Warren Gatland has shaken things up with his Lions selection to face the Queensland Reds on Saturday with all those who hadn't yet started a tour game named in the original starting XV to face Quade Cooper's side. For Irish fans Tommy Bowe starts on the wing with Paul O’Connell, Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton on the bench.
Stuart Hogg gets a chance to impress with his electric pace from full back while there's an interesting centre partnership of Jonathan Davies and Manu Tuilagi. After moving to inside centre (nominally) against the Western Force on Wednesday to accommodate Brian O'Driscoll, Tuilagi now moves back to his preferred slot with Davies this time the man to prove his adaptability at the twelve position.
Owen Farrell starts at fly-half with no small amount of pressure on his shoulders. Firstly, after Leigh Halfpenny's magnificent 11 from 11 against the Force he'll have to nail his kicks. For all the media hype about Farrell's boot according to Opta he only kicked 74% of his goals in Six Nations, Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup games this season (94 from 131); a decent but not spectacular rate.
If we assume that Halfpenny sticks around and continues to kick well, the best way for Farrell to dislodge Jonathan Sexton from the starting slot is to show off a playmaking ability that thus far as not been a part of his game. It's easy to forget that Farrell is still only 21 years of age so time is on his side to develop in this area, but he's on a Lions tour now and he won't have that luxury. Farrell also some way to go defensively when trying to take the number ten test shirt from the man moving from Leinster to Racing Metro, but we'll get to that another day.
In the pack there will be many eyes on Lions tour captain Sam Warburton, finally fit to start a game. He's joined in an all-Welsh back row by Dan Lydiate and Toby Faletau with the latter keen to match Jamie Heaslip's all-action display against the Force. Heaslip led the team with 12 tackles without a miss while carrying for 119 metres, putting Faletau's 54 metres against the hapless Barbarians somewhat in the shade.
This parish will be cheering for Geoff Parling, latecomer to international rugby who will pack down alongside Scottish giant Richie Gray at lock. Parling is one of those solid, dependable performers that every side needs to let the flashy fellows show off their flashiness.
Last but not least, this could be a big test for prop Matt Stevens. If not a bolter in the truest sense, his selection was certainly the most surprising in Gatland's initial tour squad. He can play both sides of the scrum, in theory at least, and this might be necessary against the Reds with Cian Healy flying home and Gethin Jenkins out of the match through injury. Mako Vunipola has been promoted from the bench as the only fit loose-head prop in the squad and Adam Jones will be joined on the bench by fellow tight-head Dan Cole. So, if Vunipola needs a break it'll be Stevens to slide across and show his ambiscrummaging ability. A big test, but also a huge opportunity for the man who'd retired from international rugby two years ago.
