Maro Itoje will lead the British & Irish Lions into the final Test against Australia on Saturday, aiming for a historic 3-0 series whitewash. The match at Sydney's Allianz Stadium evokes memories of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final and the Lions' 2013 series-clinching victory in the same city.
Head coach Andy Farrell has drawn inspiration from Irish boxer Katie Taylor, whose message to the squad was: 'Prepare to win by skill but be ready to win by will.' Despite wet conditions forecast, Farrell wants his team to secure a clean sweep, which would be the first since 1927 when the Lions won every game of a multi-Test series.
Australia, meanwhile, are reeling from their narrow defeat in Melbourne and have been hit by injuries, with hookers Dave Porecki and Matt Faessler ruled out and Brandon Paenga-Amosa called up as emergency cover. Head coach Joe Schmidt acknowledged the difficulty of absorbing last week's loss.
Emotional stories have fuelled the Lions' determination. Itoje received his match jersey from Kate Hardman, a mother with incurable breast cancer travelling Australia with her family. Prop Andrew Porter, who lost his mother to cancer at age 12 and overcame mental health struggles, carries her words: 'Do work you believe in, believe in what you do. Everything else is a waste of time.'
Several players have overcome injuries to reach this point, including Tadhg Furlong, Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones, Blair Kinghorn, Hugo Keenan, and Tommy Freeman. Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park, who never expected to wear a Lions jersey, add to the squad's depth of character.
