Andy Farrell’s final Lions 2025 selection described as ‘cracking looking team’, a ‘shame’ and an ‘insult’
Andy Farrell with Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu in Melbourne last Saturday
Andy Farrell named his final British and Irish Lions team of the 2025 tour on Thursday in Sydney and although the series has been won with a match to spare, there was plenty of online debate about who he did and didn’t pick.
After Hugo Keenan’s last-gasp try in Melbourne snatched the Lions a 29-26 comeback win at the MCG to move them into an unassailable 2-0 lead, a temptation exists to make wholesale changes and bring in players who hadn’t so far been involved in the Test series.
Farrell, though, limited his alterations to just three. James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn were promoted from the bench to start with Ollie Chessum moving to the replacements and James Lowe excluded, while the decision to go with a 6/2 bench split resulted in the inclusion of Ben Earl as the extra sub forward after utility back Kinghorn’s upgrade.
The post on X (formerly Twitter) confirming the Lions’ matchday squad for Saturday quickly garnered more than 200,000 views and had numerous comments posted in reply by fans reacting to the news. Here is a cross-section of what was said:
“Got to keep those 9 Irish players in!”
@dtcreedo: Very disappointed that no effort was made to include the boys with zero time in T1/2. Series is won. Spirit of the Lions suddenly becomes no easy Test caps. Guys like Scott Cummins are easily good enough to face the Aussies.
@richburge54: Got to keep those 9 Irish players in! Beaten a poor Australian side, which the Rugby Championship will show. No more home nation coaches if the concept is to continue.
@IWANTTOKNOWUK: Jac Morgan has been the standout player on the tour. The series is won and yet you can’t reflect that. Still no starting spot. That’s an insult to him & Wales.
@DowningAndy: Strong starting team – but does Owen Farrell deserve to warm the bench?
@TheWelshBull: Cracking looking team. Loving the strength and options from the bench. Good luck to all involved.
@ZakHowells: Gutted Pollock won’t be getting a Test cap.
@bradford_olly: Farrell doing his best to destroy the Lions. Picking his Irish players + his son. Hidden by beating poor club sides & not a vintage Aussie side. Can he honestly say Ryan/Aki should be starting / Farrell on the bench?!? Shouldn’t be a national coach with their biases in the future.
Eddie Jones hails ‘best in the world’ Lion and ‘enormous’ Owen Farrell impact against Wallabies
@oliver_woo68430: The strong bench will win it…
@PhilipLeworthy: Clive Woodward in 2005, Gatland the last few times, and now Farrell – whilst I appreciate there will always be one dominant team in the preceding 6N, the selection through the coach has been taking the p*** for far too long now.
@cabragiant: Scottish fans really bringing the comedy to this tour, it’s like they all forgot that we have all seen them play before.
@nige_h64: That back row has been fantastic and deserves to go again. JGP hasn’t been at his best, and I might have seen a case for Mitchell to start, especially as he has featured in the squad for every game on tour.
@stewart_buick: Ben White is very unlucky not to be on the bench ahead of Alex Mitchell. Sione may not be fit enough or still carrying a knock. It’s absolutely bonkers that neither Garry Ringrose nor Josh van der Flier will not have a Lions Test cap to their name when they retire.
@ball_russe16853: Would’ve liked to have seen a bit more of a mix-up, but will be watching regardless. Bring home a clean sweep, chaps.
@panthomas: Zzzzzzz. Might squeeze another last-minute win against the 8th in the world.
@devonviews: Bringing Kinghorn in will strengthen the backs, so many great players are missing out. Great looking side.
@chuckdavie: Oh come on, when does the handbrake come off and we have a bit of fun? If I have to watch another snoozefest Freeman instead of a novelty Duhan van der Merwe hat-trick… Hopefully, Kinghorn will be an upgrade on an equally boring James Lowe this tour.
@MMMPuy: As expected, not a lot of changes. With the spirit that this would be the same team if this match were the decider. Good, Lions Test caps are no favours.
@Iain_L: Don’t know what Sione Tuipulotu had to do to get a game alongside his national teammates. Surprised AF dropped Lowe to be honest based upon this selection.
@alanwalters6: Not playing Sione is a disgrace, to be honest.
@ror_d18983: A shame there’s no Pollock. Next time around, he’ll be starting every Test, no doubt. Farrell obviously wants 3-nil. Solid team again.
@therugbycoach10: Can anyone genuinely defend the selection of Farrell on the bench? Or Aki to start? I’m bemused.
@BucksTalesAdge: Farrell is a winner. Was always still going to be almost full strength. Would’ve loved to see Pollock on the bench.
The Lions selection that ‘gutted’ Andy Farrell and why he has opted for a 6/2 third Test bench
@Josh_Halse: Not sure what more Genge and Morgan need to do to get a start.
@andrewdee03: Isn’t this practically the same team that was 23-5 down and could have blown the 2nd Test if the Aussies’ main forwards hadn’t blown up fitness-wise.
@IanMacGilp: Yes, because watching Ikitau and Sua’ali’i waltzing down old man Aki’s defensive channel was such fun last week. Oh please, Andy, give us Lions fans more of that.
@colinonelove_73: Farrell had the chance to make some players’ tour memorable with a Test start. Instead, we get a friends & family show. This tour will not be held in the regard that others have and will be forgotten quickly.
@BigFanofRuggers: Next tour, let’s have a coach who isn’t currently in charge of one of the four nations, please. It’ll help reward form and avoid national bias in selections.
@colinldrob: Massive disappointment. Cummings deserved more and as for Sione, can’t understand putting Aki back in again. Farrell has been very biased in his selections…
@froomie53: Disappointing. Know they want to go 3-0 and wouldn’t have backed wholesale changes for the sake of it, but there are two or three who deserve to be Test Lions that wouldn’t have made the side weaker at all.
@7Stirling: Friends and family evening in Sydney. Lowe must have peed in Faz’s cornflakes to get dropped. A great opportunity lost.
