Brian O’Driscoll’s Lions career has come to an end in the cruellest of circumstances
Photo: photae.com.au

by Paul Cook in Sydney –

With the series on the line, British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has turned to some of his most trusted generals in an attempt to wrest the momentum away from a fast improving Australia and claim the Lions’ first series victory since 1997, but his decisions have come at a high price for some.

Four-time tourist Brian O’Driscoll has been sensationally axed from the matchday 23, bringing the curtain down on his legendary career in the famous red jersey in the process, while Ben Youngs has paid for an ineffectual performance in Melbourne and also misses out completely. Tom Croft – who many believed may have earned a recall to the run-on side – is also conspicuous by his total absence.

In all, ten Welshman make up the starting XV as Gatland puts his faith in those who have helped to deliver one Grand Slam, two Six Nations Championship titles and a fourth place at the World Cup in the last two years, in what is an obvious return to the ‘power’ game most had expected the Lions to employ on this tour.

No pressure! Alun Wyn Jones replaces Sam Warburton as Lions captain for the series decider
Photo: photae.com.au

Back comes scrumhalf Mike Phillips, who missed the second test through an injury/form cloud, and he’s joined by the player who is the lynchpin of Gatland’s ‘crash-ball’ approach with Wales – Jamie Roberts. The inside centre is yet to feature in the tests and his return from a hamstring injury is certainly timely – if he can recapture the form he showed at the 2011 World Cup, where he was nigh on unstoppable.

Completing the trio of new Welsh faces is no.8 Toby Faletau, Gatland’s enforcer, who has finally usurped rival Jamie Heaslip. Faletau’s performance against the Melbourne Rebels in last week’s 35-0 drubbing, coupled with Heaslip’s decreasing effectiveness with each tour match has seen the 22-year-old given the nod and his increased physicality at the back of the pack should provide some welcome assistance to the new flanker pairing alongside him.

Barring the injury to Sam Warburton, there’s every chance that the Welsh contingent would have swelled to eleven – equalling the record number of Englishmen that took on the All Blacks back in 1993. But Gatland’s nominated leader for both his country and the Lions had his worst fears confirmed on Monday when the hamstring problem he picked up in the second test proved serious enough to end his tour participation.

That sees Irish workhorse Sean O’Brien promoted to the starting side with Dan Lydiate retaining his position on the other side of the scrum and Faletau governing from behind and the trio will be charged with the huge responsibility of maintaining the ascendancy that the Lions – mainly through Lydiate and the exemplary Warburton – attained at the breakdown at Etihad Stadium.

With Warburton gone, the expectation was that O’Driscoll would assume the leadership role and a chance to end his glorious Lions career in style as a winning captain but tough times call for tough decisions and while the omission of ‘BOD’ is sure to end any offer of a free pint of the black stuff the next time Gatland is in Dublin – irrespective of Saturday’s outcome – it does illustrate a ruthless and unsentimental approach by the Kiwi towards a game that will go some way towards defining his coaching career.

O’Driscoll hasn’t been at his best on this tour, certainly not in attack but his defensive work has been invaluable and his record of 23 successful tackles from 23 made in the first two tests – higher than any other player – creates a giant question mark in itself around the decision. With Jonathan Davies shifting out one position to partner Roberts and another ‘wrecking ball’ in Manu Tuilagi lying in wait off the bench, the concern is that the Lions will lack the creativity in midfield to take advantage of the extra power at their disposal if/when they break the gain line.

Mike Phillips will need to improve on his first test showing
if he is to combat the speed and skill of Will Genia – Photo: seiserphotography.com

Gatland admitted that it had been a tough call to drop a Lions legend. “Obviously, Brian was disappointed, as anyone is, but he appreciated the fact that he was spoken to before the announcement,” he revealed. “It’s the first time that any coach has had that decision with him in 15 years of rugby. It’s not easy for that to be the first time, but he’s still going to be very important for us for the next 72 hours in terms of his experience and leadership. He’s been involved in the first two Tests, but Jamie’s back fit and Jamie’s been given the nod in terms of that partnership with Jon Davies in the midfield.”

O’Driscoll’s axing also opened the door for a new captain and that responsibility has now passed onto lock, Alun Wyn Jones. The fact that Wyn Jones has only captained on the international stage once (for Wales in 2009) does not concern Gatland. “Alun Wyn leads from the front. He’s been outstanding in the lead up games and was one of the first names on the sheet when we picked the team for the first two Tests. He’ll go and lead by example.”

“There were a number of candidates but it wasn’t about picking a captain first, it was about picking what we felt was the best team first,” the coach continued. “We did that, and then we went through the next question – who we felt could do the best job in terms of captaining? Alun Wyn gets his opportunity on Saturday.”

Given the high profile citing saga of the last ten days which saw Wallaby captain James Horwill twice exonerated for allegedly stamping on Wyn Jones’ head in the first test, the coin toss itself should be worth a ringside seat, let alone the game.

Gatland has effectively rolled the dice in the last chance saloon. His entrusted chosen few now have only eighty minutes left with which to vindicate or desecrate his decisions.

British & Irish Lions XV for the 3rd Test:

1. Alex Corbisiero; 2. Richard Hibbard; 3. Adam Jones; 4. Alun Wyn Jones; 5. Richie Gray; 6. Dan Lydiate; 7. Sean O’Brien; 8. Toby Faletau; 9. Mike Phillips; 10. Jonny Sexton; 11. George North; 12. Jamie Roberts; 13. Brian O’Driscoll (C); 14. Tommy Bowe; 15. Leigh Halfpenny

Bench: Mako Vunipola; Tom Youngs; Dan Cole; Geoff Parling; Justin Tipuric; Ben Youngs; Owen Farrell; Manu Tuilagi