British and Irish Lions
1.Andrew Porter 2.Dan Sheehan 3.Tadhg Furlong 4.Maro Itoje(C) 5.James Ryan
6.Tadhg Beirne 7.Tom Curry 8.Jack Conan 9.Jameson Gibson-Park 10.Finn Russell
11.Blair Kinghorn 12.Bundee Aki 13.Huw Jones 14.Tommy Freeman 15.Hugo Keenan
16.Ronan Kelleher 17.Ellis Genge 18.Will Stuart 19.Ollie Chessum
20.Jac Morgan 21.Ben Earl 22.Alex Mitchell 23.Owen Farrell
Australia
1.James Slipper 2.David Porecki 3.Taniela Tupou 4.Nick Frost 5.Will Skelton
6.Tom Hooper 7.Fraser McReight 8.Harry Wilson(C) 9.Nic White 10.Tom Lynagh
11.Dylan Pietsch 12.Len Ikitau 13.Joseph-Aukuso-Sualii 14.Max Jorgensen 15.Tom Wright
16.Billy Pollard 17.Angus Bell 18.Zane Nonnggorr 19.Jeremy Williams
20.Langi Gleeson 21.Tate McDermott 22.Ben Donaldson 23.Andrew Kellaway
With the series already won by the Lions, this match comes down to history and pride for both sides. The Lions will be looking to secure their first, real series whitewash since 1927 whilst Australia will be looking to demand some more international respect and earn themselves some positive headlines in their home media which is very necessary at this point in time. So, how will the teams do it?
The Lions have made just two changes to the starting XV that secured the series in Melbourne. James Ryan has usurped Ollie Chessum to start next to Maro Itoje after his impressive cameo from the bench which helped to turn the tide of the game. The other change comes on the wing as Blair Kinghorn gets his first start in place of Lowe who has had a disappointing series from an individual performance perspective. Kinghorn is a fullback by trade but has consistently demonstrated his ability to play on the wing when asked to do so at Toulouse in some huge matches. His aerial ability should solidify that part of the game for the Lions and allow them to dominate the territory battle.
Joe Schmidt has made four changes in preparation for the final game of this series with a couple being forced due to injuries suffered by Rob Valetini, who may never have actually been healthy when he played half of the second test, and Allan Alaalatoa. In their places Tom Hooper and Taniela Tupou will start.
Tupou, in particular, is a fascinating player to watch. He is someone who brings a unique physical profile to the front row and is not someone who can be easily replaced by Joe Schmidt. He has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and confidence which have impacted his career and has also suffered some poor form in recent times. This has led to many questioning his overall fitness and commitment to the game. However, if he can get back to his true self, the man known as Tongan Thor could become a key pillar of this team going forward.
Perhaps the biggest news story surrounding this selection is the inclusion of Nic White who will start at 9 in his final game of international rugby. The moustached menace has both terrorised, and irritated, opposition defences in equal measure throughout his illustrious career and has already impressed against the Lions in this series whilst playing for Western Force. He'll make an exciting pairing with Tom Lynagh.
The final change comes on the wing with Harry Potter missing due to an injury he sustained in the first half of last week's game. He is replaced by Dylan Pietsch who is an exciting inclusion and brings a skillset that I think Australia have missed. He brings an abundance of raw pace and game-breaking ability which will cause some real problems for the Lions.
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