The deciding third rugby test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions on Saturday has become a test of survival as much as skill. With the series locked at 1-1, the stakes have never been higher and everything rides on the final match at Sydney's Olympic Stadium.
Both teams are missing key players after a bruising build-up to the finale but, according to Lions captain Martin Johnson, there can be no excuses. "It's come down to one game," he said. "No one cares that we've played 11 months and had a hard tour."
Australia's world champion Wallabies have collected almost every major trophy available over the past few seasons but have never won a series against the Lions, and the strain is starting to show.
They were guilty of underestimating the tourists in the first test, losing 29-13 in Brisbane, but they bounced back to win last weekend's second match in Melbourne 35-14 to set up the biggest single showdown on this year's rugby calendar.
"This game is a game of its own entity. It doesn't matter what has happened before, it's come down to whatever happens in the 80 minutes on the field." Wallaby captain John Eales said. "For our team, it's very important, it's a challenge we haven't faced together as a team and one we've targetted as being very important for us."
The Lions are equally desperate to win. No European side has won the World Cup but the home unions have always taken great pride in the achievements of the Lions.
The northern hemisphere has rapidly closed the gap on the southern hemisphere rugby giants, but defeat for the combined strength of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland against Australia would undermine that progress.
"If we lose the series no-one will even remember we won the first test," the Lions' Irish hooker Keith Wood said. "But if win at the weekend, that's a pretty significant achievement."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
