Two Scots named in starting team for Lions’ second Test against Wallabies

Two Scotland players will start for the British and Irish Lions for their second test match against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.

Andy Farrell has named Huw Jones and Finn Russell in the side to take on the Wallabies as they attempt to complete a series victory.

The head coach has made three changes to the starting line-up that won the first Test 27-19, including the removal of Sione Tuipulotu.

The Scotland captain is struggling with a tight hamstring, but the indications are that he would have been dropped even without the injury.

Blair Kinghorn is among the replacements for the game to bring the Scottish contingent involved to three.

Ireland star Garry Ringrose pulled out of the team and has been praised for self-reporting the concussion symptoms that have cost him the chance of playing his first Test for the Lions.

Andrew Porter, Ollie Chessum, and Bundee Aki, who takes Tuipulotu’s place in the number 12 jersey, have been handed starts.

On the bench Owen Farrell is poised to make his first international appearance since helping England finish third at the 2023 World Cup and he is joined by Jac Morgan, the only Welshman in the touring party.

The starting XV is made up of nine players from Ireland, seven of whom represent Leinster, four Englishmen and the two Scots.

Joe McCarthy has lost his battle with the foot condition plantar fasciitis so Ollie Chessum is drafted into the second row and there is an adjustment at loosehead prop where Andrew Porter is preferred ahead of Ellis Genge.

The Ireland and Leinster contingent would have increased by one had Ringrose not told head coach Andy Farrell shortly before he was due to officially announce the team that his concussion symptoms had returned.

An injury that initially surfaced after July 9’s win over the ACT Brumbies forced him to sit out the first Test but having made a successful comeback against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday, he was poised to replace Huw Jones at outside centre.

Instead, he will be watching from the stands with Jones continuing in midfield for the Lions’ shot at completing a series victory at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“Garry was actually selected and unfortunately after training he’s had to pull out,” Andy Farrell said.

“It’s head-related again. It was literally as I was walking off the field. He came to me and once that’s mentioned, that’s that.

“With these type of things players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away.

“It’s very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.”

Lions captain Maro Itoje echoed the view of his head coach.

“I’m gutted for him that he’s in this position but it also shows the measure of the man to be so selfless,” Itoje said.

“All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first. When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it.”

Had Ringrose been fit, he would have formed an all-Ireland partnership with Aki at the expense of Tuipulotu and Jones, the Scotland combination who impressed in the series opener at Suncorp Stadium.

Joe McCarthy has failed to recover from his foot problem so Chessum slots into the second row, while loosehead prop Porter is preferred ahead of Ellis Genge in the front row.

James Lowe is lucky to retain his place on the left wing after a poor display in the first Test, but with Blair Kinghorn present on the bench after overcoming a knee problem Andy Farrell has a high-quality alternative ready.