a number of things. "But one of them being some of the performances that they've created on tour. Advertisement "I don't think it will be any different tomorrow, with the prize potentially of being involved in the second or third Test. "The selection meeting won't happen until after tomorrow night. "That can't happen because we need to make sure that we're fully focused on that game and giving guys that are involved in that game an opportunity."
