British & Irish Lions second Test news, reaction & odds: Handicap up to 11 as Farrell relies on Irish core

Where to watch Australia vs British & Irish Lions

You can watch Australia vs British & Irish Lions on Sky Sports Action at 11am on Saturday, July 26

Australia vs British & Irish Lions teams named

The British & Irish Lions can wrap up the three-match series on Saturday when they face Australia in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of around 90,000 supporters. While the Lions won by only eight points in the first Test in Brisbane with a 27-19 victory at Suncorp Stadium, the tourists failed to maintain their impressive first-half performance for the full 80 minutes.

Head coach Andy Farrell has tinkered with his side for the trip to Victoria, with some of his tried-and-tested Ireland stars coming into the starting line-up. Andrew Porter replaces fellow prop Ellis Genge, who drops to the bench, while Ollie Chessum comes in for the injured Joe McCarthy.

Garry Ringrose was expected to start alongside Bundee Aki in an all-Ireland centre partnership but the Leinster man has withdrawn from the squad due to concussion. That means Huw Jones retains his place at outside centre, while a tight hamstring means there’s no fairytale return for Scotland skipper Sione Tuipulotu in his hometown of Melbourne. 

Welshman Jac Morgan is on the bench in MelbourneCredit: Getty Images

There are fresh faces on the bench, with Wales’ sole representative Jac Morgan, earning a place in the squad. Owen Farrell has impressed since answering a late call-up to the squad and the Saracens man will provide cover at fly-half and inside centre, while Toulouse star Blair Kinghorn offers cover for the Lions’ back three.

The wounded Wallabies were beaten in almost all facets of the game in Brisbane and head coach Joe Schmidt has brought in a couple of key reinforcements. Lock Will Skelton will add his considerable bulk to the Australia pack alongside Nick Frost, while Rob Valetini brings world-class quality to the Wallabies back row. 

Despite a lack of cutting edge in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, Schmidt has gone with the same backline this weekend. Tom Lynagh gets another chance to impress at fly-half and the son of Wallabies legend Michael will be hoping his forwards can provide him a better platform for what is a must-win game for the hosts to take the series to the final game in Sydney on August 2.

Australia vs British & Irish Lions odds

Here are the latest odds ahead of Australia vs British & Irish Lions

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Australia vs British & Irish Lions team line-ups

Australia: 15 Tom Wright; 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter; 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Jake Gordon; 1 James Slipper, 2 David Porecki, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson.

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. 

British & Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan; 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 James Lowe; 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park; 1 Andrew Porter,  2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Jack Conan.

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. 

Read more on the Lions Tour:

Lions Tour: Tourists 1-0 up after brilliant opening hour in Brisbane 

Australia vs British & Irish Lions Test series predictions, betting tips and odds: Expect a fierce battle for series supremacy 

'This is a bit of a rogue shout but the Lions haven’t convinced me' – Betfair's Evan Cullen joins our team to discuss the talking points in the world of sport 

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