The team led by Andy Farrell seeks to make history and become the first British and Irish Lions team in almost 100 years to complete a Test series whitewash.
The Lions arrive at Saturday’s third and final Test with a 2-0 lead, following their dominant victory in the first Test, followed by a memorable comeback last weekend.
The victory would make them the first Lions team since Willie John McBride’s ‘Invincibles’ of 1974 to remain undefeated throughout the tour and the first to win every Test since 1927.
The goal is to surpass Australia for the third consecutive weekend, matching the quality displayed in the first half in Brisbane and the second 80 minutes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The work is by no means done. We have a really motivated group that has set its sights. There’s only one way we want this to end and that is to go undefeated and try to win 3-0. We don’t want anything to derail it.
John Dalziel, forwards coach
Andy Farrell ha advertido a su equipo que su trabajo aún no está hecho a pesar de ya asegurar la serie contra Australia. David Rogers/Getty Images“We know it’s going to be incredibly hard work and Australia proved it last week. They are a good team and they will be good again. They will be motivated playing here. We have to find that energy and try again, getting that performance that we all want.
We still have a performance in us. We’ve had 40 minutes in both Tests, so we want to give our supporters and everyone watching at home a full 80 minutes and show what Lions is all about.”
Winger Tommy Freeman missed Friday’s training at Accor Stadium due to his overall workload for the tour, but Dalziel emphasized that there is no concern about his fitness.
Directing the actions for the climax of the tour is Finn Russell, the Scottish fly-half who has forged an effective creative alliance alongside Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park, while providing the overall leadership needed for his team.
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“Finn is maturing all the time,” said Dalziel of his Scottish compatriot, who has developed a more complete game since his early days as a maverick.
“Many players like him receive criticism for not being able to play different styles. But here, where we are uniting four nations, he has delivered a game plan while remaining himself. That’s why he was chosen and that’s why he is world-class.”
There have been times when he has been driving the team down the field, but also times when he has seen and put others in space, which is outstanding.”
