British & Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell praised Garry Ringrose for selflessly withdrawing himself from the second Test against Australia after the Ireland centre's concussion symptoms returned on Thursday.
Ringrose was set to form an all-Ireland midfield with Bundee Aki at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday but pulled out after training, ensuring Scotland centre Huw Jones retained the number 13 jersey.
Ringrose also missed last week's 27-19 win over Australia in the first Test in Brisbane because of concussion.
“It's head-related again,” Farrell said in Melbourne.
“There was no incident. He was feeling good [before]. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100 per cent. For the team as well, not just for Garry.”
Aki is one of three changes to the starting team at Lang Park, replacing Melbourne-born Sione Tuipulotu who was nursing a tight hamstring.
Irish lock Joe McCarthy injured his foot in Brisbane last week and is replaced by England's Ollie Chessum in the second row, while Andrew Porter comes in for Ellis Genge at loosehead prop.
Farrell brought his son Owen in on the bench as the tourists look to become the first Lions team to sew up a Test series with a game to spare since 1997 in South Africa.
The playmaker, who was called up as an injury replacement early in the tour, gets a chance to play his seventh Lions Test after leading the midweek team to a 24-19 win over the First Nations-Pasifika XV on Tuesday.
Flanker Jac Morgan is another change to the bench, ensuring a Welsh presence in the side after the principality was without representation in a Test team for the first time since the late 19th century in Brisbane.
Scottish fullback Blair Kinghorn was also named among the replacements after missing the first Test because of a knee injury.
Farrell said he wanted his squad to make history 12 years after the Warren Gatland-coached team beat the Wallabies 2-1.
“We're the privileged ones that get the opportunity to do something special and hopefully create a bit of history,” he said
“There's a determined Australian side that's going to try and stop us doing that, so it's a hell of a Test.”
Australia coach Joe Schmidt has added a considerable heft to his pack with the inclusion of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton in his starting line-up for the second Test.
The Wallabies were outmuscled by the tourists at the collision in the first hour of last week's loss in the series opener in Brisbane and the return of flanker Valetini and lock Skelton from calf injuries should help in that area.
Schmidt is hoping their influence will go beyond just adding a bit more more physicality to the pack.
“We've got a group of players who haven't won too much in recent times ... and I think building confidence is an incremental thing,” the New Zealander told a news conference on Thursday.
“Bobby probably brings confidence to other players because of his experience and his ability to take the ball forward.
“I think one of the key things with Will is he's a very calm influence. Yes, he's a big man ... but his experience of being involved in successful teams, particularly with La Rochelle in Europe, I think just gives other players confidence.”
Hooker Dave Porecki, who missed the first-Test defeat because of a concussion sustained in Australia's warm-up match against Fiji, has also been recalled in place of Matt Faessler.
Schmidt resisted further changes to his starting side and 22-year-old Tom Lynagh will lead an unchanged backline from flyhalf at the MCG in his second Test start.
The third and final test takes place at Sydney's Stadium Australia on August 2.
Teams
Australia: 15 — Tom Wright, 14 — Max Jorgensen, 13 — Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 — Len Ikitau, 11 — Harry Potter, 10 — Tom Lynagh, 9 — Jake Gordon, 8 — Harry Wilson, 7 — Fraser McReight, 6 — Rob Valetini, 5 — Will Skelton, 4 — Nick Frost, 3 — Allan Alaalatoa, 2 — David Porecki, 1 — James Slipper. Replacements: 16 — Billy Pollard, 17 — Angus Bell, 18 — Tom Robertson, 19 — Jeremy Williams, 20 — Langi Gleeson, 21 — Carlo Tizzano, 22 — Tate McDermott, 23 — Ben Donaldson.
B&I Lions: 15 — Hugo Keenan, 14 — Tommy Freeman, 13 — Huw Jones, 12 — Bundee Aki, 11 — James Lowe, 10 — Finn Russell, 9 — Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 — Jack Conan, 7 — Tom Curry, 6 — Tadhg Beirne, 5 — Ollie Chessum, 4 — Maro Itoje, 3 — Tadhg Furlong, 2 — Dan Sheehan, 1 — Andrew Porter. Replacements: 16 — Ronan Kelleher, 17 — Ellis Genge, 18 — Will Stuart, 19 — James Ryan, 20 — Jac Morgan, 21 — Alex Mitchell, 22 — Owen Farrell, 23 — Blair Kinghorn.
Reuters
