Lions No Longer BOD Test

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Alun Wyn Jones will lead the British and Irish Lions against the Qantas Wallabies in the 3rd Test at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Saturday. 

Ospreys lock Jones replaces the injured Sam Warburton in a team showing six changes to the one that started last Saturday’s 2nd Test in Melbourne. 

Sean O’Brien takes over from Warburton, Jamie Roberts replaces Brian O’Driscoll in the centre and scrum-half Mike Philips has recovered from a knee injury to start instead of Ben Youngs. 

Alex Corbisiero returns from injury to replace Mako Vunipola, who moves to the bench, Richard Hibbard makes his first starting appearance at hooker, while Toby Faletau makes his Test debut at No.8. 

British & Irish Lions Tour Manager Andy Irvine said: "It has been a great tour on and off the field. The hospitality we have received from the Australian people has been outstanding. The banter between the fans has been in great spirit and to date we have had two incredibly exciting Tests. 

“It is amazing that the last three series between the Lions and the Wallabies have gone down to the last Test. In 1989 the Lions triumphed, in 2001 it was the Wallabies who won the series and now in 2013 we go to ANZ Stadium in Sydney with the series and the Tom Richards Trophy up for grabs. 

“There is nothing between these two teams, with the last two Tests being decided in the dying moments. The Test is a sell out and the whole rugby world is looking forward to the match with great anticipation.” 

Head Coach Warren Gatland said: “It all comes down to Saturday. Winner takes all. We know we can leave nothing in the tank and that only a complete performance will get us across the line. Picking this team was not easy and ultimately with several players available after recovering from injury the head overruled the heart in many selection decisions. 

“It has been a challenging tour and we have had our fair share of injuries but we always knew that would be the case. Brian O’Driscoll is a great player and has had a wonderful career but for the final Test in Sydney we just felt Jamie Roberts' presence offered us something more. Mike Phillips and Alex Corbisiero were 1st Test selections and would probably have played in the 2nd Test if not for injury. Richard Hibbard, Toby Faletau and Sean O’Brien have also earned their starting places.” 

15. Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues/Wales)

14. Tommy Bowe (Ulster/Ireland)

13. Jonathan Davies (Scarlets/Wales)

12. Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales)

11. George North (Scarlets/Wales)

10. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/Ireland)

9. Mike Phillips (Bayonne/Wales)

1. Alex Corbisiero (London Irish/England)

2. Richard Hibbard (Ospreys/Wales)

3. Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales)

4. Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys/Wales, capt)

5. Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers/England)

6. Dan Lydiate (Dragons/Wales)

7. Sean O’Brien (Leinster/Ireland)

8. Tangaki Taulupe Faletau (Dragons/Wales)

Replacements

16. Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers/England)

17. Makovina Vunipola (Saracens/England)

18. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers/England)

19. Richie Gray (Scotland)

20. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys/Wales)

21. Conor Murray (Munster/Ireland)

22. Owen Farrell (Saracens/England

23. Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers/England) 

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In Gatland We Trust - Brian O'Driscoll

Gatland and O'Driscoll

Former British and Irish Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll has backed Wales coach Warren Gatland to lead the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand.

Gatland, 52, controversially dropped the Ireland legend from the decisive Test win against Australia in 2013.

O'Driscoll told the Daily Telegraph that Gatland and Ireland boss Joe Schmidt are the best options for 2017.

The 37-year-old added Gatland's style "is probably something that lends itself to the short lead-in time".

The Lions face New Zealand three times in a five-week tour in 2017, with the first Test coming after six build-up games over three weeks.

British and Irish Lions chief executive John Feehan has said Gatland is the leading contender to take charge again.

The Welsh Rugby Union would again back their national coach, who was assistant to Ian McGeechan for the 2009 tour to South Africa that ended in a 2-1 defeat.

Gatland selected Wales' Jonathan Davies ahead of O'Driscoll to partner Jamie Roberts for the crucial Test in Sydney three years ago.

Former Ireland captain and Lions hooker Keith Wood described the decision as "a terrible mistake".

The Lions won 41-16 without O'Driscoll, but Wood stood by his comments.

O'Driscoll says he would partner Davies with England's Manu Tuilagi were he selecting the team now.

"I will get absolutely lambasted in Wales for not picking Roberts, but I think you have to have Manu in there and I don't think you play him and Jamie together," said O'Driscoll.

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Result Before Record - Richie McCaw

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Richie McCaw says his imminent world record is not on his mind at all as New Zealand fight to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

The All Blacks captain will surpass Brian O'Driscoll's mark of 141 Test caps when he lines up against Australia at Eden Park on Saturday.

The destination of the Bledisloe Cup will be decided either way in Auckland, where New Zealand must avenge last week's defeat to keep the trophy they have held since 2003.

And McCaw insists that is his sole priority heading into the second and final game of a shortened series.

He said: "One thing I haven't allowed is to get caught up in that because I really wanted to train as well as I could to play well on Saturday.

"When you have that focus you don't get caught up in those what-might-bes. I want to enjoy playing here and when you have a loss like last week it makes you want to play even more.

"The key is to let it fuel you, obviously, coming off a poor performance but just that in itself isn't going to make it work. We have to do things right this week and I think we have to this point."

The New Zealanders have made no attempt to sugar-coat their performance in Sydney, where Australia won 27-19.

Full-back Ben Smith said: "We've had a good review, and looked at ways to get better.

"As players a big thing for us is doing our analysis, and taking on the coaches' feedback so we really look at our own performance and make sure we are making the right strides as far as adapting and learning from the last match.

"If we want to improve then sometimes we've just got to use our instincts to see what's in front of us and just play rugby really. It's a pretty simple thing."

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Paddy Deserves Chance - BOD

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Brian O'Driscoll says Ulster fly-half Paddy Jackson deserves his chance to start Ireland's Six Nations match with Italy if Jonny Sexton is ruled out.

Sexton is a doubt with a thumb injury which his club Racing Metro believe could keep him out of Saturday's Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.

"If he gets his opportunity Jackson has his own qualities that he brings to a game," said centre O'Driscoll, 35.

"I played with Jacko last year and he's played really well in this season."

The Leinster player added: "He deserves his chance, albeit he is playing behind one of the best 10s in the world, so certainly if the situation arose [that Sexton was not fit to face Italy] we are lucky that we have strength in depth at out-half."

O'Driscoll, who will become the world's most capped player when he wins his 140th [132nd for Ireland, eight for the Lions] on Saturday, is blocking out the emotion surrounding his final home Test in an Ireland jersey as he looks to end his career on a winning note.

He insisted that Ireland must improve on their performance against England if they want to stay in the hunt for the Six Nations championship title.

"I'm not really that emotional, I won't allow the build-up to affect me," he said.

"I'm sure aspects will be difficult, I'll be sad but I just want to go out on a high, that's the focus."

With four teams tied on two wins each going into round four of the Six Nations, the 35-year-old rejected the notion that Ireland will go into Saturday's match with Italy expecting to run up a big winning total.

The game is first and foremost about winning by any margin, he claimed.

"You have to think about the processes and about being clinical in finishing our opportunities," he said.

"And if that means that the Italian team we face has a brilliant day, then that means getting across the line.

"We've got too much respect for them. They are capable of beating anyone in the championship, and England are the only team they haven't beaten in the Six Nations.

"So, we're absolutely aware that they're a team very much on the up. We'll have our work cut out to contain them and beat them."

O'Driscoll hinted that it would be a huge boost to Ireland ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup if Sexton can be bought out of his Racing Metro contract and returns home to an Irish club.

"He (Sexton) is contracted to Racing and I think it would be disrespectful to them to say that we're looking to take him away from them," said O'Driscoll.

"I think everyone is in agreement that we didn't want to see him go, and if a situation arose where he did come back and some agreement was made, well I don't see that as being possibly a negative.

"I know that he'd be welcomed back into the provincial fold and I know the national management would like to control his game time a little bit more than they currently can."

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Schmidt Makes Tight Calls

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Ulster duo Andrew Trimble and Luke Marshall are surprise inclusions in the Ireland team for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Scotland in Dublin.

Two of the three changes from the New Zealand defeat are in the backs with Trimble replacing the injured Tommy Bowe and Marshall in for Gordon D'Arcy.

The other change from that match sees another Ulster player, Chris Henry, in for injured flanker Sean O'Brien.

Brian O'Driscoll will make an Irish record 129th appearance this weekend.

O'Driscoll moves ahead of Ronan O'Gara's 128-cap haul while another milestone will see Rob Kearney making his 50th appearance for the Irish.

D'Arcy, 33, was one of Ireland's best performers against the All Blacks.

The 75-times capped Leinster centre's omission from the entire squad for this weekend's game will be a major talking-point although it's conceivable, given the physical demands of the competition, it may be a case of him being kept fresh for next weekend's game against Wales.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, facing into his first Six Nations in charge, said that it had been a "very, very close call" between his former Leinster player and four-times capped Marshall.

"I think part of it was that Gordon had a little bit of a stomach bug at the start of the week," added the Irish coach.

"Because it was a tight call, Luke got a little bit more of the training time and would feel a little bit more comfortable.

"Luke made a couple of really good telling breaks against the Australians in the autumn, then Gordon D'Arcy played as well as I've seen him against the All Blacks."

D'Arcy has partnered Brian O'Driscoll at centre for Ireland on an international record 52 occasions.

Marshall, 22, did start ahead of D'Arcy in the middle November Test against Australia but a defensive mix-up between him and Ian Madigan led to one of the opposition's tries.

The Ulster centre was then left out of the squad for the All Blacks game but he is back in favour for Sunday's Championship opener.

Schmidt indicated on Friday that Trimble's "physicality" had been a factor in the Ulster wing's recall given that Sean Lamont has been named in the Scotland line-up.

With Bowe and Keith Earls ruled out by injury and Luke Fitzgerald also not risked because of a hip niggle sustained in midweek, Trimble starts ahead of Fergus McFadden after missing out on all of last year's Six Nations.

"The one thing we felt with Luke (Fitzgerald) was that if we tried to push too hard this week we might lose him for more than next week anyway," added Schmidt.

Henry holds off the claims of Tommy O'Donnell to take the flanker berth left vacant by O'Brien's injury.

Paddy Jackson edges out Ian Madigan for the back-up fly-half role while the bench also includes uncapped Leinster prop Martin Moore, Ulster lock Dan Tuohy and Isaac Boss.

Scrum-half Boss is named in the squad after Eoin Reddan was ruled out by a calf injury.

Ireland team to face Scotland: Rob Kearney (Leinster); Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ulster), Dave Kearney (Leinster); Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro), Conor Murray (Munster); Cian Healy (Leinster), Rory Best (Ulster), Mike Ross (Leinster); Devin Toner (Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Munster); Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Jamie Heaslip (Ulster).

Replacements: Jack McGrath (Leinster), Sean Cronin (Leinster), Martin Moore (Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), Tommy O'Donnell (Munster), Isaac Boss (Leinster), Paddy Jackson (Ulster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster)

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O'Driscoll Confirms Rugby Retirement

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Brian O’Driscoll has confirmed that this season will be his last in professional rugby.

Ireland's record tryscorer was convinced to stay on at Leinster and Ireland by new Ireland boss Joe Schmidt and the RDS crowd but confirmed to Pat Kenny on Newstalk that this year would be his last hurrah.

“This is the ‘one more year’, I had to think long and hard(about playing this season) and there were a number of factors. I had to talk to Amy and listen to my body, I had to learn if I was still wanted in the Leinster setup and the Irish setup,” he said.

“It would be rude of me not to mention the chants from the stands in the RDS of ‘one more year’, the fact that you’re still wanted by the faithful does mean an awful lot too.

“I remember I had a neck operation after the World Cup in 2011 and there was talk at the time that I might not get back playing from it and it started to hit home.

“I’ve been a professional rugby player all my life, I don’t really know anything different. I don’t really know the big bad world that regular people see and I have been in the process, over the last couple of years, of getting involved in things I’m interested in but nothing will replace the feeling of running out on the pitch but something that makes you get up in the morning and have purpose.”

The 34-year-old has been married to actress Amy Huberman and had his first child Sadie, who became a celebrity in her own right during the Lions tour, over the past year and says he’s delighted with the overhaul his life has experienced.

“I can’t really remember what my old life was like but it’s absolutely brilliant,” he added.

“I don’t know how many times over the last six months she might have you up during the night but that smile in the morning when you come in makes it all go away.”

BOD also revealed that he is prepared to go globetrotting if it means helping his wife Amy achieve further success in her acting and literary careers.

“I’m absolutely open to her career bringing us to whatever part of the globe it might do although I know she is enjoying a bit of time off with the arrival of Sadie,” he added.

“She’s probably hungry to get out and do some more work, she is going to the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday leaving me at home so needless to say I’ll be over with the folks Sunday night, Monday night....

“I’m open to her feeling the need to capitalise on some of the great work she has done in recent years.”

O’Driscoll is still disappointed by his omission from the third test but is looking forward to the coming season with Leinster and one last chance to end the All-Blacks hoodoo, even though he expects to be playing less.

“I met up with the Irish fitness coach recently and he came up with a great phase of ‘managing expectations’, when I go in and the fitness coaches know I’m not feeling great, I’m taking it easy and and I’m doing it for a reason,” he said.

“You want to win everything you are in. It would be lovely to win a Championship and a Six Nations and the Heineken Cup. I’m lucky to have won some things in the latter part of my career and most recently a Lions series so it’s nice to tick some boxes.

“A big one this year to get myself in shape for and get in the process of being selected is the All-Blacks in November. That’s one that’s failed on multiple occasions and this is the last chance to get a go at them so that would be a lovely one if I was to pick one out for the year.”

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O'Driscoll Takes First Training

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Brian O'Driscoll has taken part in his first on-pitch training session with Leinster since having ankle surgery.

The 33-year-old centre missed the series of autumn internationals after picking up the injury playing for his province in the Pro12.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney is hoping the inspirational O'Driscoll will be fully fit in time for the Six Nations.

The Irish play their first match against Wales in Cardiff on 2 February.

Leinster also hope to have backs Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney back within the next few weeks.

O'Driscoll's return is welcome news for Kidney who had to do without Paul O'Connell, Rory Best, Stephen Ferris and Sean O'Brien for the November internationals.

However, winger Tommy Bowe is now a doubt for the Six Nations after suffering ligament damage playing for Ulster against Northampton on Saturday.

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