After 720 minutes of rugby the British and Irish Lions' tour now hangs on one game against Australia in Sydney on Saturday.
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- Australia v British & Irish Lions: Third Test
- July 6, 2013 10:00am
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Just like the 1989 and 2001 tours to Australia, the series has been taken to a decider - with the Lions winning the first Test 23-21 but then losing 16-15 in Melbourne.
The main talking points heading into the clash, which will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 10am, have surrounded the two surviving playing members of the '01 series - Brian O'Driscoll and George Smith.
O'Driscoll, a veteran of four tours, will have to watch the match from the stands at the ANZ Stadium after he was dropped, while Australia flanker Smith has been handed a sensational recall nearly four years after he last appeared on the international stage.
O'Driscoll has never tasted series success following defeats to the Wallabies (2001), New Zealand (2005) and South Africa (2009) - but his hopes of ended that run will now be out of his hands.
The omission of O'Driscoll was one of six changes made by Lions head coach Warren Gatland - with Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, Richard Hibbard, Toby Faletau, Alex Corbisiero and Sean O'Brien coming into the started XV.
Roberts comes into partner Jonathan Davies in the midfield - and with Manu Tuilagi providing cover on the bench, there is no place for O'Driscoll.
Cleared
Hibbard and Corbisiero replace the benched Tom Youngs and Mako Vunipola in the front row, while O'Brien and Faletau come into a new-look back row alongside Dan Lydiate.
Live International Rugby Union
- Remote Record
- Get a Sky Sports Day Pass
- Upgrade to Sky Sports
Just like the 1989 and 2001 tours to Australia, the series has been taken to a decider - with the Lions winning the first Test 23-21 but then losing 16-15 in Melbourne.
The main talking points heading into the clash, which will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 10am, have surrounded the two surviving playing members of the '01 series - Brian O'Driscoll and George Smith.
O'Driscoll, a veteran of four tours, will have to watch the match from the stands at the ANZ Stadium after he was dropped, while Australia flanker Smith has been handed a sensational recall nearly four years after he last appeared on the international stage.
O'Driscoll has never tasted series success following defeats to the Wallabies (2001), New Zealand (2005) and South Africa (2009) - but his hopes of ended that run will now be out of his hands.
The omission of O'Driscoll was one of six changes made by Lions head coach Warren Gatland - with Jamie Roberts, Mike Phillips, Richard Hibbard, Toby Faletau, Alex Corbisiero and Sean O'Brien coming into the started XV.
Roberts comes into partner Jonathan Davies in the midfield - and with Manu Tuilagi providing cover on the bench, there is no place for O'Driscoll.
Cleared
Hibbard and Corbisiero replace the benched Tom Youngs and Mako Vunipola in the front row, while O'Brien and Faletau come into a new-look back row alongside Dan Lydiate.
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