The British and Ireland Lions will face Australia for the second time on Saturday, looking to bring the series and edge closer to potential whitewashing.
The 3-0 series victory was the topic of discussion for weeks after Henry Pollock said it was their mission to do so. Whether the Lions can do that will be put into tests as they will hand over their first defeat since the Wallabies arrive below.
Questions have been raised as to whether the Lions have given the Wallabies a blueprint for success after the tour side, which spun around Tuesday, passed the First Nations and Pacifica XV in the final tour game.
“You need to take it to them, you need to go genuinely,” FNP Captain Kurtley Beale said.
On Saturday, we’ll see if Joe Schmidt’s side has what he needs to resolve the score.
This is everything you need to know.
When is the game?
when: Saturday, July 26th, 8pm (11am BST)
where: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Match Official: Andrea Piardi
How to see
The match will be shown live at Sky Sports in the UK and Stan Sports in Australia. For radio, Talksport will provide live comments, while BBC Radio Weles will provide commentary on Welsh.
You can also follow ESPN’s live blogs and follow the extensive news and feature coverage.
Lineup and Team News
Note: It will be displayed here when the lineup is announced.
Marcus Smith was scared that his alternative appearance on Tuesday would be ruled out from this second test after seven minutes due to head injuries.
He retired and underwent a head trauma assessment (HIA).
However, Andy Farrell later confirmed that he passed the rating and will be available this weekend.
Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that Farrell will make any epic changes to his first XV after a convincing victory at Wallabee followed by a crude performance from the spinning side.
As ESPN’s James Regan wrote, Farrell’s work was probably easier, with few players creating the right cases for a starting spot.
However, there are several choice decisions. Garry Ringrose can replace Huw Jones next to Sione Tuipulotu, but Jac Morgan wants to make a bench and make sure Wales is represented by Matchday 23.
Best quote
“If you can’t stand up to what’s coming, we’re all in the wrong place. For me, this is the biggest game of our life and we’re all part of our team, so we make sure we deal with such a week.”
– Andy FarrellWhen asked about the Lions head coach, his side could make
“Tell me about the lost mentality. For me, it’s the last game of the game. Is there a mentality you’d like to try, as this could be a seven-day situation? Would you like to rehearse this scenario?
“Why do players, especially the captains, want to finish the game? In so many ways, it reflects the current state of Australian rugby that is clearly not in a great position.”
– Clive Woodward2005 Lions coach Wallaby skipper Harry Wilson’s decision to die
– Regan: Why does a poor tour win and makes life easier for Farrell?
– First Nations and Pacifica 19-24 Lions – Match Report
– Are Wallabies showing us the blueprint for beating the lion?
– Lions Player Rating: Back row shines in the first test