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Tadhg Beirne to captain the Lions against the Waratahs

Tadhg Beirne scores for the Lions in the loss to Argentina
Tadhg Beirne scores for the Lions in the loss to Argentina

Tadhg Beirne will captain the British and Irish Lions when they play the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.

The Munster lock replaces Maro Itoje as captain in a team showing 14 changes from the one that defeated the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan will make their Lions debuts on the left wing and at full-back respectively.

Kinghorn joined up with the Lions for the first time on Monday having helped Toulouse win the Top 14 final on Saturday, while Keenan was forced to withdraw from the team to face the Reds because of illness.

Henry Pollock is given his second start Down Under, this time at blindside flanker, while his Northampton team-mates Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith form the half-backs.

Lions head coach Andy Farrell said: "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."

British and Irish Lions: Keenan, Hansen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Kinghorn, Smith, Mitchell; Schoeman, Cowan-Dickie, Bealham, Beirne, Ryan, Pollock, Van der Flier, Earl.

Replacements: Sheehan, Genge, Furlong, McCarthy, Cummings. Morgan, White, M Smith.

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