Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Lions boss Andy Farrell at training in UCD today.Dan Sheridan/INPHO Predictions Let another great Lions Test team debate begin... Andy Farrell has many ways he could go with his frontline matchday 23. 9.07pm, 17 Jun 2025 Share options BY AROUND 2PM tomorrow, we will have confirmation of Andy Farrell’s first Lions matchday 23. And after months of squad predictions preceded Farrell naming his 38-man touring party, the great debate about the Lions’ Test side is about to begin in earnest. Friday night’s clash with Argentina in Dublin [KO 8pm, TG4/Sky Sports] will give us plenty of fodder to move things up a notch. Farrell and his coaches will certainly already have a good idea of how they see their matchday 23 lining out in the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane in 32 days. But a month is a long time in rugby and Lions tours can take on a life of their own. It wasn’t like everyone was predicting that Jack Conan would be a three-Test Lion on the last tour in 2021 yet he was one of the tourists’ best players in South Africa. It would be much less surprising if he’s equally important this summer. The last time the Lions were in Australia in 2013, late injury call-up Alex Corbisiero ended up being key to the Test series victory. Jeremy Davidson was an unexpected star of the 1997 tour. Those stories are often lasting highlights of Lions tours. Farrell has stressed that he’s coming into this trip with an open mind and an awareness that best-laid plans can be ripped up in an instant. He will have much more information than the rest of us when it comes to picking his Test 23, yet one of the most fun things about Lions tours is putting yourself in the head coach’s shoes. With this array of top-class players, how do you pull it all together? Farrell is a coach who greatly values cohesion, which could mean he leans on pre-existing combinations in some areas of his team. Or else he will back the Lions to build enough of that cohesion among players who might have met properly for the first time in this camp. Andrew Porter and Dan Sheehan.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO The all-court Dan Sheehan is favourite to be the starting Test hooker at this stage, with Irish team-mate Rónan Kelleher and the revived Luke Cowan-Dickie vying for a place in the matchday 23. The tireless Andrew Porter will be many people’s pick for the loosehead slot at this early stage, especially after his dominant performance for Leinster against the Bulls last weekend. He will face competition from the bullish Pierre Schoeman and England’s dynamic Ellis Genge. Advertisement The tighthead battle will be intriguing. Tadhg Furlong has the best pedigree by some distance and the Lions seem to feel his injury travails are behind him. He has started the last six Lions Tests and if he gets up and running quickly, it would be difficult to bet against him as the starting tighthead. England’s Will Stuart will have plenty to say about that, having enjoyed a strong Six Nations for England and continued his fine form with Bath. Meanwhile, Finlay Bealham has the hint of a breakout star about him following his late injury call-up in place of Zander Fagerson. A week in, he’s already a popular in the group and has shown himself to be a serious international prop. Maro Itoje will captain from the second row, barring injury, and Tadhg Beirne seems like the obvious pick alongside him. However, that might not be the most balanced pairing. Joe McCarthy is the heaviest of the Lions second rows and the one out-and-out tighthead lock, while James Ryan can also perform that enforcer-type role. There seems to be a perception in some quarters that Ryan was lucky to be named in this Lions squad, but that ignores his sustained superb form. He might not be flash, but Ryan is someone who makes others look good. He could have a big Test role to play. Scotland’s Scott Cummings and England’s Ollie Chessum appear to be coming from further back in the second row race but the former offers great mobility and the latter is a mean player who can also play at blindside flanker. Beirne’s ability to shift to the number six shirt is something the Lions will surely consider. It’s not hard to imagine him in a Test back row with, say, number eight Jack Conan and openside Tom Curry. That would ensure a nice blend of skills and give the Lions three elite lineout jumpers. Tadhg Furlond carries the ball at training today.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Josh van der Flier, Ben Earl, Jac Morgan, and Henry Pollock seem unlikely to go along with that suggestion. Earl is an option in all three back row positions, Morgan can play at six or seven, and Pollock at six or eight. Van der Flier is an out-and-out openside and a seriously good one at that. Jamison Gibson-Park, who is currently managing a glute issue, is the obvious favourite to start at scrum-half ahead of Alex Mitchell and Tomos Williams, but the number 10 shirt is sure to be at the centre of heated debates. Finn Russell has superfans and superdoubters. His array of attacking skills and clever kicking make him a big contender to direct the team. He’s a proper defender too when he’s in the mood. Fin Smith recently turned 23, yet plays with a wise head and has a complete skillset already. He is the best defensive out-half in the squad, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have attacking class and a sharp kicking game. With just 11 England caps, he doesn’t have a lot of top-end international experience, but he could end this tour with more of it. Marcus Smith is an option at out-half and fullback. It shouldn’t be forgotten how sensational he was at number 10 for England last autumn, even as Steve Borthwick’s side struggled. Smith’s playmaking flexibility is useful in a matchday 23 and he is a real game-breaker. Farrell’s fondness for cohesion could see him go with the Irish pairing of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose or the Huwipulotu double act that has served Scotland so well. What would be really exciting is one from each nation combining strongly over the coming weeks. Sione Tuipulotu has the kind of attitude and energy that Farrell likes, while his attacking kicking game is a point of difference over the indomitable and somewhat underrated Bundee Aki. Huw Jones has worked hard to become a much better defender and his running lines are a delight, but we know that Farrell loves the dark edge and intelligence that Garry Ringrose brings in the number 13 channel. Is Finn Russell the Lions' starting 10?Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO James Lowe is the obvious Test favourite on the left wing, while Tommy Freeman has that status over on the right. Duhan van der Merwe started all three Tests at number 11 last time out and while he might not be as rounded as Lowe, he is a freakishly athletic carrier and finisher. Mack Hansen is another player whose inclusion caused some surprise but the Ireland right wing offers playmaking, defensive grit, and a certain unpredictability. He’s the kind of ‘messy’ wing that Farrell likes. The fullback slot appears to be a straight shootout between Hugo Keenan and Blair Kinghorn, who will be late in joining the party out in Australia once his Top 14 commitments with Toulouse conclude. They are different players. Kinghorn is a marauding attacking player who can also shift around the back three and even fill in at out-half, while Keenan is one of the best defenders in rugby and a seriously smart, fit operator. There are quite a few backs in this squad who can shift about – Freeman can play at 13, for example – and that will be helpful as Farrell weighs up using a 6/2 bench split in the Tests. Versatility has been a calling card for Elliot Daly, another squad pick who wasn’t widely predicted. The 32-year-old already has five Lions Test caps – three on the left wing and two at outside centre. The clever left-footer also plays at fullback. Farrell has a few ways he can go with all of this. That’s partly what will make the next month so enjoyable for the estimated 40,000 travelling Lions fans in Australia and everyone else following from home. Let the fun begin. Possible Lions Test 23: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Garry Ringrose, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe; Fin Smith, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje (captain), James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan. Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Joe McCarthy, Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith. Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Let another great Lions Test team debate begin...”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Let another great Lions Test team debate begin...”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion andy farrell Predictions Speculation McIlroy and Lowry learn fate as tee times confirmed for Travelers Championship New kickout mark penalty to apply in this weekend's inter-county senior games Freeclass acts Colin Keane wins opening day feature race at Royal Ascot FAI says they flagged European concerns with Drogheda owners last November Freestout defence 'They do an incredible job' - GAA President defends fixture makers after McGuinness criticism FreePodcastThe Football Family Love an old grievance FreePremier League Ex-PL referee David Coote charged by English FA over comments about Jurgen Klopp Sexton: 'I purchased my Munster season ticket, put it that way' Golden Ticket Huge demand leaves fans frustrated as Croke Park NFL tickets go on sale Lions call up van Poortvliet as cover for Gibson-Park injury Munster announce three fixtures in pre-season schedule more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account