British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has as much trust in 20-year-old Henry Pollock as in any other member of his squad, ahead of the back row's first start for the team.

Pollock made his Lions debut as a replacement as their 2025 tour began with a 28-24 defeat to Argentina in Dublin last week, but he will start against Western Force on Saturday.

Despite his status as the youngest player in the 38-man squad, Farrell believes Pollock – who scored two tries off the bench on his England debut against Wales in March – has the mental attributes to nail down a regular place.

"He's hungry to learn and that's perfect because you can see that he's got a real point of difference," Farrell told reporters in Perth, ahead of the Lions' first game on Australian soil.

"He sees things quickly and acts upon them. His awareness of space, how sharp he is in his mind and his athletic abilities are up there with the other lads in the squad.

"He's hungry to make a difference the whole time. But he also understands what parts of his game he needs to improve. He's got a great attitude.

"He's certainly not overawed. I love that. You want kids to be themselves and he's just being himself. He doesn't know any different.

"He's a humble kid as well. He doesn't think he's got it all, far from it. You want people with confidence and belief because that helps when he takes to the field.

"He's a Lion, just like the eldest player. There's no difference whatsoever. His character is infectious to everyone. He's a great lad."

Countdown to K.O. #Lions2025 @westernforce pic.twitter.com/aEE6jWzc71

— British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 27, 2025

After facing Western Force, the Lions take on Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and ACT Brumbies in further warm-up matches.

The first of their three Tests against Australia takes place on July 19 in Brisbane, with the remaining fixtures being held in Melbourne and Sydney.