Tadhg Beirne to captain Lions against Waratahs

03 Jul 2025, 09:30 by Ciarán Kennedy · The42

TADHG BEIRNE WILL captain the British and Irish Lions for Saturday’s meeting with the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports].

The Munster player is among six Irish players in the starting XV.

Hugo Keenan, who missed Wednesday’s defeat of the Reds through illness, is named to make his Lions debut at fullback.

Connacht’s Mack Hansen and Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn complete the back three, with Toulouse player Kinghorn also lining out for the Lions for the first time.

Andy Farrell has opted for an all-Scotland centre pairing of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, while Fin Smith returns at out-half and Alex Mitchell starts at scrum-half.

Pierre Schoeman, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Connacht’s Finlay Bealham pack down in the front row.

Beirne captains the side from the second row alongside his Ireland teammate James Ryan, who makes a Lions starting team for the first time having debuted off the bench against the Reds.

A new-look back row sees Northampton’s Henry Pollock shift to blindside flanker, with Josh van der Flier at openside and Ben Earl at number eight.

Farrell has opted for a 6:2 bench split, with Dan Sheehan, Ellis Genge, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Scott Cummings and Jac Morgan the forward replacements, while Ben White and Marcus Smith cover the backline.

Farrell has also confirmed that Saracens and England back Elliot Daly has been ruled out of the rest of the tour with a fractured forearm, having sustained the injury in the win over the Reds.

Owen Farrell, who recently rejoined Saracens following a season with French side Racing 92, has been called up as Daly’s replacement and is due to join the squad in Sydney on Friday.

Andy Farrell said: “It is heartbreaking for the group that Elliot’s tour is over. He is a Lions legend who has added so much to the group on and off the field over the past few weeks and over the course of three tours.

“Owen will now come in and add to our options and bring his own Lions experience to the group.”

British & Irish Lions:

15. Hugo Keenan
14. Mack Hansen
13. Huw Jones
12. Sione Tuipulotu
11. Blair Kinghorn
10. Fin Smith
9. Alex Mitchell

1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Tadhg Beirne (capt)
5. James Ryan
6. Henry Pollock
7. Josh van der Flier
8. Ben Earl

Replacements:

16. Dan Sheehan
17. Ellis Genge
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Joe McCarthy
20. Scott Cummings
21. Jac Morgan
22. Ben White
23. Marcus Smith