Queensland Reds v British and Irish Lions
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Date: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 11.00 BST
Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
Maro Itoje returns as captain in the British and Irish Lions team to face the Queensland Reds at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Englishman did not feature in the squad that beat the Western Force but he’s back as the leader of coach Andy Farrell’s much-changed squad.
There are 14 changes to the starting line-up from Perth, Finn Russell being the only man who has retained his place.
Ireland’s Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park will make their first appearance on tour at full-back and scrum-half. Gibson-Park is in for the luckless Tomos Williams who is now out of the squad through injury.
Scotland’s Ben White is on his way to Brisbane from New Zealand, where Gregor Townsend’s squad are currently based ahead of their game against the Maori in Whangerei on Saturday.
There will be a first tour start not just for the two Irishmen but also for Huw Jones who forms a midfield partnership with Bundee Aki. It’s the third different centre combination in three games.
Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Will Stuart will also start for the first time in the front-row as will Ollie Chessum at lock and Jack Conan at No 8.
Ireland’s James Ryan is set to make his Lions debut off the bench against the Reds.
«Here we go now,» said Farrell in rainy Brisbane. «This is proper touring. Games are coming thick and fast. Three games in eight days and it keeps on rolling after that, so this is the exciting part of the tour for us. We’ve just been outlining to the lads this morning, actually, what the weeks are going to look like.
«Not much training out there on the field, but plenty of mental preparation. We see it as a great opportunity for ourselves to be fast-tracking our ambition, our potential as a team.»
British and Irish Lions: Keenan, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Van der Merwe, Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Stuart, Itoje, Chessum, Curry, Morgan, Conan
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Bealham, Ryan, Earl, Mitchell, F Smith, Ringrose
