Andy Farrell’s plan to field an all-Ireland midfield for the second British & Irish Lions Test against Australia was scuppered at the last moment when Garry Ringrose declared concussion symptoms at the end of training on Thursday.
Ringrose missed the first Test because he was going through concussion protocols, but he came through 65 minutes of Tuesday’s game against a First Nations & Pasifika XV without any effects.
The Ireland centre had been pencilled in to start at the MCG alongside Bundee Aki — with Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, who played well together in the first Test in Brisbane, both slated to be dropped.
But Ringrose informed Farrell and the team doctor that he had developed symptoms just minutes before the team was named.
The consequence of Ringrose’s declaration — which Farrell lauded as “unselfish” — was that Jones was reinstated into the team at outside centre. Tuipulotu, who scored the first try last week, has been cut from the 23-man squad for the Test in his hometown.
There are nine Irish players in the starting side. Andrew Porter has switched roles with Ellis Genge to start at loose-head prop and Ollie Chessum comes into the second row, replacing Joe McCarthy who injured his foot last weekend.
Chessum’s promotion has opened a spot on the bench for James Ryan while Jac Morgan, the sole Welshman on tour, has replaced Ben Earl as the Lions’ back row understudy.
Owen Farrell, who captained the Lions to a hard-fought victory over a First Nations & Pasifika XV on Tuesday, comes onto the bench along with Blair Kinghorn, who has been preferred to Marcus Smith.
“Garry was actually selected. It’s head-related again. It was literally as I was walking off the field, he came to me, and once it’s mentioned, that’s that,” Farrell said.
“There was no incident. He was feeling good well in advance of Tuesday and fit and ready to play. There was incident through the game at all, nothing yesterday and nothing this morning at all, but with these type of things, players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel. So it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away.
“I thought it was very unselfish the minute that he mentioned it because it’s tough to do that. It’s very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.”
Aki and Jones played together in the Queensland Reds game. “They will hit it off exactly like any other type of partnership,” Farrell said. “Sione and Aki are very similar in many ways, both direct and abrasive and combative type characters and exactly what you want as far as you go forward and gain line success and not just that. On the other side of the ball, they’re pretty good there as well, so very similar in that regard.
Morgan is also included among the replacements
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“Sione will be absolutely gutted. But he also knows that that’s rugby. The fairytale is not always written. Sione’s a team man.”
The inclusion of Owen Farrell and Kinghorn on the bench provides the Lions with better, more specialist cover than last week. “With Blair back fit, it gives you a different dynamic on the bench covering the back three, which is pretty important,” Andy Farrell said. “Owen us giving you the option there to cover 10-12.”
McCarthy will not be sent home but his availability for the third Test remains in doubt; the same with Mack Hansen, the wing.
The loose-head prop rotation was driven by a desire to add some dynamism and punch in the final 20 minutes, where the Lions tailed off last Saturday. “The nature of Ellis and how he plays the game, he’ll add to us, certainly dynamically, when he comes onto the field,” Farrell said.
MCG officials expect the Lions Test to attract around 90,000 on Saturday. It will be an opportunity for the Lions to win back-to-back Test series in Australia — and their first since the 2-1 triumph down under in 2013.
“Winning the series. No other Lions have done back-to-back victories in tours of the same country. Due to the good work of the 2013 touring party, we get the privilege to be in a position to try and accomplish that,” Farrell said.
“That’s been spoken about from day one when we met as a group. We are the privileged ones that get the opportunity to do something special and hopefully create a bit of history. There’s a determined Australian side that’s in our way that’s going to try and stop us to do that, so it’s a hell of a test.”
Facing them will be a Wallabies side who have to deliver a reaction to their rather limp performance in Brisbane. Joe Schmidt has beefed up the team with Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Dave Porecki all in the starting XV and six forwards on the bench.
“It’s obvious what they’re going to bring and why they’re selected, so I suppose they’re delighted with that,” Farrell said. “The 6-2 bench just backs that up a little bit, doesn’t it?”
British & Irish Lions: Keenan, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Lowe, Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Chessum, Beirne, Curry, Conan
Replacements: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Ryan, Morgan, Mitchell, Farrell, Kinghorn
Australia: Wright, Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Potter, Lynagh, Gordon; Slipper, Porecki, Alaalatoa, Frost, Skelton, Valetini, McReight, Wilson
Replacements: Pollard, Bell, Robertson, Williams, Gleeson, Tizzano, McDermott, Donaldson