Sione Tuipulotu out and Scotland team-mate on bench as Lions name team for second Test

The Scotland centre has a tight hamstring and has been replaced by Bundee Aki, one of nine Ireland players in the starting side.

It would have been 10, with Garry Ringrose initially selected ahead of Huw Jones as Aki’s centre partner. However, Ringrose was a last-minute withdrawal because of concussion and Scotland’s Jones keeps his place in the side.

The Glasgow Warriors player is one of two Scots in the starting line-up, the other being stand-off Finn Russell.

There is a third Scot in the wider match-day 23 with the inclusion of Blair Kinghorn on the bench. The full-back missed the first Test with a knee injury but proved his fitness in the midweek win over the First Nations and Pasifika XV and now ousts Marcus Smith from the back-three cover role. He is joined on the bench by Owen Farrell, who can cover stand-off and centre.

The absence of Tuipulotu will come as a real blow to the player who was born and raised in Victoria and was relishing the opportunity to return there and continue to show the Wallabies what they were missing. He was capped by Australia at under-20 level but overlooked for full honours. He came to Scotland to play for Glasgow and was capped by Gregor Townsend, qualifying through his grandmother from Greenock.

Farrell had planned all-Ireland centre pairing

He impressed in the 29-17 win over the Wallabies in the first Test in Brisbane, scoring the opening try, but will be on the sidelines as the Lions try to clinch the three-match series this weekend.

His absence is one of three changes to the starting side. Joe McCarthy has lost his battle with a foot injury so Ollie Chessum is brought into the second row and Andrew Porter comes in for Ellis Genge at loosehead prop.

There is Welsh representation in the Test matchday 23 for the first time in the series after Jac Morgan was preferred ahead of Ben Earl the back row reinforcement.

Andy Farrell, the Lions head coach, had intended to field an all-Ireland centre combination of Aki and Ringrose at the expense of Scotland’s Tuipulotu and Jones for the Lions’ shot at completing a series triumph at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

However, the concussion symptoms that ruled Ringrose out of the 27-19 victory in the first Test returned during Thursday’s final training session.

Farrell was leaving the practise field to officially announce the team when Ringrose self-reported the setback, resulting in the late change to the Lions’ midfield plans. The symptoms resurfaced despite the Ireland star playing 64 minutes in his comeback against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday.

It means Jones continues at outside centre and is joined by Aki in a repeat of the combination that started the 52-12 rout of Queensland Reds on July 2.

“Garry was actually selected and unfortunately after training he’s had to pull out,” Farrell said.

“It’s head-related again. It was literally as I was walking off the field. He came to me, and once that’s mentioned, that’s that.

“There was no incident. He was feeling good well in advance of Tuesday. He was fit and ready to play.

“There was no incident through the game on Tuesday at all, nothing yesterday (Wednesday) and nothing this morning, but with these type of things players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away.

“It’s very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.

“It’s unfortunate for Garry but we’ve always said it’s about the squad, and nothing but about the squad.”

British & Irish Lions team

(v Wallabies, MCG, Melbourne, Saturday, 11:00 BST)

Lions: 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), 11. James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); 10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), 2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), 3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), 4. Maro Itoje, captain (Saracens/England), 5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), 6. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland), 7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England), 8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).

Replacements: 16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), 17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England), 18. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England), 19. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), 20. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales), 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England), 22. Owen Farrell (Saracens/England), 23. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland).