We discuss which British and Irish Lions players could be in the squad for Saturday's game against Australia at the MCG, despite Tuesday's narrow wins over the First Nation and Pasifika teams; watch the Lions' remaining two Test matches against Australia live on Sky Sports.
Photo: Have players such as Jack Morgan, Blair Kinghorn and Ben White made it into the Lions' Test squad for Saturday?
Andy Farrell left a mixed impression in Melbourne on Tuesday night.
He was pleased with some individual performances in the shaky wins over the First Nation and Pasifika teams, excited about the upcoming second Test against Australia in a potentially 100,000-capacity arena in Melbourne, but also seemed slightly irritated by his team's recent performance.
With the score 14-0, the Lions began to do something Farrell said they “had no right” to do. The game was remarkably even for the first five minutes of the half, and while the Lions started the second half with more confidence, they allowed their opponents to come back into the game late in the game.
“We became our own worst enemy a few times,” Farrell said. “When we had a 14-point lead and there was a lot of space around us, we started acting like it was an exhibition game. It wasn’t supposed to be that way.”
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Highlights from the 2025 Tour final midweek as the British and Irish Lions take on a First Nations and Pacific XV.
We didn't earn the right to play. We thought we had space, but we didn't. Once we realized that, we started playing long balls out wide and conceding shots behind the defensive line, which made things difficult.
“The opening score of 14 points should not create the illusion that there is a lot of space. We need to be better.”
So what's going on with the Lions and any potential changes to the second Test XI? Have some players made the cut or confirmed their absence? Has anyone done enough to make it?
One name Farrell mentioned more than once after the game at the Marvel Stadium was Scotland midfielder Ben White, a Toulon player who was initially left out of the squad but replaced the injured Tomos Williams.
“Ben White played a great game,” Farrell said. “He hasn't been with us for very long but I thought he controlled the game very well. There were some good individual performances.”
Pictured: Scrum half Ben White impressed for the Lions on Tuesday and was given two nods from Andy Farrell.
Indeed, White's performance that night was quite impressive and perhaps surpassed anything Alex Mitchell had shown in that aspect throughout the tour.
His clearances reached considerable distances and he connected on a 50:22 kick to secure territory for the Lions' third try, before some more deft footwork allowed Josh van der Flier to score a goal that was later disallowed due to a clearance
Sourse: skysports.com
