British and Ireland’s Lions coach Andy Farrell said the 13 changes he made due to clashes with the Western Army will help all players speed as quickly as possible on the Australian tour.
Two players, Sione Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne, remain from the starting XV facing Argentina for their match against the strength in Perth on Saturday.
Several players who joined the team after playing in the URC and the Premiership Finals will be appearing for the first time this year.
Finn Russell, who won the Premiership Final in Bath, has the chance to impress Farrell and sculpt the mark on the 10th place jersey.
Henry Pollock, 20, is a strong puck around him, including Irish Hooker Dan Sheehan, who was nominated for No. 8 and was named captain.
Farrell said he would like to see this second player’s harvest when the tour began in earnest in Perth.
“Of course, it’s not going to help you with where the players are and how to speed as fast as possible,” he told a pre-game press conference.
“I think not only will a lot of people play their first game on the tour, but nine will play for the Lions for the first time.”
The Force’s clash also serves as a measure of how Farrell’s part reacts after the coach has expressed his dissatisfaction with some aspects of his performance against Argentina.
“I see how we responded on Saturday. I think the people playing this week are a little lucky in the sense that they understand how we want to get better,” Farrell said.
“They have to take responsibility for it and take the chance to make sure they move this team forward.”
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