Lions second test preview // Lions have the chance to make history
Tomorrow the Lions will run out on to the pitch in Melbourne with a chance to make history. A chance to be recorded in the history books as one of the very few teams to have won a test series. As Lions legend Brian O'Driscoll stated after the Lions win against the Aussies last Saturday - it is much easier to win a tour in two rather than three games. I am sure that all those men that will be out on the field tomorrow who will be wearing the red of the Lions jersey will be thinking of the tour as a two test tour. Win tomorrow they will be on cloud 9, they'll be a part of Lions folk-law, but loose and the momentum will shift with a seismic wave in to the hands of the Australians going in to the third test. Then they will have a mountain to climb. As Sir Ian McGeechan wrote in the Telegraph this week, Gatland's men have but eight days left in the Lions shirt of 2013 but if they win tomorrow they will be in that shirt for the rest of their lives with a Lions test win proudly associated with their name forever.
Gatland stated last week that the war had just began as his team came off the field victorious. This week the Lions' head coach made some changes to his battalion before they take on the golden army. Ulsterman, Tommy Bowe, gets a starting spot after coming back from an injury picked up early on in the tour. Before the wing broke his hand during one of the Lions' warm up matches against the Queensland Reds, many had put him as an almost definite test starter. The Irish international has recovered with remarkable speed from the operation he had to fix his broken bone and will take the place of Cuthbert on the wing on Saturday.
Another unexpected call by Gatland was the dropping of scrum half Mike Phillips from Saturday's test side. Phillips was not even given a place on the bench to face the Aussies. Leicester Tigers man Ben Youngs will take his number nine shirt with Conor Murray filling the scrum half spot on the bench. Was this payment for Phillips failing to impress on the pitch last Saturday? With an ongoing knee injury in the back of the Welsh scrum half's mind throughout the tour, he was thoroughly outplayed by Australian Will Genia. A risk putting a less powerful scrum half to start in what will be a battle of epic proportions - yes, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if Gatland was right in his decision.
Geoff Parling, who was set to captain the Lions against the Rebels on Tuesday but who was pulled out of the game in order to be rested for Saturday's test, replaces the injured Paul O'Connell at second row. Parling's replacement as captain on Tuesday and one of Gatland's favourite players, Dan Lydiate, replaces Tom Croft on the flank as the Englishman takes his seat on the bench.
The very successful centre partnership of O'Driscoll and Davies take to the field once more. Their synchronicity really benefited the Lions in the last test as they managed to break through the gainline with relative ease and propel the Lions forward towards their opposition's 22. After apologising to Will Genia for the pointing celebration, George North, who has already gone down in Lions history with one of the best solo tries ever seen on any tour, will return to his place on the opposite wing to fellow player Bowe. On form Halfpenny, who has been one of the players of the tour thus far, will wear the full back shirt and will also take on the kicking duties of Jonathan Sexton.
Sam Warbuton will captain the side on Saturday. The stage is set for a Lions win. It is now the Lions to loose rather than the Australian's to win. They must go out there with each individual playing the rugby of their lives and more importantly with the team coming together as a tight unit, the tightest they have ever been.
Will Saturday be a day of history making or a day to start saying "here we go again". They must, they have to win tomorrow or next Saturday's test will be the toughest and most nerve racking game of rugby they will ever have played and it will be even worse for the millions of supporters watching around the world.
British and Irish Lions:
15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 George North, 10 Jonny Sexton, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton, 8 Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Alex Cuthbert.
Australia:
15. Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels),14. Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs),13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs),12. Christian Lealiifano (Brumbies),11. Joe Tomane (Brumbies),10. James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels),9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds),8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs),7. Michael Hooper (Brumbies),6. Ben Mowen (Brumbies),5. James Horwill (Queensland Reds, captain),4. Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs),3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies),2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies) ,1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Replacements:
16. Saia Fainga’a (Queensland Reds),17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds),18. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs),19. RobSimmons (Queensland Reds),20. Liam Gill (Queensland Reds),21. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels),22. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs) ,23. Jesse Mogg (Brumbies)
Gatland stated last week that the war had just began as his team came off the field victorious. This week the Lions' head coach made some changes to his battalion before they take on the golden army. Ulsterman, Tommy Bowe, gets a starting spot after coming back from an injury picked up early on in the tour. Before the wing broke his hand during one of the Lions' warm up matches against the Queensland Reds, many had put him as an almost definite test starter. The Irish international has recovered with remarkable speed from the operation he had to fix his broken bone and will take the place of Cuthbert on the wing on Saturday.
Another unexpected call by Gatland was the dropping of scrum half Mike Phillips from Saturday's test side. Phillips was not even given a place on the bench to face the Aussies. Leicester Tigers man Ben Youngs will take his number nine shirt with Conor Murray filling the scrum half spot on the bench. Was this payment for Phillips failing to impress on the pitch last Saturday? With an ongoing knee injury in the back of the Welsh scrum half's mind throughout the tour, he was thoroughly outplayed by Australian Will Genia. A risk putting a less powerful scrum half to start in what will be a battle of epic proportions - yes, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if Gatland was right in his decision.
Geoff Parling, who was set to captain the Lions against the Rebels on Tuesday but who was pulled out of the game in order to be rested for Saturday's test, replaces the injured Paul O'Connell at second row. Parling's replacement as captain on Tuesday and one of Gatland's favourite players, Dan Lydiate, replaces Tom Croft on the flank as the Englishman takes his seat on the bench.
The very successful centre partnership of O'Driscoll and Davies take to the field once more. Their synchronicity really benefited the Lions in the last test as they managed to break through the gainline with relative ease and propel the Lions forward towards their opposition's 22. After apologising to Will Genia for the pointing celebration, George North, who has already gone down in Lions history with one of the best solo tries ever seen on any tour, will return to his place on the opposite wing to fellow player Bowe. On form Halfpenny, who has been one of the players of the tour thus far, will wear the full back shirt and will also take on the kicking duties of Jonathan Sexton.
Sam Warbuton will captain the side on Saturday. The stage is set for a Lions win. It is now the Lions to loose rather than the Australian's to win. They must go out there with each individual playing the rugby of their lives and more importantly with the team coming together as a tight unit, the tightest they have ever been.
Will Saturday be a day of history making or a day to start saying "here we go again". They must, they have to win tomorrow or next Saturday's test will be the toughest and most nerve racking game of rugby they will ever have played and it will be even worse for the millions of supporters watching around the world.
British and Irish Lions:
15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O’Driscoll, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 George North, 10 Jonny Sexton, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton, 8 Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Sean O’Brien, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Alex Cuthbert.
Australia:
15. Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels),14. Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs),13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs),12. Christian Lealiifano (Brumbies),11. Joe Tomane (Brumbies),10. James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels),9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds),8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs),7. Michael Hooper (Brumbies),6. Ben Mowen (Brumbies),5. James Horwill (Queensland Reds, captain),4. Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs),3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies),2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies) ,1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Replacements:
16. Saia Fainga’a (Queensland Reds),17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds),18. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs),19. Rob
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