Heading for 2-0....

 

Warren Gatland has gone for a fair amount of changes to what was a winning formula last week. Parling and Vunipola come in due to injury – but Phillips is gone from the 22. Lydiate gets a start, as do Bowe and Youngs with SOB is on the bench as a potential real impact player.  Maybe Gatland senses they need a faster game. To me, the biggest thing they needed to do was sharpen up their discipline – that’s what kept the Aussies in the game last weekend. The Australians won’t be able to rely on 80 metre tries to win them the match.

Only two changes for the Wallabies – they have their main kicker Leali'ifano back which should keep their points ticking this time, and Beale is in. James O’Connor is puzzling still at 10. If the Lions can dominate the Wallaby pack again, and keep Genia quiet, they’ll be wrapping up the series in Melbourne, and it’s hard to see it not happening.

British and Irish Lions: :15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 George North, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sam Warburton (c), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Makovina Vunipola.
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.

15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Israel Folau, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Christian Leali'ifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 James O'Connor, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Ben Mowen, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Sekope Kepu, 19 Rob Simmons, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Rob Horne, 23 Jesse Mogg
British & Irish Lions
Saturday , June 29
Australia vs British & Irish Lions 11:05