Farrell on bench for final Lions game before Tests

Australia and New Zealand Invitational XV v British and Irish Lions

Date: Saturday, 12 July Kick-off 11:00 BST Venue: Adelaide Oval

Owen Farrell has been named on the bench for the British and Irish Lions’ final tour match before the Test series against Australia.

The 33-year-old, who joined the tour last week as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly, is one of two outside backs among the replacements for the game against the AUNZ Invitational side, with Marcus Smith alongside him.

Scotland’s Ben White starts at scrum-half on Saturday, with Jac Morgan afforded another chance to impress at open-side flanker.

Presuming he comes off the bench, Farrell will be playing his first game in more than two months after a concussion in a European Challenge Cup semi-final against Lyon at the start of May.

It was his final appearance in an underwhelming one-season stint at French side Racing 92, with Farrell’s search for form interrupted by a persistent groin injury.

Farrell brought his stay in Paris to an early end, securing a return to Saracens earlier this summer.

If head coach Andy Farrell opts for his son as part of the 23-strong squad for the first Test against the Wallabies on 19 July, it would mark a remarkable return to Test rugby.

Farrell stepped away from international rugby after the 2023 Rugby World Cup to prioritise his and his family’s well-being, before the move to Racing made him unavailable for England selection.

His last Test remains the third-place play-off win over Argentina in October 2023.

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan, whose tour has so far been limited by injury and illness to 50 minutes in the win over the Queensland Reds, starts at full-back in what could be an audition for a Test starting spot.

Blair Kinghorn, his main rival for the position, is still being assessed after picking up a knock in Wednesday’s win over the Brumbies.

Marcus Smith, who started the loss to Argentina in Dublin at full-back, has been restricted to a replacement role since. Fin Smith is preferred at fly-half.

Tadhg Beirne captains the Lions from the second row.

The Australia/New Zealand invitational XV – a revival of a combined side that last played when the Lions toured in 1989 – includes 63-cap Wallabies wing Marika Koroibete and All Blacks Hoskins Sotutu, Shannon Frizell and Ngani Laumape.

Tane Edmed, who made his Australia debut off the bench against Ireland in November and could return to the Wallabies squad after the injury to their first-choice 10 Noah Lolesio, is at fly-half.

Former Wasps and Ulster prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen also starts, while Pete Samu, a key part of European champions Bordeaux-Begles back row this season, is at open-side flanker.

British and Irish Lions: Keenan; Hansen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Ryan, Beirne (c), Pollock, Morgan, Earl

Replacements; Kelleher, Porter, Bealham, Cummings, Van der Flier, Mitchell, M Smith, Farrell

AUNZ Invitational: Stevenson; Lam, Laumape, Havili (cc), Koroibete; Edmed, Fakatava; Ross, Paenga-Amosa, Toomaga-Allen, Blyth, Salakaia-Loto, Frizell, Samu, Sotutu.