Overview

• Despite admitting he has felt ‘lost’ on field this season, the 29-year-old tighthead prop is widely expected to make the 40-man tour squad.
• Angus Bell has publicly endorsed Tupou’s selection, describing him as a ‘freak of nature’ whose power is vital for Australia’s scrum.
• Wallabies have begun large-group training sessions in hubs in Sydney and Perth, with preparations moving next to Queensland.
• Front-row strength remains a cornerstone of Schmidt’s plans, with Allan Alaalatoa likely to start at tighthead and Bell and James Slipper sharing loosehead duties.
• The Lions enter the series with prop concerns after Scotland’s Zander Fagerson was ruled out and Ireland’s Tadgh Furlong battles a calf problem.