• Nine players in the starting British & Irish Lions XV are on their first tour

• Australia narrowly beat Fiji 21-18 in their only warm-up game

• Recommended bet: British & Irish Lions -11.5 handicap

The British & Irish Lions and Australia will cross swords in the first game of the three-Test series when they go head-to-head in Brisbane on Saturday.

Winning all of their five warm-up games Down Under, Andy Farrell’s side finally get a first crack at Australia at at Suncorp Stadium.

A team dominated by Ireland and England stars in the forwards, with a core of Scotland players in the heart of the backline, the Lions will be hoping to put down a marker in the opening Test.

The latest First Test - Australia vs British and Irish Lions odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Team news

Starting with the hosts, James Slipper, Matt Faessler and Allan Alaaalatoa start in the front row, with locks Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams in the second row.

Nick Champion de Crespigny starts in a back row that includes Fraser McReight and skipper Harry Wilson, while Jake Gordon and Tom Lynagh start in the half-backs.

Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii combine in the centres, with Harry Potter, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright in the back three.

As for the Lions, Farrell has gone with Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong in the front row.

Maro Itoje skippers the side from the second row, alongside fellow lock Joe McCarthy, while Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan start in the back row.

Jamison Gibson-Park is at scrum-half, while it’s an all-Scotland 10, 12 and 13, with Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones selected.

With Mack Hansen and Blair Kinghorn out injured, the back three sees James Lowe, Tommy Freeman and Hugo Keenan all given starts.

The stats

The British & Irish Lions won the first Test 23-21 when they beat the Wallabies in the 2013 series in Brisbane.

Nine players in the starting British & Irish Lions XV are on their first tour, while there are eight Ireland stars in the starting lineup.

Australia only scraped past Fiji 21-18 in their only warm-up game ahead of the first Test against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.

The latest First Test - Australia vs British and Irish Lions odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Having seen Australia struggle against Fiji, the Wallabies will have to raise their game if they are to stop this British & Irish Lions side taking a 1-0 lead in the Test series this weekend.

With a powerful Irish and English pack looking to take the fight to the hosts, the Lions forwards can do much of the damage before unleashing a dangerous backline with Russell as the conductor of the orchestra.

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