Jamie Osborne is pictured during a British & Irish Lions training session in Brisbane last week ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Jamie Osborne will start for the British & Irish Lions in their final midweek fixture of the 2025 tour, as Andy Farrell’s men play the First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne on Tuesday (kick-off 8pm local time/11am Irish time – live on Sky Sports Action & Main Event).
The 23-year-old Osborne comes into the team for his Lions debut, combining in the centre with Saracens and England’s Owen Farrell who will captain the tourists on the occasion of his 20th Lions appearance.
Osborne’s Leinster and Ireland team-mate, Thomas Clarkson, will also don the famous red jersey for the first time, as he is selected on a replacements bench that includes Garry Ringrose who is cleared to play following his concussion against the ACT Brumbies.
Osborne and Clarkson were called up to the Lions squad as additional cover on July 10 and 13 respectively, fresh from both starting for Ireland in their 34-5 win over Georgia. Prop Clarkson headed Down Under after scoring his first Test try against Portugal.
The pair’s involvement against the First Nations & Pasifika XV is set to bring Ireland’s number of Lions debutants this summer to 14. Tadhg Furlong is on his third Lions tour, while Tadhg Beirne, Bundee Aki, and Jack Conan also featured in South Africa four years ago.
Naas man Osborne has worn the number 15, 14, and 13 jerseys for Ireland since his try-scoring debut against the Springboks last July. He crossed the whitewash again during the Triple Crown-clinching win over Wales, and scored seven tries during Leinster’s BKT URC title-winning campaign.
Dublin-born tighthead Clarkson has started three of Ireland’s last five Tests, and has played almost 60 times for Leinster since 2020, including 18 appearances this past season.
The 25-year-old, who started all three of Leinster’s recent URC play-off matches, made his international bow against Argentina last November, before featuring four times during the Guinness Men’s Six Nations.
Scotland flyer Darcy Graham is the other debutant selected in the Lions team by Farrell, who has made 20 changes to the matchday squad from the first Test victory over Australia. Only Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, and Marcus Smith are retained on the bench.
Returning from a knee injury at full-back, Blair Kinghorn joins Graham and Duhan van der Merwe in an all-Scottish back-three, while Ben White will have Northampton Saints and England’s Fin Smith outside him at half-back.
The Ireland trio of Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, and Josh van der Flier will all start up front, with the latter – wearing the number 7 shirt – joining forces with Wales captain Jac Morgan and Henry Pollock in an exciting back row combination.
Ryan and Glasgow Warriors and Scotland’s Scott Cummings will pack down together in the engine room, behind a front row of Pierre Schoeman, Saracens and England’s Jamie George, who was drafted in as cover on July 12, and Bealham.
On the bench are Clarkson and three more of the recent call-ups, Scotland forwards Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, and Gregor Brown. Ringrose, who has scored three tries in as many games for the Lions, is hoping to press his claims for a Test place.
Lions head coach Andy Farrell commented: “This fixture gives players another opportunity to put their hand up for selection for the final two Tests against Australia.
“The coaches’ minds are open when it comes to selection, they have to be with so many players performing and pushing for places, and we want that to continue for the remaining two Tests.
“This group know the level of performance that we will require against a First Nations Pasifika team that is packed with talent and power.”
15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) #882
14. Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
13. Jamie Osborne (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
12. Owen Farrell (Saracens/England) (capt) #780
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) #862
9. Ben White (Toulon/Scotland) #883
1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #868
2. Jamie George (Saracens/England) #819
3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #856
4. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #880
5. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #869
6. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) #861
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #874
8. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) #865
Replacements:
16. Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)
17. Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #840
18. Thomas Clarkson (Leinster Rugby/Ireland)
19. Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
20. Ben Earl (Saracens/England) #857
21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #860
22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/England) #855
23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #872
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