'Biggest game of our lives' - Lions disruption meets returning Wallabies power

British and Irish Lions disruption, returning Wallabies power, the MCG factor and dialing the occasion up are all big considerations as the tour heads to the second Test in Melbourne...

The time next week, the Lions will either have wrapped up the series early and be shooting for a rare series whitewash, or we will have witnessed an Australia backlash in Melbourne to set up a third-Test decider.

Head coaches Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt have picked their sides for the next installment of this Lions Test summer, the rest is down to the players...

• Aki, Chessum, Porter start for Lions as Farrell, Morgan, Kinghorn added to bench
• Farrell: 'Selfless' Ringrose removed himself from Test team after being picked
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• Sky Sports Digital in Australia: In association with Howden

Lions disruption - will it impact tourists' chance to seal series?

For 50 minutes or so in Brisbane last week, things could hardly have gone much better for the Lions. In fact, it was largely one-way traffic with them in the driving seat.

At 24-3 in front, there was a tail off from the Lions in the second half as Andy Farrell turned to his bench, but the eventual eight-point margin of victory is even more misleading when considering the Lions were winning by 15 points until the final minute of play.

Following such a dominant and routine success, it is potentially a surprise therefore that Farrell has made as many as seven changes to the squad - three to the starting XV, four among the replacements.

Some of that is down to disruption, which may well throw the Lions as they seek to wrap up the series against the Wallabies a week early.

Lock Joe McCarthy had been one of the most impressive performers on tour, demonstrating his power and exuberance in the carry and defence in spades, but he has been ruled out due to a plantar fascia foot injury.

The net result sees Ollie Chessum, who had been competing with Tadhg Beirne for the starting blindside flanker position and then moved into a bench impact role, start alongside Maro Itoje at lock, totally changing the engine room of the pack.

In the backs, one of the most unusual scenarios played out this week as centre Garry Ringrose - who Farrell had selected alongside Ireland team-mate Bundee Aki in the starting XV internally - approached the head coach on Thursday during training to say he was experiencing a recurrence of concussion symptoms, ruling himself out of the Test.

Ringrose's form has arguably been the strongest for that outside-centre berth on tour, but he missed the first Test due to concussion, returned to play the final midweek match against First Nations & Pasifika, and will now be out again. As his coach, team-mates and others have mentioned, it's a tremendous act of selflessness. All the more so when you consider the 30-year-old has never played in a Lions Test.

Huw Jones comes into the team at 13, but knowing he had been dropped and is without his Scotland team-mate Sione Tuipulotu beside him, where is his head at?

On the bench, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn are brought in. With the injury to McCarthy and dropping of Tuipulotu, Morgan and Kinghorn were expected to a degree, but Ryan's presence is unusual in the sense that the Lions have three locks on the pitch already in Itoje, Chessum and Beirne, and so could have gone with two back-rows as replacements.

Ben Earl and Marcus Smith have been kicked out of the squad, which feels harsh. On Owen Farrell, would any other international coach in the world have called him up and now named him in a Lions Test squad? It is doubtful, in all honesty.

A note too on the wings. Tommy Freeman and James Lowe did not play well last week and are fortunate to have retained their places due to a series of events: Mack Hansen and Darcy Graham are injured, Duhan van der Merwe isn't trusted and Kinghorn is covering full-back.

Returning Wallabies power a significant leveller - plus there's the MCG factor

One of the most glaringly stark differences between the sides last week at Suncorp Stadium was power.

The Lions carried hard and over the top of the Wallabies, and then in defence absolutely annihilated any Australia attacks and carries that came their way.

It almost felt, at times, like men against schoolboys as Australia's Test debutant No 10 Tom Lynagh was forced backwards repeatedly and relentlessly as his forward pack were beaten up.

The absence of Australia's two most powerful forwards in lock Will Skelton and back-row Rob Valetini due to calf injuries proved a hammer blow, but they have returned to start in Melbourne.

The difference they will be able to provide in the contact-zone will be enormous. Skelton is the largest second row in the sport, while Valetini is a back-to-back Australia Player of the Year such are his strengths with the ball.

Joe Schmidt has doubled down on power being the focus too by going with a 6-2 split of forwards to backs on the bench, bringing in Langi Gleeson alongside Carlo Tizzano to have two back-rows to come on and dropping wing Andrew Kellaway.

The Lions will not have it their own way by comparison to last week, and it should prove far tougher for them.

Why Schmidt is still overlooking monster tighthead prop Taniela Tupou and hard-hitting lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto - both of whom played against the Lions on Tuesday and impressed - is a mystery, however. That duo would add more and then some.

And what of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a series on the line in front of up to 100,000 supporters? If these Wallabies can't get up and perform here - a revered stadium - they won't be able to anywhere.

Speak to anyone in Melbourne and the MCG is considered a spiritual Mecca of sport, a tourist attraction in its own right, and the 'greatest stadium in the world.'

It all sets things up nicely.

Farrell: It's biggest game of our lives | Itoje: This Test isn't equal to normal games

Rugby World Cups and British and Irish Lions series, by most people's estimations, are the two peaks in terms of level of occasion and intensity in the sport of rugby union.

With the Lions 1-0 up and one Test victory away from securing a series win, coaches and players could be forgiven for publicly downplaying Saturday's second Test, yet that is not what Farrell and captain Itoje chose to do speaking to the written media at their training base in Xavier College this week.

"It matters because it's a huge, huge game. I honestly believe the biggest game we've all been involved in," Farrell said.

"It shouldn't be hard to prepare for emotionally because that's all in the head. I suppose everyone's a human being, but if you look at it from an Australian point of view, they played the same 80 minutes in the same contest.

"It cannot be the case that they're more up for this game because they're in exactly the same scenario. The only contradiction to that would be they're emotionally more up for it. That can't be part of it for us."

Itoje was similar in his forthright outlook as Farrell nodded along in approval to his captain's words:

"These games are the reason you want to play rugby. You want to play rugby and be a part of these huge occasions, huge games with maybe a little bit of jeopardy on the line but also the opportunity to do something special. To be a part of something special.

"The opportunity to do something that lives long in the memory and creates special memories with your friends and colleagues and family.

"I try and focus on the opportunity and the process of what I need to do to get myself in the right space. Naturally, given the magnitude of the game, there's a higher level of focus.

"As a professional athlete, not all games are equal, not all games mean the same thing. This game, last week, these games aren't equal to normal games of rugby. They're special.

"They require a higher level of intensity and a higher level of diligence to what you want to do."

At which point Farrell interjected with: "You're getting him fired up now, doing my job for me!"

The scene is set.

Watch the second Australia vs British and Irish Lions Test on Saturday on Sky Sports The Lions & Main Event from 9.30am (kick-off 11am).

British and Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports

Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and seven tour matches to be shown exclusively live.

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