Wallabies vs. Lions: Selection Keys for the 2nd Test, Analysis and Predictions

Australia Plays for its Future in the Second Test against the Lions

Joe Schmidt’s selection for the second British and Irish Lions test could define his time as Australia’s coach, while his counterpart, Andy Farrell, is not expected to make many changes. Australia must respond to the physical dominance that the tourists exerted in the first hour of the defeat in the first test in Brisbane or risk becoming the first Wallabies team not to take a Lions series to a decider. Rob Valetini, Australia’s best player in the last two years, has recovered from a calf injury and will take his place in the back row in place of rookie Nick Champion de Crespigny. The second row Will Skelton has also recovered from an injury and, although his inclusion would certainly strengthen the pack, his limitations in the lineout could require an adjustment in the third row to add another jumper.

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Schmidt has received many useful suggestions from media experts this week, and most agree that prop Angus Bell should be promoted to start at loosehead prop instead of 36-year-old James Slipper. Dave Porecki should be available after suffering a concussion against Fiji two weeks ago and his throwing at the lineout would help shore up an area of the game where the Wallabies struggled in the first test. Behind the scrum, Tom Lynagh showed enough in his first test start to warrant another opportunity, although many would like him to do so alongside his Queensland Reds teammate, Tate McDermott, who had a good game off the bench in Brisbane.

There have also been calls to move Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii from center to the three-quarter line after he struggled to make an impact in Brisbane until it was too late. That would also allow Len Ikitau to move to his preferred outside center position with Hunter Paisami, another Queensland Reds player, coming into the midfield outside Lynagh. The Lions coach, Farrell’s, job is a little easier after the initial dominance shown by the tourists in Brisbane, although it seems he will be forced to make a change in his second row. The second-row Irish player Joe McCarthy limped with a foot injury at the start of the second half at Suncorp Stadium and hasn’t trained this week, leaving the door open for Ollie Chessum to come up from the bench. Marcus Smith was sent for a concussion assessment in the Lions’ victory over the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday, but Farrell has confirmed that he passed it and is available for selection on Saturday. Irish center Garry Ringrose returned from a concussion against FNP and is also in contention, although the midfield of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones held up more than well in the first test. The main speculation will revolve around Owen Farrell, who made his first start of the tour on Tuesday and can play as fly-half or inside centre.