Maro Itoje returns to captain British & Irish Lions against Brumbies as Andy Farrell makes huge hint ahead of first Test against Australia

It serves as a huge hint ahead of the team that Farrell will field for the first Test against Australia in Brisbane on July 19.

This starting line-up is largely the one expected to take on the Wallabies, barring a couple of adjustments.

Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki are to start in the two centre positions, while Blair Kinghorn is handed a first start at full-back.

Meanwhile, Tommy Freeman and James Lowe take their places on the wings, while the front row is comprised of Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.

Itoje and McCarthy occupy the lock places, while Ollie Chessum takes the blindside flanker’s spot.

Tom Curry is included on the openside flank, Josh van der Flier settles for a place on the bench, while No. 8 Jack Conan earns a start.

The composition of the bench includes Alex Mitchell serving as back-up to Jamison Gibson-Park at half-back, while Marcus Smith is the understudy to Finn Russell, with Mack Hansen covering the back three.

Van der Flier and Henry Pollock are the replacement back rowers, while the front rowers come in the form of Ronan Kelleher, Andrew Porter and Will Stuart.

He said: “We are satisfied with the win, you have to celebrate every win.

“But with the amount of territory and possession we had, to come away with so much dropped ball, turnovers et cetera, to say we left a few out there is an understatement.

“It’s good learning for us, a different type of game, it was close and we were under pressure.

“We didn’t come out the blocks hard enough, we need to address that, we need to address our exits after scoring tries, we need to be more clinical there.

“It was a different type of game, the ground was wet, but it is good for us.

“They played hard at the breakdown, with big line speed. Sometimes we overplayed, it was better when we played more direct and off nine, so there are good learnings for us.”

Kinghorn, Freeman, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe, Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, McCarthy, Chessum, Curry, Conan

Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Van der Flier, Pollock, Mitchell, M Smith, Hansen