Rugby-Lions make two changes for final Australia test
SYDNEY (Reuters) -British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell has made only two changes to his starting team for final test against Australia on Saturday, when the tourists will be looking to seal a 3-0 series sweep.
Farrell has resisted the temptation to give fringe players a run despite the series already being decided as the Lions target getting through a test series unbeaten for the first time since 1974.
Blair Kinghorn, who missed the first test because of a knee injury, replaces James Lowe on the left wing as he did during last week's second test victory in Melbourne, while James Ryan starts in the second row in place of Ollie Chessum.
Chessum drops to the bench, where Ben Earl comes in as back row cover alongside Jac Morgan with Farrell opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards for what is forecast to be a wet weather test at Stadium Australia.
The starting back row and halfback pairing remain the same for the third consecutive match, while Irish prop Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth straight Lions test in the front row.
"Last weekend's test match in Melbourne was an incredible spectacle and illustrated how special Lions tours are and what they mean to both the players and the supporters," Farrell said in a news release.
"We are expecting another epic battle this weekend against a Wallaby side that showed their quality last week."
Team: 15–Hugo Keenan, 14–Tommy Freeman, 13–Huw Jones, 12–Bundee Aki, 11–Blair Kinghorn, 10–Finn Russell, 9–Jamison Gibson-Park, 8–Jack Conan, 7–Tom Curry, 6–Tadhg Beirne, 5–James Ryan, 4–Maro Itoje, 3–Tadhg Furlong, 2–Dan Sheehan, 1–Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16–Ronan Kelleher, 17–Ellis Genge, 18–Will Stuart, 19–Ollie Chessum, 20–Jac Morgan, 21–Ben Earl, 22–Alex Mitchell, 23–Owen Farrell
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutehrford)
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