In 32 games, Hooker Sheehan has scored 15 tries for Ireland. Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth Date: Saturday, 28 June Kick-off: 11.00 BST
Live text commentary on the daily Sport website and app of the think piece Dan Sheehan of Ireland will serve as captain for the British and Irish Lions when they play the Western Force on Saturday in their first game in Australia. The Leinster teammates Garry Ringrose, James Lowe, Joe McCarthy, and Josh van der Flier will also be making their Lions debut in Perth. The hooker is one of five players in the starting lineup. Four more Lions are set to make their debut off the bench - lock Ollie Chessum, centre Huw Jones, and props Andrew Porter and Will Stuart.
Northampton tyro Henry Pollock will make his first start at number eight having come off the bench in the defeat by Argentina in Dublin last Friday.
Head coach Andy Farrell is still without scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan, both inching their way back from injury, so Elliot Daly is in at full-back and Tomos Williams is rewarded for a fine cameo against the Pumas in Dublin with a start in the nine jersey.
Finn Russell, who made three appearances on the tour of South Africa in 2021, will start at fly-half.
Farrell goes with a new midfield combination in Ringrose and Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu, who will make successive starts.
Tuipulotu and Tadhg Beirne are the only two players selected to start against Argentina and the Force, albeit both have moved position, the Scot from outside to inside centre and the Irishman from lock to blindside flanker.
British and Irish Lions: Daly, Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe, Russell, Williams; Schoeman, Sheehan, Furlong, Cummings, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Pollock
Replacements: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Conan, Mitchell, Jones, M Smith
Sheehan will become "a better player" as captain. With Maro Itoje stood down for this weekend, Sheehan taking over the captaincy is no real surprise.
There were other contenders - Tuipulotu for one and Beirne for another - but the hooker is arguably the best man in his position in the world, a devastating force in attack as well as in the fundamentals of front-row play.
"He will 100% do the job justice by just being himself," said Farrell. "I know for a fact that whatever he asks the players to do, it won't be empty words.
"I know that the responsibility as well will make him a better player, because that's the type of character he is.
"He's a calming type influence who understands what pressured situations really look like at this type of level."
An early shout - probably unwise - Sheehan could prove himself to be the man of the series.
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It's showtime for the Lions thanks to "genius" Russell. There's something about Russell's inclusion that gives this team a feeling of showtime, though.
The Bath fly-half is pure box office and is a more rounded player than at any point in his career. He can control as well as thrill. This has to be Russell time. The Lions have said they want to attack and entertain and they have a genius at 10 on Saturday.
What he has outside him is a stellar backline.
Williams could be a bolter for the Test team and he starts at nine. There's a hugely exciting combination of Ringrose at 13 and Tuipulotu at 12. Tuipulotu is back in his natural habitat at inside centre, as opposed to outside centre against the Pumas and you fancy that the Lions will be all the better for it.
The Irish duo out in the open. Mack Hansen - bubbly, busy and intelligent - and Lowe - one of the most influential and cleverest wings in world rugby. This backline could fly.
The Lions must deliver big time after their loss to Argentina and against the weakest Australian provincial team. A tone must be set on Saturday.
"We'll see how we respond," said Farrell. "The guys that are playing and taking the field this week are a little bit fortunate in the sense that they understand how we want to get better.
"They've got to take responsibility for that and to grab a hold of their chance, to make sure that they take this team forward. We are disappointed whenever we lose a game. I hate losing, so does everyone else."
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