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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Duncan Bech

Andy Farrell names full-strength Lions squad for third Australia Test as whitewash within reach

Starting: Blair Kinghorn - (Getty Images)

Blair Kinghorn and James Ryan will make their first starts of the British and Irish Lions' series against Australia, but Andy Farrell has otherwise turned to his established Test starters to complete the whitewash.

Kinghorn replaces James Lowe on the left wing for Saturday's climax to the tour at Sydney's Accor Stadium, while Ryan comes in for Ollie Chessum in the second row.

Chessum drops to the bench where head coach Farrell has opted for a six-two split between forwards and backs with Ben Earl returning as back row cover after being left out for the second Test.

Maro Itoje will captain the bid to become the first Lions team to record an unbeaten record on tour since 1974.

A series triumph was sealed by last weekend's 29-26 victory in Melbourne, but Farrell's men are determined to rout the Wallabies.

"We have put ourselves in a great position to finish this Tour with our best performance to date and create our own piece of history," Farrell said.

"The second Test was an incredible spectacle and illustrated how special Lions tours are and what they mean to both the players and the supporters.

"We are expecting another epic battle this weekend against a Wallaby side that showed their quality last week."

Kinghorn and Ryan made their first appearances of the series as second-half replacements at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

A change on the wing was expected after Lowe disappointed in the first and second Tests, while Kinghorn made an impact for the 20 minutes he was on the field and will resume in the back three alongside Hugo Keenan and Tommy Freeman.

Ryan was also an influential reinforcement in Melbourne, overshadowing the less effective Chessum.

The Lions made it clear they would field their strongest possible XV rather than rotating in deserving squad players and they have been true to their word by going for the jugular in Sydney Olympic Park.

That includes retaining full-throttle flankers Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry, who emptied the tanks at the MCG but have been magnificent so far in the series.

Joe McCarthy, Sione Tuipulotu and Mack Hansen had been cleared to take part after recovering from injuries that forced them to miss the second Test, but none of them are involved.

Prop Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth successive Lions Test, becoming only the seventh player in history to reach that mark.

Australia will be without star forward Rob Valetini as they look to salvage some pride against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.

Valetini lasted 40 minutes in his comeback from a calf injury in the 29-26 loss at Melbourne Cricket Ground which sealed a series defeat and has not recovered in time for the Wallabies' bid to avoid a whitewash.

Will Skelton continues in the second row after also returning from a calf issue in the second Test, however, while prop Taniela Tupou make his first appearance for Australia of 2025 as a replacement for the injured Allan Alaalatoa.

"The squad was certainly deflated after the gut-wrenching end to the second Test, but they have started to gather momentum in the back half of the week and will be ready to go again," head coach Joe Schmidt said.

Full squads for British and Irish Lions vs Australia, third Test

Lions XV: Keenan, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Kinghorn, Russell, Gibson-Park, Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Curry, Conan

Replacements: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Chessum, Morgan, Earl, Mitchell, Farrell

Australia XV: Wright, Jorgensen, Sua'ali'i, Ikitau, Pietsch, Lynagh, White; Wilson, McReight, Hooper, Frost, Tupou, Porecki, Slipper

Replacements: Pollard, Bell, Nonggorr, Wiliams, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Kellaway.

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