Marcus Smith at full-back as Lions aim to ‘set tone’ for tour against Argentina

  • Two Smiths and Alex Mitchell in XI for Dublin match

  • Tadhg Furlong also has chance to prove his fitness

Maro Itoje will captain the British & Irish Lions for the first time against Argentina in Dublin on Friday after the head coach, Andy Farrell, included him and eight other Englishmen in the starting XV, before urging those playing to “set the tone” for the upcoming tour of Australia.

England’s other starters include Marcus Smith at full‑back along with Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith at half‑backs. Ireland’s Tadhg ­Furlong will be given the chance to prove his fitness after struggling with a calf injury that ruled him out of Leinster’s United Rugby ­Championship final win against the Bulls last weekend. Furlong is included on a bench that also features the hooker Ronan ­Kelleher, the only player to be involved against Argentina six days after taking part in the end-of-season finale.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/yjzGomR

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

‘This is not our first rodeo’: Israelis remain stoic amid Iran strikes

Many citizens see loss of lives, homes and much else as a painful but necessary sacrifice for country’s future Middle East crisis – live updates The Iranian missile blew the door off the White City museum celebrating Bauhaus Tel Aviv, and shattered the windows of the Quick coffee shop down the road, where cinnamon buns and salads sat in the display case ready for a relaxed summer day that would never come. In the ultra-orthodox neighbourhood of Bnei Bark another missile collapsed a school, killing an 80-year-old man. A third hit partway up a high-rise tower in manicured, suburban Petah Tikva, destroying a reinforced safe room and killing the family inside. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/5X13r8n
Read more

Tributes paid to ‘much-loved’ boy killed in Gateshead industrial estate fire

Death of Layton Carr, 14, has left community ‘heartbroken’ as police arrest more than a dozen children A 14-year-old boy whose body was found after a large fire in Gateshead was “valued and much loved”, his headteacher has said. Fourteen children have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of Layton Carr, from South Tyneside. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/xS3DR60
Read more

At least six civilians killed in militant attack on courthouse in south-east Iran

Jihadist separatist group Jaish al-Adl says it launched mortar, shooting and grenade attack in Sistan-Baluchestan An attack by the jihadist separatist group Jaish al-Adl on a courthouse in Iran’s south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan has killed at least six civilians, including a mother and child, and wounded 22, Iranian media reported on Saturday. Attackers stormed the building, shooting a number of people inside. They then launched a second attack with mortars and grenade launchers on the courthouse, where a clash began with security forces that lasted three hours, according to the Baluch human rights group Haalvsh. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/wleJfAd
Read more