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Farrell 'expects different Australia next week'

Farrell 'expects different Australia next week'

BBC News2 days ago
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell says he expects a big response from Australia next Saturday as the Wallabies try to stop the tourists clinching the series with a game to spare.The Lions will seek to win the series in Melbourne after overcoming the hosts 27-19 in the first Test in Brisbane.The Lions dominated for 50 minutes at Suncorp Stadium with Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan scoring tries.But they allowed Australia back into the match and conceded two late tries to give the hosts some belief to build on next week.Farrell recalled how Australia fought back to win the second Test in the 2013 series when he was the defence coach for Warren Gatland's side."We do take encouragement from [Saturday's] display, but at the same time we know what is coming," Farrell said."We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013."When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend."Not only was this Australia's second game and they'll be much better because of that, but also because of what it means to them and how proud they are. It'll mean the world to them."We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best. It will take a better performance than what we've shown here to make sure we get a win next week."
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt confirmed key forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini will be available for the second Test after missing the Brisbane opener with calf injuries.Skelton and Valetini will bring extra physicality, vital experience and a significant ball-carrying threat.Australia looked dead and buried after falling 24-5 behind early in the second half, but they responded well to close the gap."We fought our way back into the game," said Schmidt. "If we could get within one score, you never know what could have happened."I'm not saying the Lions didn't deserve to win it because they did on the balance on what they did in the first half."I'm very proud of the way the players fought their way back. This time last year we would probably have melted, so I love the way this team is developing."
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