Brumbies v Lions preview, teams and how to follow

Captain Maro Itoje returns to the British and Irish Lions starting XV against Brumbies after missing the victory over Waratahs

ACT Brumbies v British and Irish Lions

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra Date: Wednesday, 9 July Kick-off: 11:00 BST

Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

The British and Irish Lions' tour of Australia resumes on Wednesday when they face ACT Brumbies in the capital Canberra.

The tourists have won all three matches on Australian soil so far this summer following victories over Western Force, Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs.

Andy Farrell's side have two warm-up matches remaining before the first Test of the series against the Wallabies on Saturday, 19 July.

From Brumbies' form, to team news and how to follow the game on BBC Sport - here's all you need to know.

Where is the match being played?

Wednesday's game will take place at the 25,000-capacity GIO Stadium in Canberra, kicking off at 11:00 BST (20:00 local time).

The Lions were narrowly beaten 14-12 by Brumbies on their last visit to Canberra in 2013.

How can I follow the game on BBC Sport?

You can follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app, with build-up starting from 10:00 BST.

There will also be post-match reaction and analysis online and via Radio 5 Live and the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, which is now producing daily episodes.

Make sure to follow BBC Sport's dedicated British and Irish Lions page for updates from our reporters in Australia.

The game is being shown live on Sky Sports.

Brumbies' recent form

Brumbies finishes third in the Super Rugby Pacific table and were the only Australian side to reach the semi-finals.

The Canberra side won nine of their 14 games in the regular season before losing against New Zealand side Chiefs in the last four on 14 June.

The three-time Super Rugby winners are led by head coach Stephen Larkham, who played for Australia against the Lions in 2001.

Larkham was the fly-half in the opening two Tests of the Wallabies' series victory 24 years ago.

"The boys have been back in training for a couple of weeks and they are aware of how big an opportunity this is for them to take on the Lions," said Larkham.

"We're under no illusions of the challenge that lies ahead."

Lions team news

Maro Itoje returns to captain the Lions as Farrell's Test team appears to take shape.

Blair Kinghorn makes his first start in his favourite position at full-back with Tommy Freeman and James Lowe on the wings.

It was always likely Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki would form the Lions midfield for this match since their direct rivals, Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, both started against the Waratahs on Saturday.

The Ireland centres now look like they are in the box-seat for the first Test.

Finn Russell and Jamison Gibson-Park were the greatest of all certainties in the half-back positions.

Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong get the nod in the front row.

Owen Farrell is expected to play in Saturday's match against the Invitational AU & NZ side following his arrival in Australia.

Who is in the Brumbies team?

Exeter-bound forward Tom Hooper will face the Lions fresh from his involvement in the Wallabies' victory over Fiji on Sunday.

Brumbies are expected to provide the Lions with one of their biggest challenges before the Test series but Australia's James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Noah Lolesio, Len Ikitau and Tom Wright are unavailable.

Hooper came off the bench against Fiji and is one of three Wallabies in the pack along with lock Cadeyrn Neville and hooker Lachlan Lonergan, whose brother Ryan captains the team from scrum-half.

Hooper's brother Lachie, meanwhile, could make his Brumbies debut from the bench.

"It's been amazing to watch the growth of both Tom and Lachie over the past few years, and it's special that they may get the opportunity to play alongside each other in a Brumbies shirt on Wednesday night," said Larkham.

"Not only that, but it's against a world-class team in the British and Irish Lions. They'll be chomping at the bit to contribute positively to the team."

Line-ups

Brumbies: Muirhead; O'Donnell, Sapsford, Feliuai, Toole; Meredith, R Lonergan (capt); Leli, L Lonergan, Van Nek, Shaw, Neville, Hooper, Scott, Tualima.

Replacements: Bowron, Orr, Fotuaika, L Hooper, Reimer, Goddard, Debreczeni, Creighton.

British and Irish Lions: Kinghorn, Freeman, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje (capt), McCarthy, Chessum, Curry, Conan.

Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Van der Flier, Pollock, Mitchell, M Smith, Hansen.

Who are the match officials?

Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)

Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (NZ)

Assistant Referee 2: Nika Amashukeli (GEO)

TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SA)

Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Eric Gauzins (Fra)