Owen Farrell to captain Lions against Beale’s Pasifika

Owen Farrell will captain the British and Irish Lions against a First Nations and Pasifika XV, with fellow England veteran Jamie George also named Monday in the starting side.

The tourists have won all six games in Australia so far, including a polished 27-19 victory over the Wallabies in the first Test at Brisbane on Saturday.

But with the second Test at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, coach Andy Farrell is not risking any injuries to his first-choice stars.

None of the Brisbane starting side are in the matchday 23 for the clash at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on Tuesday against an untested team spearheaded by Wallabies great Kurtley Beale.

That has opened the door to a host of players looking to make a late case to play a part in the second Test, including former England captain Farrell.

He came off the bench for a solid cameo against a combined Australia-New Zealand side after his surprise call-up to replace the injured Elliot Daly.

The 33-year-old now gets the chance to start and impress his father, head coach Andy Farrell, enough to earn a bench spot for the second Test in what will be his 20th Lions appearance.

“This fixture gives players another opportunity to put their hand up for selection for the final two Tests,” said Andy Farrell.

“The coaches’ minds are open when it comes to selection, they have to be with so many players performing and pushing for places and we want that to continue for the remaining two Tests.

“This group know the level of performance that we will require against a First Nations Pasifika team that is packed with talent and power.”

Farrell will partner Ireland’s Jamie Osborne in the centre, with Scotland’s Ben White at scrum-half and England’s Fin Smith the playmaker at 10. 

Fullback Blair Kinghorn returns from injury and forms an all-Scotland back three alongside Darcy Graham and Duhan van Der Merwe.

Up front, 102-Test veteran hooker George, who was called up last week as cover for the concussed Luke Cowan-Dickie, will pack down with Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman and Irishman Finlay Bealham. 

Ireland’s James Ryan is partnered in the second row by Scot Scott Cummings while in the back, Wales captain Jac Morgan lines up alongside Ireland’s Josh van der Flier and England’s Henry Pollock.