Tadhg Beirne will lead the British & Irish Lions into their next Tour match this Saturday as Andy Farrell’s men take on the New South Wales Waratahs at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney (KO 11:00 BST).

The Munster and Ireland talisman steps into the captaincy role as Maro Itoje is rested, with Beirne joined in the second row by James Ryan, forming an all-Irish engine room.

The selection represents a major chance for several Irish players to push their claims for inclusion in the Test squad to face Australia — with many eyes on Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Finlay Bealham, and Josh van der Flier.

Big Test for Mack, Fitness Watch for Hugo, Bealham in Test Frame

Mack Hansen gets the nod on the wing and will be eager to show the cutting edge that made him a fan favourite during the 2023 Six Nations. It’s a big opportunity to see if he can transfer his form to the Lions stage.

Hugo Keenan starts at full-back in what will be his Lions debut. The Leinster man is returning from injury and this will be a key outing to assess his match fitness before a potential test role against the Wallabies.

Finlay Bealham continues to press hard. With Tadhg Furlong still finding top gear, another strong performance from Bealham could edge him into the 23 for the First Test. Dan Sheehan and Furlong are also among a powerful Irish bench.

In total, 10 Irish players feature in the matchday squad.

Lions XV to Face New South Wales Waratahs

British & Irish Lions v NSW Waratahs
Saturday 6th July 2025 – Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 11:00am BST | Live on Sky Sports

Starting XV:

• 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) Debut
• 14. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #867
• 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #878
• 12. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #863
• 11. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/ Scotland) Debut
• 10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/ England) #862
• 9. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/ England) #860
• 1. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/ Scotland) #868
• 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/ England) #851
• 3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #856
• 4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/ Ireland) #838 (c)
• 5. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #880
• 6. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/ England) #865
• 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #874
• 8. Ben Earl (Saracens/ England) #857

Replacements:

• 16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #873
• 17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) #859
• 18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #818
• 19. Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #871
• 20. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #869
• 21. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/ Wales) #861
• 22. Ben White (Toulon/ Scotland)
• 23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855

Squad Update: Daly Out, Farrell In

Elliot Daly has been ruled out of the rest of the Tour after fracturing his forearm against the Queensland Reds. Owen Farrell has been called up as his replacement and will join the squad in Sydney on Friday evening.

Farrell, Lion #780, returns for his fourth Tour after making 18 Lions appearances between 2013 and 2021. The 33-year-old is England’s record points scorer.

Andy Farrell: “It is heartbreaking for the group that Elliot’s Tour is over. He is a Lions legend and has added so much to the group both on and off the field.”

Tour Manager Ieuan Evans: “Elliot is a wonderful Lion and a world-class player who will be sorely missed. We all wish him a speedy recovery.”

The post Beirne to Captain Lions Against Waratahs – Irish Contingent Strong for Sydney Showdown appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

After the match Mack Hansen expressed the feeling of frustration with the season but happiness to get the win “We haven’t given our fans a lot to cheer about this season but we really believe we can win this competition, we feel we have turned a corner and we are ready to win this. We are not just here to compete.”

The result not only keep the dream of a home semi-final intact but could also provides a much-needed financial boost heading into the summer.

With JJ Hanrahan on his way to Munster and Santi Cordero unlikely to stay, the win strengthens the case for reinforcements at both out-half and full-back. Recruitment in these key positions will be essential if Connacht are to going to finish in the top 8 next season and would significantly help filling the new stadium.

Up next is a mammoth test: Racing 92.

While the Parisians are still technically involved in a relegation scrap in the Top 14, their squad depth and recent form suggest they should pull clear. More importantly, they’ll view the Champions Cup as a prime target — a chance to salvage their season and make a deep run in Europe.

Expect star names on show: Owen Farrell, Gaël Fickou, Romain Taofifénua, Tristan Tedder, Guram Gogichashvili, and Jordan Joseph are all expected to feature. It’s one of the most formidable squads in club rugby, and Connacht will need to be at their absolute best to match them.

However, the Dexcom will play its part. Home advantage is a major factor in knockout rugby, and if Connacht can clean up the errors from recent weeks, they have every chance of pulling off an upset. That said, most bookies will likely install Racing 92 as strong favourites, with an expected handicap around -9, which would put Connacht around 3/1 outsiders.

Whether that’s generous or fair remains to be seen — but Connacht fans will be dreaming of another famous European night in Galway.

The post Connacht’s Crucial Win Over Cardiff Sets Up Racing 92 Showdown appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.