Owen Farrell returns to Lions bench. Andy Farrell makes 3 changes to starting XV for second test
Farrell led the Lions in their last midweek tour game — a
win over the First Nations and Pasifika
squad — and is now set to make his first test appearance since England's World Cup campaign in 2023 on Saturday. He is on his fourth Lions tour.
His father, head coach Andy Farrell, recalled Bundee Aki to start at inside center to replace Sione Tuipulotu in the only change to the starting backline.
England's Ollie Chessum was drafted in to partner skipper Maro Itoje as a replacement for injured Ireland lock Joe McCarthy and Andrew Porter replaced Ellis Genge at loosehead, giving the Lions an all-Ireland frontrow.
Joining Owen Farrell on the bench will be Jac Morgan,
restoring a Welsh player to the test squad
after an historic absence last weekend.
'We have put ourselves in a good position after the first test, but we know there will be a massive reaction from this Wallaby team,' Andy Farrell said. 'We will have to be a lot better than we were last week.'
The Wallabies need a win on Saturday in Melbourne to keep the three-test series alive.
Australia coach Joe Schmidt made three changes to his starting pack with blindside flanker Rob Valetini and lock Will Skelton and hooker David Porecki all returning from injuries to add some size and weight.
Langi Gleeson returns as forward cover on the eight-man reserves bench which only has two backs — scrumhalf Tate McDermott and utility Ben Donaldson.
Australia trailed 24-5 two minutes into the second half last week in Brisbane but rallied to close the margin to eight points.
'The squad has recovered well after a very physical first test,' Schmidt said. 'We took some confidence from the second half last week, but we know we'll need to improve further against a Lions team that will bring plenty of fire to the contest.'
The Lions are now 7-0 in Australia, including the victory in the first test and wins over Super Rugby franchises
Western Force,
Queensland Reds
,
Waratahs
and
Brumbies
and two invitational teams.
The Lions have taken leads into the Melbourne match in the last two tours to Australia in 2001 and 2013 but lost the second test there both times. In 2001, Australia rallied to clinch the series in Sydney in the third test. The Lions won the Sydney decider 12 years ago.
___
Squads:
Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Nick Frost, Allan Ala'alatoa, David Porecki, James Slipper. Reserves: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Wiliams, Langi Gleeson, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson.
British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), Huw Jones (Scotland), Bundee Aki (Ireland), James Lowe (Ireland), Finn Russell (Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); Jack Conan (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England), Maro Itoje (England, captain), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland). Reserves: Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England). Will Stuart (England), James Ryan (Ireland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Alex Mitchell (England), Owen Farrell (England), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland).
___
AP rugby:
https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
21 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Luis Robert Jr. returns to White Sox lineup after missing 2 games because of adductor soreness
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. is back in the lineup for the Chicago White Sox after missing two games because of adductor soreness. Robert was the designated hitter for Sunday's series finale against the crosstown Cubs, batting seventh. The center fielder wasn't part of the team's original lineup. 'The initial evaluation, he came in feeling better but still not in a spot where he could get out there in center field," manager Will Venable said. "We wanted to keep him plugged in and give him the opportunity to run around more, and he did. We talked about it, and he really talked his way into the lineup after that. We agreed that maybe center field wasn't the best thing for him but that we could utilize his bat and that he was good to go to DH. We ended up making the change.' With the rebuilding White Sox in last place in the AL Central, Robert could be on the move ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. After a miserable start to the season, he began the day with a nine-game hitting streak. 'He's going to go out there and compete and play the right way, and if he's not able to do that, we wouldn't have him out there," Venable said. "At the same time, I'm probably not going to ask him to steal third base. That's fair. But he's going to be out on a major league field and running around, not to the degree we're used to, but he'll be out there.' Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, entered with a .206 batting average, 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 84 games. Robert felt the injury when he stole second in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 11-9 victory at Tampa Bay. The White Sox were off on Thursday, and Robert rested during the first two games of the series against the Cubs. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
21 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Royals put Kris Bubic, Jac Caglianone on IL; newly acquired Randal Grichuk into starting lineup
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic on the 15-day injured list with a rotator cuff strain and outfielder Jac Caglianone on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring amid a series of moves before their series finale against Cleveland on Sunday. The Royals also welcomed outfielder Randal Grichuk, who was acquired on Saturday night in a deal that shipped reliever Andrew Hoffmann to Arizona, and recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to help the bullpen. Bubic walked the first four batters he faced and only managed to last 2 2/3 innings against the Guardians on Saturday, when he started the second game of a split doubleheader. He needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning, and he wound up allowing four runs and three hits in his shortest start since Sept. 18, 2022, at Boston. 'He's getting some further testing and then we'll talk to the doc here and see what we got,' Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Bubic said he's experienced some shoulder soreness for much of the season, but he's been able to pitch through it at a break-through level. Even with the rocky start Saturday, he has a 2.55 ERA — the fifth-best mark in the American League. 'I mean, you see how he's performed,' Quatraro said. 'Most pitchers when they go out there, they feel something almost every time. The severity of it and his ability to continue to deal with it has been manageable, by his own admission. ... And it's gotten to the point where, you know, he doesn't, and we don't feel like it's best for him to keep fighting through it.' The Royals rotation has suddenly thinned considerably. Left-hander Cole Ragans remains on the IL with a strained rotator cuff and is not expected back until late August, and right-hander Michael Lorenzen is progressing from his strained left oblique but may need to make a rehab start before he returns to the Royals sometime in August. The Royals already have had to plug one spot with 45-year-old Rich Hill, who pitched well in his debut for them this past week. Caglianone, the Royals' 22-year-old power-hitter, felt tightness in his hamstring while running down a double into the gap in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Then he felt the twinge again while running to first on a groundout later the inning. The timing of the injury could have been worse: The Royals had been working on a deal to land Grichuk, who nearly signed with them in the offseason but will now help them primarily against left-handed hitting for the rest of the season. 'You've seen our outfield had gotten very heavily left-handed. Something we thought we needed to add was a right-handed bat,' said Quatraro, whose team began the day 51-54 and 4 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race. Grichuk was 0 for 2 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, flying out in the second inning and the fourth, when he was told by the Diamondbacks that he had been traded. He hugged several teammates in the dugout and then headed out, catching a flight first thing Sunday so that he could be in Kansas City in time for the series finale against the Guardians. 'When they called they said, 'If you're willing to be here to play, you know, we want you in the starting lineup,'' Grichuk said, 'and yeah, I want to play. That's kind of my M.O. And so I said, 'Let's do it. We'll make it happen, even if it's crazy travel.'' The one hang-up was Grichuk's number: He's always worn 15 and that number was taken by backup catcher Luke Maile. But it turns out the two knew each other from their days together in Toronto, so a quick text message smoothed things out. Maile took No. 17 and gave his old buddy No. 15 — 'We'll work something out,' Grichuk said of potential compensation. 'It's pretty cool that he was able to give it to me,' Grichuk said.
Hamilton Spectator
22 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Euro 2025: England and Spain go to extra time tied at 1-1 in the final
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — England and Spain are going to extra time tied at 1-1 in the Women's European Championship final. Both goals on Sunday were scored by Arsenal attackers with perfectly placed headers from accurate crosses. England leveled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo's header from a cross by Chloe Kelly, who made a big impact off the bench for the third straight game in the knockout rounds. Mariona Caldentey had given Spain the lead in the 25th finishing Ona Battle's cross. It was the fourth time in England's six games at this tournament that the defending champion trailed to the first goal before halftime. England substitute Michelle Agyemang also is now on the field after scoring key goals in the previous rounds against Italy and Sweden. There was royalty from both nations in the VIP box watching the game. Prince William, who is the first in line to the British throne, was with his daughter Princess Charlotte. He is president of the English Football Association. Also present were Princess Leonor of Spain and her younger sister, Infanta Sofía. __ AP soccer:
