The starting XV for the game features six Ireland players Keenan, Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne as captain, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier.
The British and Irish Lions tour continues with its third game in-country, against Super Rugby franchise Waratahs. The 2025 tour may have got off to a poor start with defeat to Argentina in Dublin but the ship was steadied to some extent with comprehensive wins over Western Force in Perth and Reds in Brisbane. Leinster and Ireland’s Hugo Keenan, who was suffering from a bug, and Toulouse and Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn, who delayed as he was playing in the Top 14 final, will make their Lions debuts. The starting XV for the game features six Ireland players Keenan, Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne as captain, James Ryan and Josh van der Flier. There are a further three on the bench Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy. England star Elliot Daly suffered a Tour-ending injury in Wednesday’s win and has been replaced by England’s Owen Farrell. Waratahs finished eighth of eleven teams and outside the playoff zone in the 2025 Super Rugby tournament. Their season comprised six wins and eight defeats with five of those losses coming in their last six games. Here is what you need to know about the match: Where and when is it ? The match takes place at the Alliance Stadium, Sydney, Saturday morning, July 5th What time is kick-off? The action gets under way at 11am UK time. Who are the match officials? Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand) Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (New Zealand) Assistant Referee 2: Angus Mabey (New Zealand) TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand) Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) Tell me some Waratahs stuff? Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies have released two key squad members for the game, tighthead prop Taniela Tupou and outside back Andrew Kellaway. Second-row Matt Philip will make a long-awaited debut should be used from the bench after returning to Australia from Japan. Philip was named after being released by the Wallabies wider training group, as was Darby Lancaster who will start on the left wing and out-half Tane Edmed on the bench. QUOTES CORNER Andy Farrell, Lions Head Coach : “Congratulations to Tadhg who will lead the side on Saturday night – and also to Blair, Hugo and Ben who will all make their Lions debuts. The games are coming thick and fast now as we face a Waratahs side who will want to make their mark.” Tadhg Beirne, Lions Captain on Owen Farrell’s arrival: “He’s only going to bring some serious quality to the squad, so we’re looking forward to inviting him in here and getting to hang out with him,” said Beirne. “Any type of leadership is only going to enhance the squad. Playing with him four years ago, I’ve seen all the leadership qualities that he brings, the quality of his talent as well. It’s going to do nothing but boost the squad, for sure.” Dan McKellar, Waratahs Head Coach : “Nela (Tupou) at scrum-time and Kells’ (Kellaway) experience on both sides of the ball will be invaluable. To go out there in set-piece first and foremost, back that up with physicality and show the ability to repeat it, they are the three things I talk to tight forwards about every day. “I want him to be really good around scrums, lineout, maul and then impose himself on the game as we know he can do with ball in hand and without it.You just have to put them under pressure. They’re a quality side, and as I’ve said to the players all week … this is a Test match. “We are not playing Super Rugby or anything else. We are playing a high-quality Test team but they’ve got two arms and two legs, and you just have to put them under pressure. “The Force and the Reds have been able to do that and sustain it for long periods of time is the challenge. They bring on eight high quality Test players off the bench, it’s a fair challenge but as has been proven in the past, it’s certainly doable. You just have to be very good.” DID YOU KNOW: Twelve years ago the Lions beat the Waratahs 47-17 with Leigh Halfpenny contributing 30 of the Lions’ points. BETTING ODDS Waratahs win: 45/1 Lions win: 1/100 Draw: 50/1 What TV CHANNEL IS IT ON? The match will be shown on Sky Sports TEAMS Waratahs : 15 Lawson Creighton; 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Lalakai Foketi, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Darby Lancaster; 10 Jack Bowen, 9 Teddy Wilson; 1 Tom Lambert, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Miles Amatosero, 6 Rob Leota, 7 Charlie Gamble, 8 Hugh Sinclair (capt) Replacements: 16 Mahe Vailanu, 17 Jack Barrett, 18 Daniel Botha, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Jamie Adamson, 21 Jack Grant, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Henry O’Donnell Lions 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) 14. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #867 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #878 12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #863 11. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/ Scotland) 10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/ England) #862 9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/ England) #860 1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/ Scotland) #868 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/ England) #851 3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #856 4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/ Ireland) #838 (c) 5. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #880 6. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/ England) #865 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #874 8. Ben Earl (Saracens/ England) #857 Replacements: 16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #873 17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) #859 18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #818 19. Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #871 20. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #869 21. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/ Wales) #861 22. Ben White (Toulon/ Scotland) 23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855
