MELBOURNE: Garry Ringrose, the experienced Ireland centre, faces the possibility of concluding his illustrious rugby career without a British and Irish Lions Test cap, following a commendable decision during training on Thursday.
At 30, Ringrose was forced to sit out the Lions’ inaugural Test victory against the Wallabies due to a concussion sustained in a recent midweek fixture against the ACT Brumbies. Although Huw Jones performed admirably in the 27-19 success in Brisbane, Lions coach Andy Farrell opted to reinstate the familiar partnership of Ringrose and Bundee Aki for Saturday’s second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
However, following a training session at the distinguished Xavier College, Jones was given a last-minute reprieve. Farrell explained that Ringrose’s situation was "head related" and praised the centre’s honesty and team-first mentality. "It’s tough to admit something like that," Farrell remarked. "It’s easy to keep it to yourself, but Garry did the right thing, not just for himself, but for the team."
In light of Ringrose’s condition, Farrell made only three alterations to his starting line-up rather than four. England lock Ollie Chessum stepped in for the injured Joe McCarthy, while Ireland’s Andrew Porter pushed Ellis Genge to the bench. Notably, 35-year-old Aki continued his role, denying Sione Tuipulotu a chance to play in his hometown. Farrell indicated that Tuipulotu had a slight hamstring issue, influencing the decision.
Reflecting on the team dynamics, Farrell described how every player has been supportive of one another, prioritising the team’s collective effort, which was evident in their training today. Ahead of the match, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, who previously mentored Farrell, also revised his line-up, reinstating Will Skelton, Rob Valetini, and David Porecki to strengthen a pack that was overpowered in the last game.
As anticipation builds for the clash, rain is predicted, and a thrilling crowd of close to 100,000 is expected.
Team Line-ups:
WALLABIES (15-1): Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon, Harry Wilson (c), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Nick Frost, Allan Alaalatoa, David Porecki, James Slipper
Reserves: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Wiliams, Langi Gleeson, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson
LIONS (15-1): Hugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park, Jack Conan, Tom Curry, Tadhg Beirne, Ollie Chessum, Maro Itoje (c), Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter
Reserves: Ronan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn