Key selection debates for British & Irish Lions of second test

After victory in Brisbane last weekend, the tourists can wrap up the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a crowd of near 100,000 expected. 

There has been debate over the selection, and with Andy Farrell due to name his team on Thursday morning, our team of writers have picked the squad they would like to see face the Wallabies. 

Here is their take on the selection. 

Gavin Harper

Injuries aside, Andy Farrell should stick with the same side that started the first test, but the Lions boss should reconsider the make-up of his bench. 

Even though he was left on for the whole 80 minutes, Ben White has shown enough to earn a spot ahead of Alex Mitchell, while Scott Cummings could benefit if Joe McCarthy is not fit. 

If the Leinster lock does not recover from his foot injury, expect Ollie Chessum to start alongside captain Maro Itoje, but Cummings deserves a place on the bench in Melbourne. 

Wingers James Lowe and Tommy Freeman were below-par in the first test, but nobody else has put their hand up to replace them. Duhan van der Merwe and Blair Kinghorn had indifferent outings against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday.

Duhan van der Merwe will hope to put pressure on Tommy Freeman, and James Lowe, for the wing spots (Image: David Davies/PA Wire)

However, Kinghorn's versatility could sneak him onto the bench, where Farrell may consider a 6/2 split with the Wallabies expected to have power players Rob Valetini and Will Skelton back available.

Darcy Graham was always going to be playing catch-up but the sight of him leaving the field in tears suggested he knew his ankle injury would rule him out of the rest of the tour. 

Gav's British and Irish Lions team: Hugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan

Replacements: Jamie George, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Scott Cummings, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl, Ben White, Blair Kinghorn

Rob Robertson

I don't see too many changes in the Lions starting team from the first Test other than injury enforced ones.

Lions head coach Andy Farrell is likely to take a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to selection.

That would mean the only Scottish involvement would be the centre partnership of Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu and fly-half Finn Russell for the match against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.

Sione Tuipulotu should get another go at inside centre (Image: Chris Hyde/Getty Images) It's unusual for players relegated to the Lions midweek teams to be elevated to the Test starting side the following weekend.

That's a shame from a Scotland perspective because scrum-half [[Ben White]] and second row Scott Cummings played well in the narrow 24-19 win over the First Nations and Pasifika select.

That White was allowed to play for 80 minutes and Alex Mitchell, who was on the bench in that game and was not called upon, suggests that the Englishman will retain his place on the Test team bench ahead of White. 

This was a game in which the less minutes you got the higher your chances of being involved in the Test team. 

Full-back Blair Kinghorn is a bit of a puzzle in that he would have definitely started the first Test if he had been fit. If he was due to start in the second Test

I doubt that Lions head coach Andy Farrell would have left him on for a full 80 minutes four days before the match.

He wasn't at his best in his comeback match -he threw two dreadful passes that were intercepted- but still should replace Marcus Smith on the bench as he can cover fullback, wing and has played fly-half before if anything happens to Russell. One below par performance doesn't make him a bad player. 

Already though there is a clamour in England for Andy Farrell's son Owen to be given a place on the bench ahead of Smith and Kinghorn. That shouldn't happen but may very well do.

Owen Farrell captained the midweek team to victory over the First Nations & Pasifika XV (Image: David Davies/PA Wire) There are injury concerns over Joe McCarthy in the second row which could open a door for Scott Cummings. But, like White, he played 80 minutes on Tuesday which suggests Farrell will go with Ollie Chessum if McCarthy isn't fit but Cummings could still find a place on the bench.

There are also injury doubts over Tom Curry, who was magnificent in the first Test, and if he doesn't make it then Welshman Jac Morgan could come into the side.

Winger Mack Hansen, who Farrell has been keen to get involved, hasn't trained at all this week and although the Lions coach said he would go through a fitness test on Thursday there are ample other candidates and because of that I wouldn't risk him.

One of them would have been Darcy Graham who was in tears after he had to come off injured after just 16 minutes in midweek. 

On the assumption he won't be fit to challenge for a place then Tommy Freeman starts on one wing as he did in the first Test with James Lowe on the other.

Sadly for Duhan van der Merwe he is nowhere near a Test place and although he got a try in the win over the First Nations and Pasifika select he looked a bit nervous under the high ball.

There have been suggestions that Farrell may bring back fit again centre Garry Ringrose into the Test team but that would be unfair in Huw Jones who was superb in the first Test.

There is no need for it, and if the Lions coach is that desperate to get Ringrose back, he should replace Bundee Aki on the bench - although there is no need for him to do that either.

Rob's British and Irish Lions team: Hugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park;  Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum (if Joe McCarthy not fit), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.

Replacements: Ronan Kellheher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Scott Cummings (if Chessum starts), Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Bundee Aki, Blair Kinghorn.

Euan Booth Robertson

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' - that’s my motto ahead of the second test and there’s no reason for sizzling hot takes on the British & Irish Lions second test. 

There will likely be one enforced change with Ollie Chessum coming in for the unavailable Joe McCarthy but that’s all. The two wingers are fortunate to keep their test place after poor opening games but there’s hardly anyone breathing down their neck. 

With Chessum stepping up to the starting XV, I’d reward Scott Cummings for his excellent recent performances with a bench spot. Blair Kinghorn was very inconsistent during the week but he can cover the wings and fullback on the bench. 

Scott Cummings produced another industrious performance against the First Nations & Pasifika XV (Image: David Davies/PA Wire) The two English Smith’s - Fin and Marcus - have endured poor tours and I’d be much more confident with Owen Farrell coming on at either 10 or 12. His experience could be crucial to seeing out the decisive game against Australia. 

Euan's British and Irish Lions team: Hugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Scott Cummings, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn