Changes for Lions vs. All Blacks 3rd Test

July 7, 2005

With the series now a formality, both the Lions and All Blacks come in to their Third Test at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday with lots of injuries.

Luke McAlister gets his All Black debut trying to fill the No. 10 shoes of last weeks' hero Daniel Carter. The replacement at the pivotal flyhalf position would have normally gone to center Aaron Mauger, but Mauger is injured, as is third choice Leon MacDonald. So McAlister thankfully comes into his debut without the pressure of a "must-win," but the heat will be on him nonetheless. All Blacks don't make excuses.

With Mauger out, Tana Umaga moves into 2nd-five, and his Hurricane teammate Conrad Smith moves into center.

In the forwards, all-world flanker Richie McCaw is also injured, so No. 8 Rodney So'oialo slots into the No. 7 jersey and the young & terrifying Sione Lauaki gets his first-ever All Black start in his place.

The AB rest of the forward pack remains set.

For the Lions, coach Clive Woodward has made wholesale changes to the backline.

Wingers Jason Robinson and Shane Williams have both been dropped. Robinson has been mostly invisible in the first two tests, and the All Blacks ganged up on the diminutive Shane Williams so much that Sir Clive was probably wincing even thinking of pencilling his name into the starting lineup. Williams is a gutsy, game player who gives his team the sort of spark that Jason Robinson used to before his use-by date had passed, but largely ineffective in the face of bruising Black defense.

Geordan Murphy and Mark Cueto make their Lions Test debuts, with Murphy at full-back, Cueto replacing Robinson, and Josh Lewsey moving to the left wing in place of Shane Williams.

Gavin Henson and Jonny Wilkinson have both been ruled out with injuries, so Wales' Stephen Jones returns to the test side as starting flyhalf.

There is the feeling that the All Blacks -- having already secured the series -- will be complacent. They are also sitting some of their biggest stars through injury and throwing a rookie into the deep end at a crucial position.

Whereas the Lions will be out to salvage some pride and fight hard to prevent a 3-0 whitewash.

For that reason alone, I expect the Lions to pull off a close victory and give their fans something to cheer about before departing the Land of the Long White Cloud. But they will have to drastically improve their continuity and stop the All Black's off-loads. The past couple tests, the ABs have retained ball and maintained pressure on the Lions for such long stretches, that the Brits couldn't compete, all they were doing was tackling and being pressured into mistakes. If the ABs intensity flags, the LIons should be ready.

Lions: 15 Geordan Murphy (Ireland), 14 Mark Cueto (England), 13 Will Greenwood (England), 12 Gareth Thomas (Wales, captain), 11 Josh Lewsey (England), 10 Stephen Jones (Wales), 9 Dwayne Peel (Wales), 8 Ryan Jones (Wales), 7 Lewis Moody (England), 6 Simon Easterby (Ireland), 5 Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 4 Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), 3 Julian White (England), 2 Steve Thompson (England), 1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales). Replacements: 16 Shane Byrne (Ireland), 17 Graham Rowntree (England), 18 Martin Corry (England), 19 Martyn Williams (Wales), 20 Matt Dawson (England), 21 Ronan OGara (Ireland), Shane Horgan (Ireland).

All Blacks - revised: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tana Umaga (captain), 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Rodney So'oialo, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock. Replacements: 16 Derren Witcombe, 17 Campbell Johnstone, 18 James Ryan, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Justin Marshall, 21 Nick Evans, 22 Doug Howlett.