Lions ring the changes

Geordan Murphy and Mark Cueto will make their Lions Test debuts in Saturday’s series finale against the All Blacks.

Irish international Murphy will line up at full-back, with Josh Lewsey moving to the left wing instead of an axed Shane Williams.

Cueto, who has scored eight tries in eight Tests for England, takes over from his Sale Sharks colleague Jason Robinson.

Having failed to impress on the tour, Robinson is dropped, while two enforced changes in the backs see Will Greenwood replace centre Gavin Henson and Stephen Jones take over from Jonny Wilkinson.

Both Henson and Wilkinson are suffering so-called stinger injuries to their neck and shoulder areas, joining a lengthy casualty list that also includes Charlie Hodgson, Ben Kay and Andrew Sheridan.

Lions head coach Sir Clive Woodward has retained the pack that produced an improved display in last Saturday’s second Test.

Defeat for the Lions at Eden Park would leave them suffering a first Test-series whitewash against any opponent for 22 years.

British & Irish Lions team to face New Zealand in the third Test at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

Geordan Murphy (Leinster, Ireland); Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks, England), Will Greenwood (Harlequins, England), Gareth Thomas (capt, Toulouse, Wales), Josh Lewsey (London Wasps, England); Stephen Jones (Clermont Auvergne, Wales), Dwayne Peel (Llanelli, Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff, Wales), Steve Thompson (Northampton, England), Julian White (Leicester, England), Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster, Ireland), Paul O’Connell (Munster, Ireland), Simon Easterby (Llanelli, Ireland), Lewis Moody (Leicester, England), Ryan Jones (Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Wales).

Replacements: Shane Byrne (Leinster, Ireland), Graham Rowntree (Leicester, England), Martin Corry (Leicester, England), Martyn Williams (Cardiff, Wales), Matt Dawson (London Wasps, England), Ronan O’Gara (Munster, Ireland), Shane Horgan (Leinster, Ireland).