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12th June 2025
04:54pm BST
The first game of the 2025 Lions tour is around the corner, with the representative side taking on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin next week.
With a significant chunk of players taking part in the URC and Premiership finals this weekend, for Leinster, Bath, and Leicester, and Blair Kinghorn still with Toulouse, head coach Andy Farrell has a depleted squad to work with.
However, in one sense this will suit the coaching staff, with few tough selection calls to make, and more time to focus on their training and tactics in Portugal, where they are in camp.
The Lions' first match could ended up being their toughest, given that it is against international opposition.
As such we have gone for a strong XV, while trying out potential test combos/tactics, such as at lock, centre, and using Ellis Genge as an impact substitute.
It will be important to get as many Irish in as possible, playing at home, and to ease back those who have not played much over the last few months, such as Mack Hansen and Jac Morgan.
Replacements: Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Scott Cummings, Jac Morgan, Tomos Williams, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen.
On Finlay Bealham's late call up to replace the injured Zander Fagerson, Farrell said: "He's in good form, he's very good at what he does. He was certainly right up there in the conversation from the very start as well. He would have been disappointed not to make the group.
"We just know that he would be a great fit for the group going forward.
"He's the only conversation that I was able to have, because of the way we did the squad announcement. By giving him a phone call and telling him that he was selected within the squad, unfortunately for Zander [Fagerson].
"It's one of the best phone conversations that I've ever had.
"The emotion that went through the phone actually welled me up. It was great to be able to do that."
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