No Welshman in British & Irish Lions Test team for first time in more than 100 years

Tom Curry was named at openside flanker in the British & Irish Lions team for the first Test against Australia on Saturday, ensuring the tourists would field a Test team without a Welshman for the first time since the late 19th century.

Welsh hopes of a presence in the side had rested on poacher Jac Morgan but coach Andy Farrell preferred the proven quality of England’s Curry in the starting side with Ben Earl and Ollie Chessum covering the loose forwards on the bench.

“(Jac) was as close as you can imagine,” Farrell told a news conference. “Look, you’re actually gutted for players like that who… could well easily be in this side on Saturday. But I suppose that shows the good place that we’re at as a group.”

Farrell has gone for a conventional number eight in Jack Conan at the back of the scrum, with his Ireland teammate Tadhg Beirne completing the back row at blindside flanker.

“We feel that that’s the right balance for the first Test,” Farrell said.

“The combination of Tadhg’s quality in the set piece and his all-around ability, either on the floor as a jackal or a ball-playing six. That complements Jack also in a similar regard, with Tom being the engine that we all know.”

Scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park, fullback Hugo Keenan, winger James Lowe, lock Joe McCarthy, prop Tadhg Furlong and hooker Dan Sheehan complete an eight-strong Irish contingent in the starting side.

There was no place for Ireland’s Bundee Aki in the starting centre partnership, however, with Scotland’s duo of Australian-born Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones lining up outside their Test teammate Finn Russell at flyhalf.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that Bundee can play with Huw, and he’s obviously played with Sione as well, but it’s just making sure that we get the right balance of the impact that we need at any given time,” Farrell said.

“And I suppose those three starting, they do know each other, but they also know the way that this team wants to play.”

Captain Maro Itoje, right winger Tommy Freeman and prop Ellis Genge make up a four-strong English contingent with Curry, but there was no place in the matchday 23 for Farrell’s son Owen, who joined the tour as an injury replacement.

Farrell said injured Australian-born Ireland winger Mack Hansen (foot) and Scottish fullback Blair Kinghorn (knee) were unlikely to be fit for next Tuesday’s tour match against a First Nations-Pasifika XV in Melbourne.

New-look Wallabies

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt conceded the absence of Rob Valetini for the first British & Irish Lions clash was a loss but was confident flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny would make a big impression on his test debut at Lang Park on Saturday.

Powerful loose forward Valetini has been voted Australia’s best Test player for the past two years but will miss a second consecutive match along with hulking lock Will Skelton, who also has a calf injury.

Schmidt said the duo were right on the edge of being available for selection and would have played if it had been the last match in the series.

“Bobby has been a very regular starter for us and a big player for us, so I guess that those are the things that do happen,” Schmidt told a news conference.

“Nick has big shoes to fill. The good thing with Nick, he’s a good lineout option (and) is probably a bit more of a roving scavenger than Bobby V.”

Another loose forward, Langi Gleeson, was ruled out by a dead leg so Champion de Crespigny, who has just returned to Australia from France, slots into the back row with Fraser McReight and captain Harry Wilson.

“We have full confidence in Nick and what he brings, mate, he’s a psycho,” openside McReight said of the 29-year-old.

“He loves contact, and he’s ready to go. So, obviously, disappointed to be without Bobby. But again, super excited to get to play with Nick.”

Scrumhalf Jake Gordon missed the Fiji match with a hamstring problem but returns in a halfback combination with Tom Lynagh, the son of Wallabies great Michael.

Lynagh (22) will make his first test start in place of Noah Lolesio, who suffered a neck injury against Fiji and was ruled out of the series.

“I’m really excited for Tom, he’s a great kid,” said Schmidt.

“He’s got a quiet confidence about him. You wouldn’t think that he’s necessarily designed to run a game and dictate what’s happening, but he does have a quiet confidence that gives us a quiet confidence as well.”

James O’Connor’s hopes of another Lions Test, 12 years on from starting all three Tests in 2013, have been dashed for the moment, with Ben Donaldson backing up Lynagh on the bench. Reuters/DM

Teams

Australia: 15–Tom Wright, 14–Max Jorgensen, 13–Joseph Suaalii, 12–Len Ikitau, 11–Harry Potter, 10–Tom Lynagh, 9–Jake Gordon, 8–Harry Wilson (captain), 7–Fraser McReight, 6–Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5–Jeremy Williams, 4–Nick Frost, 3–Allan Alaalatoa, 2–Matt Faessler, 1–James Slipper.

Replacements: 16–Billy Pollard, 17–Angus Bell, 18–Tom Robertson, 19–Tom Hooper, 20–Carlo Tizzano, 21–Tate McDermott, 22–Ben Donaldson, 23–Andrew Kellaway.

British & Irish Lions: 15–Hugo Keenan, 14–Tommy Freeman, 13–Huw Jones, 12–Sione Tuipulotu, 11–James Lowe, 10–Finn Russell, 9–Jamison Gibson-Park, 8–Jack Conan, 7–Tom Curry, 6–Tadhg Beirne, 5–Joe McCarthy, 4–Maro Itoje (captain), 3–Tadhg Furlong, 2–Dan Sheehan, 1–Ellis Genge

Replacements: 16–Ronan Kelleher, 17–Andrew Porter, 18–Will Stuart, 19–Ollie Chessum, 20–Ben Earl, 21–Alex Mitchell, 22–Marcus Smith, 23–Bundee Aki