9. Jamison Gibson-Park \u2013 Leinster & Ireland<\/p>\n
Gibson-Park has been the consensus starting scrum-half for this team long before the squad was announced. With Northampton\u2019s Alex Mitchell and Toulon\u2019s Ben White waiting in the wings, they\u2019ll need an injury to the Leinster man to touch that number nine jersey come the first Test. Gibson-Park is the best fit scrum-half in the northern hemisphere right now, and the former Maori All Blacks man will no doubt be the starter in Brisbane on July 19th.<\/p>\n
1. Pierre Schoeman \u2013 Edinburgh & Scotland<\/p>\n
Initially, we believed Farrell would be too enticed by a settled Leinster front row to give Schoey the starting job. However, performances in the warm-up matches have put the 31-year-old firmly in the lead against Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter. <\/p>\n
2. Dan Sheehan \u2013 Leinster & Ireland<\/p>\n
Leinster star man Sheehan has been the best hooker in the world for a while now, so it\u2019s no surprise that he\u2019ll be Farrell\u2019s trusted man at the front of the scrum on July 19th. The 26-year-old captained the Lions on Saturday against the Western Force and opened the scoring with a wonderfully worked try. With competition limited from compatriot Ronan Kelleher and surprise inclusion Luke Cowan-Dickie<\/a>, Sheehan will<\/p>\n 3. Tadhg Furlong \u2013 Leinster & Ireland<\/p>\n Alongside his club and country teammate Sheehan, veteran presence Furlong will be at tighthead in Andy Farrell\u2019s front row. The three-time tourist has had a great 2025 and brings 78 international caps worth of experience to the scrum, along with incredible power at set pieces and the breakdown.<\/p>\n 4. Maro Itoje (C) \u2013 Saracens & England<\/p>\n Tour captain, star lock and in great form, Itoje is the first name on the team sheet when it comes to the first Wallabies Test. The Saracens man is an easy choice in the second row ahead of Tadhg Beirne.<\/p>\n 5. Joe McCarthy \u2013 Leinster & Ireland<\/p>\n McCarthy has outshone fellow Leinster man Tadhg Beirne so far in Australia, putting in outstanding performances at lock. Despite competition from Beirne, Glasgow\u2019s Scott Cummings and Leicester\u2019s Ollie Chessum, American-born McCarthy looks set for the starting job alongside Itoje.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE THREE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n