Eight Ireland Players To Start For Lions Against Brumbies

McCarthy is one of eight Ireland players included in the Lions team for their second last fixture before the Test series against Australia begins on Saturday week (July 19).

Listed among the replacements, fellow Ireland international Mack Hansen is set to face his old team in midweek action – he played for the Canberra Vikings and the Brumbies before signing for Connacht in 2021 as an Irish-qualified back.

Ireland duo Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki pair up together for the first time in a Lions starting XV, with Jamison Gibson-Park getting his second start on tour, featuring again in a half-back combination with Scotland’s Finn Russell.

Toulouse and Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn will make his second successive start – and his first at full-back – in a back-three which also contains Tommy Freeman, and Ireland ace James Lowe, who played the full 80 minutes against the Western Force.

Itoje and McCarthy make up a powerful lock partnership, the latter packing down behind two of his provincial and international colleagues, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong. England loosehead Ellis Genge completes the front row.

A packed-out GIO Stadium awaits the Lions in Canberra, the capital of Australia, and head coach Andy Farrell has gone with another English-Irish combination in the back row where number 8 Jack Conan links up with Ollie Chessum and Tom Curry.

The bench is evenly split between England and Ireland players, with Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, and Josh van der Flier among the forward options, and Hansen, wearing the number 23 jersey, eager to play against some familiar faces.

Head coach Farrell commented: “In 2013 the Brumbies beat the Lions in Canberra, and this year they were the leading Australian team in Super Rugby, so we are fully aware of the challenge in front of us.

“It will also be a special occasion for Mack Hansen as he returns to his hometown and gets the opportunity to play for and represent the Lions against some of his old team-mates.”

The Lions arrived in Canberra from Sydney on Monday evening, ahead of their fourth game on Australian soil. They have won their first three, beating the Western Force (54-7), the Queensland Reds (52-12), and the NSW Waratahs (21-10).

Farrell’s squad will then head further south to Adelaide on Thursday morning for next Saturday’s match against an Invitational Australia & New Zealand XV.

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v ACT Brumbies, 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour Match, GIO Stadium, Canberra, Wednesday, July 9, kick-off 8pm local time/11am Irish time):

15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) #882
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) #858
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #872
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837
11. James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #870
10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #879
1. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) #859
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #873
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #818
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (capt) #825
5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #871
6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) #875
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853
8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839

Replacements:

16. Rónan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #864
17. Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #876
18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) #877
19. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #874
20. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England) #865
21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #860
22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855
23. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #867