Farrell to captain Lions against Pasifika team

Owen Farrell (with ball) is the only player in the Lions squad to have been on four tours

First Nations & Pasifika XV v British & Irish Lions

Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Date: Tuesday 22 July Kick-off: 11.00 BST

Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app with post-match analysis on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

Owen Farrell will captain the British and Irish Lions against a First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne on Tuesday.

It is a first start of the tour for the Saracen after an appearance off the bench against AUNZ Invitational in Adelaide and it marks the first time in four tours that he has skippered the Lions.

Farrell will play at inside centre alongside Ireland's Jamie Osborne in a Lions starting team that does not include any of the players who featured in the first-Test win against Australia.

Three Test players from Brisbane are on the bench - Ben Earl, Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell, who has played in every game on the tour, including the warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin.

There are nine Scots in the 23-man squad and all of the so-called geography players are included.

Jamie George, a titan of the 2017 tour in New Zealand, starts at hooker after he was drafted in from the England camp in Argentina.

Blair Kinghorn is back from injury and has been chosen in his favoured position at full-back.

Both wings are Scottish, with Darcy Graham, one of the many who have been called up as cover, on the right wing and Duhan van der Merwe on the left.

Fin Smith and Ben White are the half-backs, just as they were in the rout of AUNZ.

Pierre Schoeman and Finlay Bealham pack down either side of George in the front row, with James Ryan and Scott Cummings renewing a partnership that faced the Waratahs in game three in Australia.

Jac Morgan will start at blindside for the first time on tour, with Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock making up the back row.

Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Tom Clarkson and the latest call-up, Gregor Brown, all fill the bench as coach Andy Farrell throws a protective blanket over his first-choice players.

Mack Hansen, who has been battling injury, is not included but is expected to be available for the second Test after missing the series opener.

Lock Joe McCarthy missed training on Monday and remains touch-and-go for the Saturday's match because of a foot injury that forced him off early in the second half in Brisbane.

Can anyone force their way into the Test team?

The relevance of this game is limited given that so many of the 23 are firmly out of Farrell's thinking for Saturday's second Test.

There are points of interest, however.

Kinghorn might well be playing for a starting place given that Hugo Keenan was hit-and-miss in the first Test. Kinghorn is probably favourite to take over.

Might Farrell be a bench contender on Saturday if he performs well on Tuesday, maybe at the expense of Marcus Smith?

Garry Ringrose, who is fit again, was having a storming tour before getting concussed against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.

Does Farrell dare to break up the Scottish midfield by picking Ringrose ahead of Huw Jones? If not, does he bring Ringrose on to the bench for Saturday ahead of countryman Bundee Aki?

The Lions back row performed wonderfully in Brisbane so it is impossible to see a change there, but what about the back-up?

It was Earl on Saturday and it might well be Earl again, but Morgan, having played at seven throughout the tour, is now being given a shot at six. He is fighting for a place in the 23.

Beale named captain to face Lions for second time

Tuesday's opponents will be captained by the veteran Wallaby Kurtley Beale.

The 36-year-old played in all three Tests 12 years ago against the Lions.

The 95-cap utility back slipped when attempting to convert a match-winning penalty to win the first Test.

"There are some classy players and some real talent. To lead them on to the park against the Lions is an absolute privilege and huge honour," Beale said.

"We are hoping to get a really good healthy crowd. The red sea (of Lions fans) will be coming down all excited after the first Test win in Brisbane. It will be a wonderful occasion."

Beale has overcome a hamstring injury that ruled him out of facing the Lions for Western Force in the opening tour game.

The fly-half is one of six indigenous players, with the rest of the squad made up of men with Pacific Islands heritage.

It is the first game of its kind, a celebration of First Nations, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian and Cook Island culture.

"We have an opportunity to represent our families and culture which is really important to all of us," Beale added.

Tonga-born prop Taniela Tupou and Fiji-born wing Filipo Daugunu have been released from the Australia camp to play for a team coached by Australia 1999 World Cup winner Toutai Kefu.

"It is an injection of confidence having those two join the team," Kefu said.

"They are both very good Test-level players and probably not far off the Test squad."

Beale looked lively off the bench against the Lions in the first Test in 2013

Line-ups

First Nations & Pasifika XV: Muirhead; Reilly, Foketi, Feliuai, Daugunu; Beale, Thomas; Ieli, Paenga-Amosa, Tupou, Swain, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Gamble, Tualima

Replacements: Asiata, Pearce, Doge, Vocevoce, Leota, Goddard, Debreczeni, McLeod

British and Irish Lions: Kinghorn; Graham, Osborne, Farrell (capt), Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, George, Bealham, Ryan, Cummings, Morgan, Van der Flier, Pollock

Replacements: Ashman, Sutherland, Clarkson, Brown, Earl, Mitchell, M Smith, Ringrose

Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)

Assistant Referee 1: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ)

Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)

Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Richard Kelly (NZ)