Overview

• Dan Sheehan will captain the Lions on his debut after Andy Farrell made 13 changes to the starting XV for Saturday’s match in Perth.
• A core group of Leinster players—Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier—and fly-half Finn Russell earn first tour starts in Farrell’s revised side.
• Joe Schmidt agreed to release five Wallabies squad members—Nic White, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nick Champion de Crespigny—to bolster the Western Force lineup.
• Veteran Wallaby Kurtley Beale was ruled out of the Force’s squad with a hamstring injury sustained in training.
• The match at Optus Stadium opens the Lions’ six warm-up games before they launch their three-Test series against Australia on July 19.