Owen Farrell has been strategically placed on the bench for the British and Irish Lions' final tour match before the Test series against Australia. This decision comes as Farrell, aged 33, joined the tour last week as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly. Alongside Marcus Smith, Farrell is one of two outside backs among the replacements for the game against the AUNZ Invitational side.

Scotland's Ben White will start at scrum-half on Saturday, with Jac Morgan getting another opportunity to impress at open-side flanker. The back row is completed by Henry Pollock and Ben Earl, while the Scotland centre partnership of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones also starts.

Farrell's return to the field is highly anticipated, marking his first game in over two months following a concussion in a European Challenge Cup semi-final against Lyon in early May. This incident concluded his one-season stint at French side Racing 92, where his form was hampered by a persistent groin injury. Farrell ended his time in Paris early, securing a return to Saracens earlier this summer.

If head coach Andy Farrell includes his son in the 23-strong squad for the first Test against the Wallabies on 19 July, it would signify a remarkable return to Test rugby for Owen. He stepped away from international rugby after the 2023 Rugby World Cup to focus on his and his family's well-being, and his move to Racing made him unavailable for England selection. His last Test was the third-place play-off win over Argentina in October 2023.

Andy Farrell commented on Owen's readiness, stating, 'He's the same as everyone else who had to get up to speed pretty quickly. The art of this stage of the tour is being mentally switched on as much as you possibly can - for all the players, not just the lads who are new to the group.'

Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan, whose tour has been limited by injury and illness to 50 minutes in the win over the Queensland Reds, starts at full-back in what could be an audition for a Test starting spot. Blair Kinghorn, his main rival for the position, is still being assessed after picking up a knock in Wednesday's win over the Brumbies.

Andy Farrell provided an update on Kinghorn's injury, saying, 'I don't think it is as bad as what could have been,' with the Scot having a scan in Adelaide on Thursday. 'It was something innocuous really, just a rugby accident.'

Marcus Smith, who started the loss to Argentina in Dublin at full-back, has been restricted to a replacement role since. Fin Smith is preferred at fly-half. Tadhg Beirne captains the Lions from the second row. While this is the final fixture before the Lions take on Australia, it is expected that the Test squad will be more similar to that which beat the Brumbies on Wednesday, with Andy Farrell using the strongest Australian Super Rugby side as a dress rehearsal for his most likely line-up.

The Australia/New Zealand invitational XV includes 63-cap Wallabies wing Marika Koroibete and All Blacks Hoskins Sotutu, Shannon Frizell, and Ngani Laumape. Tane Edmed, who made his Australia debut off the bench against Ireland in November and could return to the Wallabies squad after the injury to their first-choice 10 Noah Lolesio, is at fly-half. Former Wasps and Ulster prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen also starts, while Pete Samu, a key part of European champions Bordeaux-Begles back row this season, is at open-side flanker.

British and Irish Lions: Keenan; Hansen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Van der Merwe; F Smith, White; Schoeman, Cowan-Dickie, Stuart, Ryan, Beirne (c), Pollock, Morgan, Earl

Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Bealham, Cummings, Van der Flier, Mitchell, M Smith, Farrell

AUNZ Invitational: Stevenson; Lam, Laumape, Havili (cc), Koroibete; Edmed, Fakatava; Ross, Paenga-Amosa, Toomaga-Allen, Blyth, Salakaia-Loto, Frizell, Samu, Sotutu.

Replacements: Eklund, Fusitu'a, Dyer, Philip, Brial, Thomas, McLaughlin-Phillips, Campbell