Farrell believes he has struck right Lions back-row balance despite trio missing out

Farrell selected Tom Curry at openside flanker, to the detriment of van der Flier, Morgan and Pollock in a back row featuring Tadhg Beirne on the blindside and Jack Conan at No.8.

Henry Pollock, left, and Josh van der Flier during a British & Irish Lions squad training session at the Churchie School in Brisbane, Australia. Pic:

Andy Farrell had words of sympathy for leaving Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier out of his British & Irish Lions back row for the first Test against Australia on Saturday but the head coach is convinced he has struck the right balance with the loose-forward trio he has selected.

Farrell selected Tom Curry at openside flanker, to the detriment of fellow number sevens van der Flier and Morgan, in a back row featuring Tadhg Beirne on the blindside and Jack Conan at No.8.

The trio all played Test rugby for the Lions four years ago in South Africa, with England’s Curry and Ireland’s Conan named at seven and No.8 respectively for all three games in the 2-1 series loss to the Springboks while Beirne came off the bench in two of the matches with the world champions.

The Lions boss accepted his back-row selection had been “hotly contested” outside the tourists’ camp and that individual player’s experience had been a part of the decision-making process.

“Part of the side that's been talked about for quite some time and rightly so because of the quality we've got there,” Farrell said.

“Obviously we feel that's the right balance for the first Test, the combination of Tadhg being the type of player that he is, his quality in the set-piece but his all-round ability either as the jackaler or a ball playing six, compliments Jack.

“In a similar regard, Tom being the engine that we all know that we need in regards to Test match football.

“You 100 per cent throw everything into the mix. It’s a big responsibility representing this group, first up.

“This is what we came for, Test match football and it’s a big responsibility to show each other how we’re going to attack this game.

“You take a lot of things into account, form is one but you also take into account big match temperament, and we’ve got a good few of those in the starting line-up.” 

While the selection of a hybrid lock/flanker in Munster and Ireland’s Beirne to boost the Lions’ lineout jumping options was preferred to a more orthodox back-row flanker, Curry’s inclusion appears to be a nod to the Sale Sharks man’s power game but Farrell said choosing his openside was a tough decision and that both Morgan and van der Flier could count themselves unlucky.

“As close as you could imagine. Look, you're gutted for players like that and Josh as well, and Henry (Pollock) as well, because they're playing good rugby and could easily be in this side on Saturday, but I suppose that shows the good place that we're at as a group.” 

Conan and Beirne make up a quarter of Ireland’s record representation in a Lions’ Test side with Farrell’s national team members making up the bulk of the starting pack. 

Hooker Dan Sheehan, tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong and lock Joe McCarthy are the other forwards while Jamison Gibson-Park starts at scrum-half, James Lowe has been selected on the left wing and Hugo Keenan is the chosen full-back.

There are three Irish replacements also, with hooker Ronan Kelleher, loosehead prop Andrew Porter and centre Bundee Aki all in to make appearances off the bench at Suncorp Stadium this Saturday.

Furlong, 32, will make his seventh consecutive Test start for the Lions having started every match against New Zealand in 2017 and the South Africans four years ago. 

He forms a front row with England loosehead Ellis Genge and his Leinster and Ireland team-mate Dan Sheehan at hooker while McCarthy forms a second-row partnership with Lions captain Maro Itoje.

Gibson-Park will partner Scotland fly-half Finn Russell in the half-backs, there is an all-Scottish centre pairing of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, while the Lowe and Keenan are joined in the back three by England’s Tommy Freeman on the right wing.

Aki, like van der Flier is unfortunate to miss out to Tuipulotu for the inside centre berth but is named on a bench of five forwards and three backs, with English duo Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith covering the starting half-backs, meaning no place for Owen Farrell, the England Test centurion and now three-time Lions tourists brought in by his father, head coach Andy, to replace the injured Elliot Daly.

There is further disappointment for van der Flier, Morgan and Pollock with Ben Earl getting the nod as replacement back-rower.

Scottish full-back Blair Kinghorn (knee), Ireland wing Mack Hansen (foot) and Irish centre Garry Ringrose (concussion) all might have pushed for Test starts had injury not denied them a claim.