Brumbies vs British & Irish Lions live: Latest team news and updates as tourists face Test audition

Brothers Tom and Lachie Hooper could play together for the first time as professionals after being named in the Brumbies matchday 23, with the former – the elder of the two – making a final appearance for the Canberra side ahead of a move to Exeter next season. He starts on the blindside after appearing off the bench for the Wallabies in the narrow win over Fiji on Sunday.

Lock Cadeyrn Neville is set to take on the Lions for a second time in his career having been part of the Melbourne Rebels selection beaten during the 2013 tour, while full-back Andy Muirhead may take the tourists on twice in a matter of weeks – having played every minute of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign, Muirhead will be part of the First Nations & Pasifika invitational team in Melbourne between the first and second Tests.

Brumbies XV: 1 Lington Ieli, 2 Lachlan Lonergan, 3 Rhys van Nek; 4 Lachie Shaw, 5 Cadeyrn Neville; 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Rory Scott, 8 Tuaina Tali Talima; 9 Ryan Lonergan (capt.), 10 Declan Meredith; 11 Corey Toole, 12 David Feliuai, 13 Ollie Sapsford, 14 Ben O’Donnell; 15 Andy Muirhead.

Replacements: 16 Liam Bowron, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 Feao Fotuaika, 19 Lachie Hooper, 20 Luke Reimer; 21 Harrison Goddard, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Hudson Creighton.

Right, with about an hour until kick off in Canberra, let’s take a closer look at the two sides on show…

Four down, six to go – this is the penultimate tour game before the first Test as the Lions’ preparations intensify in Canberra.

A poor performance from the Lions led to a strange accusation from their head coach, with Andy Farrell suggesting that the Waratahs had too heavily watered the playing surface – an idea laughed off by the hosts:

Andy Farrell will be hoping for far, far better from his side than the showing that they produced in Sydney on Saturday, a wretched performance in many way nonetheless result in a win over the Waratahs.

Andy Farrell picked his strongest British and Irish Lions team to take on ACT Brumbies with a warning they have yet to guarantee their selection for the first Test against Australia.

Maro Itoje returns as captain for the Canberra showdown to lead a starting XV full of players considered first choice in their positions, including half-backs Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell.

The Brumbies are the strongest of Australia’s Super Rugby franchises, having finished third in the table, and the fixture is being treated as a dry run for the series opener against the Wallabies on 19 July.

But Farrell insisted his Lions stars still have to earn the jersey after leaving the door open for others to stake their claim, with Saturday’s match against an AUNZ Invitational XV the final opportunity to impress.

Yes, today’s selection looks distinctly Test-y as Andy Farrell perhaps gets closer to narrowing down his 23 for Brisbane.

A very good morning. The pointy end of this British and Irish Lions tour is creeping ever closer, the first Test looming large with just two games to go until the tourists take on the Wallabies in Brisbane. Andy Farrell and his side are in chilly Canberra as things hot up in a meeting with the Brumbies in which the Lions boss appears to have given plenty of his first-choice combinations a run – but who will pass or fail this potential Test audition?