Lions look to history, Wallabies to pride in series finale

RNZ News

2 days ago

Bundee Aki of the British & Irish Lions during the first test against Australia in Brisbane.
Photo:The British & Irish Lions have history on their minds as they head into the third and final clash with the Wallabies, determined to sweep a test series for the first time in living memory.
No Lions team has ever gone unbeaten in a test series since Willie John McBride's Invincibles in South Africa in 1974, when a controversial draw in the fourth match denied them the sweep.
The Lions did sweep Argentina 4-0 in 1927 and also beat the Wallabies 2-0 three times in the 1950s and 1960s as part of losing tours of New Zealand, but you would need to go back to 1904 for the last 3-0 triumph on a trip solely to Australia.
For coach Andy Farrell, however, the importance of the sweep is simply that it was something the Lions had committed to achieving as a squad before heading to Australia.
"Hopefully (the tour) will be remembered for the type of rugby that we played and the way that we went about it together. That's it," he said after naming his team.
"We came here wanting to win a series. We've achieved that, but we've a massive responsibility to make sure that we finish this off with something that we promised ourselves."
Hugo Keenan of the Lions reacts after scoring a try to win the second test against the Wallabies in Melbourne.
Photo:
Photosport
In keeping with that spirit, Farrell made only minor tweaks to his team for the Stadium Australia clash, bringing Blair Kinghorn in on the wing, James Ryan into the second row and an extra forward onto the bench.
For Australia, the third test is all about salvaging some pride after losing the second test, and the series, to a last-minute try in Melbourne last week.
The Wallabies have proved they can play by "winning" the second half of the opening test 14-10 in Brisbane and taking a 23-5 lead after half an hour of the second in Melbourne.
Coach Joe Schmidt said it had been difficult to pick the players up after the defeat but thought they should not ignore the progress they have made since he took over last year.
"My belief is that 18 months ago, no one gave us a chance of challenging the Lions," he said.
"(But) there's not been nearly as much between the teams as maybe people might have expected."
Meanwhile, the Wallabies have been forced to call Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the team after hookers Dave Porecki and Matt Faessler both picked up injuries in training.
Porecki, who started last week's second test, suffered a heel injury and Faessler, who started the first, picked up a calf issue in training on Thursday.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii of Austrlia is taken down during the match in Melbourne.
Photo:
Tertius Pickard
Billy Pollock moves up from the replacements to start in place of Porecki on Saturday, while Paenga-Amosa will come off the bench as the Wallabies look to grab a consolation win after losing the first two tests.
Captain Harry Wilson said the team had great faith in the powerful Paenga-Amosa, who played the last of his 20 tests against Ireland last November.
"Brandon joined us yesterday afternoon after a bit of a tough Thursday training session, it's obviously gutting to lose great players in Porecki and Fez," Wilson said.
"But we've got a lot of confidence in BPA, he's been around this group for quite a long time over the last year and he's already faced the Lions three times. So he's got a lot of confidence and ... he has fit in very quickly."
Paenga-Amosa, who faced the Lions in tour matches for Western Force, the Australia-New Zealand selection and the First Nations-Pasifika XV, will bring power to the front row but his lineout throwing has sometimes been wayward.
British & Irish Lions Captain Maro Itoje and Wallabies Captain Harry Wilson.
Photo:Coach Joe Schmidt had already been forced into three changes to his team by injuries but Wilson said it had been good to have fresh faces Taniela Tupou and Dylan Pietsch in the matchday squad.
"What they've given us is fresh legs on the training park, fresh energy, more chatter around the training field. Just been nice and they're just raring to go," he said.
"They've had to watch the last two test matches so they're all very excited at this opportunity and I've got no doubt they'll take it."
The fourth change Schmidt made in his initial selection was a call-up for Nic White, who announced on Thursday that he would be retiring from test rugby at fulltime.
The Wallabies players all wore fake moustaches at Friday's training session in honour of the halfback's famously hairy upper lip.
"He's a competitor, and he's loved by the group," Wilson said.
"He will be missed in this gold jersey, because he really does represent what it is to be a Wallaby."
Wilson admitted the players had been crushed after losing the second test to a last-minute try last Saturday but spirits had risen during the week.
"We just want to keep improving. We want to keep being a better team," he said.
"We need to play an 80-minute game and get the result which I think we deserve for each other."
- Reuters