Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Third Test Preview – CopyBet
The Lions have already secured the series after a dramatic second Test win in Melbourne, but history is still on the line as the two teams get set for another showdown.
Australia clearly felt hard done by after last week’s late loss at the MCG and we expect a fired-up Wallabies team to enter the arena in Sydney.
You have to go back to the 1927 tour of Argentina for the last time the Lions secured a whitewash on tour and Joe Schmidt and his team will be desperate to avoid a 3-0 defeat this time around.
Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Third Test
For long periods of the second Test, Australia were the better team and will be still scratching their heads as to how they let it slip in the second half.
The Wallabies were much improved from their display in Brisbane and the desire to avoid a series whitewash is likely to see them step up another level.
Coach Schmidt is missing a couple of experienced players due to injury, with flanker Rob Valetini and prop Allan Alaalatoa both sidelined.
The powerful Taniela Tupou comes in at prop, while Nic White replaces Tate McDermott at scrum half, with White set to retire from internationals after Saturday’s clash.
The Lions have also made changes to their starting XV, with Blair Kinghorn coming in for James Lowe on the wing, while James Ryan replaces Ollie Chessum at lock.
Andy Farrell has gone with nine Ireland players in the line-up and there is a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench.
The last time the Wallabies played an international fixture at the Accor Stadium was in September 2024, when they pushed the All Blacks all the way, eventually losing by just three points.
Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Third Test
The first two Tests between the sides have seen 46 and 55 points scored respectively and it looks like being a similar story this Saturday.
Both teams will want to end the series on a high and that could see the ball thrown around more between the backs, as they look to open up a crucial advantage.
There have been 40 or more points scored in nine of Australia’s last 10 internationals. It’s also worth noting that 59 points were scored in the Wallabies’ last game at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, when New Zealand ran out 28-31 winners last September.
Australia vs British & Irish Lions – Third Test
There’s no doubt that Maro Itoje has led from the front during the tour Down Under, with the England star going down in history as a winning Lions captain.
Legendary Lions captain Willie Jon McBride has paid tribute to Itoje, who becomes only the fifth winning skipper.
Itoje’s status will rise even further if the Lions can seal a 3-0 success and the second-row will therefore be doing everything he can to achieve what would be a phenomenal achievement.
Itoje looks very backable to cross the whitewash at least once on Saturday.