The home of the British and Irish Lions on the BBC Sport websitepublished at 12:14 20 June
12:14 20 June
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Lions centres a 'southern hemisphere' pairing - Schmidtpublished at 23:14 19 June
23:14 19 June
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Image caption,
Joe Schmidt will lead the Wallabies in three Tests against the British and Irish Lions this summer
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt described Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu as a "southern hemisphere centre partnership" when running the rule over Andy Farrell's first British and Irish Lions selection.
The Lions take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night in what is their only fixture before a nine-game game tour of Australia.
Schmidt gave Aki his Ireland debut after the 35-year-old Connacht man qualified on residency in 2017, while Tuipulotu has been able to captain Gregor Townsend's side thanks to a grandmother born in Greenock.
"A southern hemisphere centre partnership that will be pretty formidable," said Schmidt at the media conference to confirm his squad for next month's game against Fiji.
Schmidt added: "I coached Bundee for several years and know him really well and respect him massively as a player. He's a great contributor to the team environment.
"I've only had glancing conversations with Sione but again, by all accounts a champion bloke. You don't get to be captain of a national team without being a great bloke and really professional in those high-performance environments."
That eight of Andy Farrell's 38-man squad were born overseas has been a talking point before the side make the trip down under.
Lions assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth was later asked about Schmidt's comments and said every player involved in the tour has "earned the right" to represent the side.
"I don't know if they are questioning their commitment. Everyone has earned the right to pull on the Lions jersey," said the former England scrum-half.
"They are, to a man, incredibly proud to be here.
"It is not your background or how you have got here, it's what sort of player you are and what sort of man you are. We have got great men and great players."
Names to be on Lions jerseys for first timepublished at 16:27 19 June
16:27 19 June
Chris Jones Rugby Union Correspondent
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Image caption,
The British and Irish Lions play three Tests in Australia
The British and Irish Lions will have names on the backs of jerseys for the first time in their history this summer.
Andy Farrell's side meet Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday evening, before the nine-game tour of Australia.
The decision to put player names on the touring side's famous red jerseys for every game was approved by the Lions board after consultations with former and current players.
The measure is expected to help casual fans of the game identify those on the field during play, and it will also enable supporters to buy replica shirts for an individual player.
England have had player names on the backs of shirts since the Autumn Nations series of 2022, with Scotland quick to follow suit.
Ireland waited until a World Cup warm-up fixture against Italy in 2023, but by the time of the 2024 Six Nations all sides in the competition were doing so.
While the change to player jerseys will be one significant first for the tour to Australia, another will not be golden-point extra time.
Rugby Australia had suggested the sudden-death method to avoid a repeat of the Lions' 2017 series draw against New Zealand.
But despite Australia's preference for a golden point tie-breaker, it is understood the concept has been rejected by the Lions. It means any Test level after 80 minutes will end as a draw.
Lions in Dublin 'extra special' for Irish - Beirnepublished at 19:54 18 June
19:54 18 June
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Tadhg Beirne was part of the Lions squad in South Africa in 2021
Lock Tadhg Beirne says taking on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium, while wearing the colours of the British and Irish Lions, will be another "special day" for the squad's Ireland contingent.
Beirne, Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham all start, while Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher and Mack Hansen have been named among Andy Farrell's replacements for what is the only game before the squad depart for their three-Test tour of Australia.
"For us Irish players it's extra special and means a lot to us," said Munster's Beirne.
"[Playing] where we've had a lot of special days, and then to add playing a game for the Lions to that long list of good days here, is pretty special."
With 14 first-timers among the Lions side, for Beirne and his usual Ireland team-mates the week has felt both familiar and very different.
"The lead-up to the game is going to feel very similar, doing all the same things that we would do in Irish camp, either going to the same coffee places or preparing for the game the same way.
"A lot of it is similar but different at the same time, because you're not used to being around the same players that you would be used to, and it makes it a lot more enjoyable."
"They really put it to us, and we probably just got over the line in the end," he added.
"It'll be no different come Friday, it'll be their World Cup final and that's the way we're going to treat it. It's a huge opportunity for us to set the tone for the tour."
Image source, Getty Images
