Andy Farrell has informed his British Irish and Lions stars ahead of their clash with Argentina on Friday that Test selection is still open.
Maro Itoje will captain the Lions for the first time and will be joined in the starting line-up by Marcus Smith, who has been selected at full-back after midfielders Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith have played all-English games.
Republic of Ireland defender Tadhg Furlong was given a chance to show his fitness by being named on the bench for the game at the Aviva Stadium having missed games since early May with a calf strain.
Up to 14 new players could make their debuts for the Lions ahead of the team's trip to Australia on Saturday and Farrell has urged them to show their ability if they are to face the Wallabies.
“I did an exercise a few weeks ago and have repeated it about five times since then, looking at a possible line-up for the test team,” the head coach said.
“You can’t really even get in there because the competition is incredibly high, and rightfully so.
“The most exciting thing about this game on Friday is the opportunity for these players to show their teammates who will be in the stands what they can do.
“We are looking for unity, connection and the ability to attack aggressively from the start.
“You can make a lot of excuses about the time we spent together, but we had a great preparation and if you want to be a great Lions player you have to take responsibility straight away.”
Furlong has been plagued by calf and hamstring injuries throughout the season, causing him to miss all of the 2024 autumn series and all but one Six Nations match.
If the three-time Lions international recovers, he will be a candidate to play at fullback for the Test series against the Wallabies, but first he faces a final clash with world-ranked Pumas.
“Tadg is fit, ready to train and, like everyone else, is driven to succeed,” Farrell said.
Duhan van der Merwe is another player looking to show his fitness ahead of the trip to Australia on Saturday after suffering ankle ligament damage
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
