Emerging after 12 days of illness which clearly hampered his efforts on his Lions debut against the Waratahs seven days earlier, Keenan will eased concerns about the full-back berth following Blair Kinghorn's knee injury. Kinghorn's fitness for this Saturday cannot be guaranteed at this point but Andy Farrell will ve satisfied that Keenan is a more than just a next-best option for the first Test. Verdict: KEENAN Right wing Another impressive Mack Hansen outing on the wing for the Lions has given the tour management a real headache over who to select at number 14. A tough decision between Hansen and Tommy Freeman just got even more difficult. Freeman's start against the Brumbies was perhaps his quietest outing of the tour but the Northampton and England wing is strong in the air and a proper out and out finisher compared to Hansen, the roaming playmaker and supplier of a killer last pass while his hunger for work and involvement makes him a Farrell favourite. Verdict: HANSEN What a difference a few days makes. Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose looked string favourites to start as 12 and 13 respectively following their showings against the Brumbies last Wednesday. Then came the news Ringrose had failed concussion protocols after suffering delayed symptoms and was ruled out of the first Test on a 12-day stand down. That now throws Aki's involvement into doubt with Scottish pairing Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones both impressive on Saturday. And then there was the 30-minute contribution off the bench.at inside centre from Owen Farrell on his 2025 tour debut. The English veteran's sharp passing, with Tuipulotucmoved to outside centre, was a standout feature in the final quarter and his ability to manage a game invaluable, making up for any lack of pace in midfield. An all-Scottish 10-12-13 axis with Finn Russell at fly-half makes a lot of sense but has Farrell junior muddied the waters? Does Aki still have a chance in a mix and match pairing and could that be at 13, in tandem with Tuipulotu or Farrell? It will be a tough call. Verdict: TUIPULOTU and JONES After the Brumbies game we underlined the value of James Lowe’s booming left boot to any back three combination in the wake of an otherwise below-par performance for the Ireland wing. Lowe may remain favourite for the number 11 jersey in next Saturday’s first Test but could he be sacrificed to solve the Freeman-Hansen conundrum on the opposite edge by playing both in-form wings? Lowe’s kicking effectiveness at the highest level may be enough to make him a Test Lion, but he is not irreplaceable. Verdict: LOWE Half-backs Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and fly-half Finn Russell remain the front-running half-back pairing for the Test series having sat out Saturday’s mismatch against the AUSNZ Invitationals. The less experienced Fin Smith did not male the impact at 10 he would have hoped to make on Saturday and though late call-up Ben White, on debut, made a big impression on the head coach in his start at scrum-half in Adelaide, his run may have come too late to oust Gibson-Park from the Test number nine jersey. Fin Smith may have also lost ground for the bench covering role at fly-half alongside his Northampton Saints and England partner Alex Mitchell with Marcus Smith bringing impact off the bench as his replacement against the AUSNZ XV in an effective tandem with Owen Farrell at 12. Verdict: RUSSELL and GIBSON-PARK Loosehead prop The shootout between Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter for a start against the Wallabies remains in play as Pierre Schoeman started at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday and played the full 80 minutes. That Porter was an unused replacement appears to indicate his place in the Test 23 is secure and as was suggested here following the Brumbies game, Andy Farrell has the luxury of a powerful one-two punch to face Australia, whichever way round he deploys the Irish and English looseheads. Verdict: GENGE Dan Sheehan remains nailed-on as the first Test starter after being given the night off at the weeekend, while Luke Cowan-Dickie's head injury in his start on Saturday means he has been ruled out of the Brisbane series opener. That clears the way for Ronan Kelleher to secure his place on the Lions Test bench, with two-tour veteran Jamie George leaving England's tour in Argentina to link up with the Lions as additional cover. Verdict: SHEEHAN Tighthead prop Will Stuart has reacted brilliantly to rescue his Lions tour following a disappointing debut against Queensland Reds more than two weeks ago. It may not be enough to dislodge a similarly resurgent Tadhg Furlong though. Much like at loosehead, the Lions have a one-two at tighthead in Furlong and Stuart, or Finlay Bealham for that matter, to go into a series against the Wallabies with confidence. Verdict: FURLONG Tour captain Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy remain the first-choice second-row combination for the Test series but Tadhg Beirne has advanced his claim for a bench spot. The Munster captain led the Lions to their 48-0 victory over AUSNZ on Saturday and put in a solid shift, as did fellow lock James Ryan, as the tourists finally sorted out their breakdown issues, albeit against disappointing opponents. Beirne will also be an option as a starting blindside flanker but his place.in the matchday 23 against the Wallabies this Saturday could be secure. Verdict: ITOJE and McCARTHY Blindside flanker The selection battles for the numbers six and seven jerseys appear to remain unresolved The initial issue could be whether to choose a third lock, that hybrid player between a second row and blindside such as Ollie Chessum and Tadhg Beirne, or a more.orthodox flanker in the Tom Curry/Henry Pollock mould. Andy Farrell is keeping his cards close to his chest. Pollock brings a genuine x-factor to the position and poses a real threst out on the fringes but for the purpose of reaching a decision, the hybrid option outweighs, literally, the lighter, more mobile models who can bring an impact off the bench. Verdict: CHESSUM Openside flanker Perhaps the most hotly contested positional vacancy with Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan both playing excellent rugby while Ben Earl and Curry are also among the runners and riders. Ireland's van der Flier came off the bench against both the Brumbies and AUSNZ in consecutive matches and made his presence felt in a positive manner with Curry having failed to fire as the starter at number seven. Morgan, flying the flag for Wales, made sone strong impacts as the starter at seven on Saturday and it will be a tight call whichever way Farrell eventually makes his choice. Verdict: VAN DER FLIER Jack Conan's strong showing against the Brumvies last Wednesday looked to be enough to nail the Test start, although Ben Earl played well as the starter in Adelaide three days later. It could be another 50/50 call for the Lions brains trust to make. Verdict: CONAN.