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Nic White will captain the Western Force from scrum-half on Saturday.Kevin Manning/Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy
Freelions tour
Nic White one of six Wallabies in Western Force side to face the Lions
Kurtley Beale has been ruled out with a hamstring injury – but is expected to feature for the First Nations and Pasifika side later on in the tour.
7.24am, 26 Jun 2025
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WESTERN FORCE COACH Simon Cron has named six current Wallabies in his starting side to face the British and Irish Lions, but in a setback, veteran Kurtley Beale was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Andy Farrell’s Lions open their nine-game Australian itinerary in Perth on Saturday, keen to make a winning start after a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warm-up in Dublin last week.
They will face a side skippered by experienced scrum-half Nic White, who along with Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson and Darcy Swain were all released from Australia’s training camp in Sydney.
Team-mates Carlo Tizzano, Jeremy Williams and Harry Potter were not and will miss the game.
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Beale, a 95-Test veteran, was set to play but picked up a hamstring niggle in training on Tuesday.
To compensate, Australia coach Joe Schmidt has allowed Wallabies playmaker Ben Donaldson to make a late dash to Perth.
White partners Alex Harford in the half-backs with Pietsch and Mac Grealy on the wings and Matt Proctor forming a midfield with Hamish Stewart. Donaldson will start at full-back.
Robertson will line up in the front row alongside Brandon Paenga-Amosa and retiring prop Ollie Hoskins.
Sam Carter will play his final game in Force colours partnering Swain, who last week earned his first Wallabies call-up since 2022, in the second row.
Will Harris, Champion de Crespigny and Vaiolini make up the back row.
The Force have played the Lions once before, losing 69-17 in 2013.
Meanwhile, Beale is expected to feature for the First Nations and Pasifika side when they take on the Lions in Melbourne on 22 July.
Beale, Rob Leota, Seru Uru, Andy Muirhead and Charlie Gamble were the five initial players named on Thursday by head coach Toutai Kefu.
Western Force
15. Ben Donaldson
14. Mac Grealy
13. Matt Proctor
12. Hamish Stewart
11. Dylan Pietsch
10. Alex Harford
9. Nic White (capt)
1. Tom Robertson
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa
3. Ollie Hoskins
4. Sam Carter
5. Darcy Swain
6. Will Harris
7. Nick Champion de Crespigny
8. Vaiolini Ekuasi
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17. Marley Pearce
18. Tiaan Tauakipulu
19. Lopeti Faifua
20. Reed Prinsep
21. Henry Robertson
22. Max Burey
23. Bayley Kuenzle
– © AFP 2025
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