Live Waratahs v Lions live: Pollock withdrawn with tight calf, Beirne starts as flanker
Henry Pollock out
Big news. Pollock, who was due to start at blindside flanker today, has been withdrawn due to a tight calf.
Scott Cummings moves from the bench to lock, with Tadhg Beirne starting at blindside flanker. Duhan van der Merwe comes onto the bench, which is now a five-three arrangement.
9:30AM
An Englishman against the Lions
Jamie Adamson is on the Waratahs bench tonight and has a fascinating story. A graduate of Durham University, who was never tied to a professional deal with a Premiership club, he represented England and Great Britain at sevens, competing for the former at the Commonwealth Games.
He then headed to Australia and impressed in the Shute Shield for Eastern Suburbs, playing in the back row. From there, a train-and-trial deal emerged from Waratahs coach Dan McKellar.
How Jamie Adamson secured our dramatic win over Kenya in the final stages 🙌
@jamie_a99 | #Canada7s
pic.twitter.com/00a6mwx1xy
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) April 17, 2022
'It's a strange one,' Adamson adimtted this week. 'I can't say that it crossed my mind that I'd be playing against them but obviously a really cool opportunity. I think it's going to be an amazing experience.'
'I don't really think it's settled in yet, to be honest. I probably won't until I'm at the bottom of a ruck on Saturday night and see a Lions shirt opposite me, to be honest.'
9:14AM
Good morning
Hello and welcome, everyone. This British and Irish Lions tour has rolled onto Sydney and a game against the Waratahs. The hosts finished below the Reds but above the Western Force on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, winning six of 14 matches.
We will have a closer look at their line-up later… though it is fair to say that Andy Farrell will expect another convincing win.
For now, why not have a read of some thoughts from Pierre Schoeman earlier this week. He is starting at loosehead prop today, and has been reflected on two late predecessors in the jersey, the revered duo of Tom Smith and Ian McLauchlan.
'Tom Smith is close to my heart because he has played for Scotland as well and I have sat on the same seat as him at Murrayfield which I have been honoured and blessed with, but it is not about me,' Schoeman said.
'It is an amazing question and we do deep dive on it [history], sometimes Si [Easterby] our defensive coach before training or matches will take us through some of the key figures to create that aura. We speak about it, just a word, we have to be present in them and we have to deliver physically and mentally in that moment.
'That's what the jersey demands of us as loosehead props, like Mighty Mouse –- his family watch all our games – and that's the legacy of it. Our families will hopefully live a long and abundant life but it's much bigger than just that, it is much bigger than just that, so give it your all. That means fully submerge in everything in your tour.'
There is also some insight on the Lions' prop club, which has – quite rightly – denied entry to an other positions. .
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