58BOOTED OUT
Stars axed as Gatland takes huge gamble on Russell to cast a magic spell on Boks
WARREN GATLAND is gambling a series win on the joker in his pack while throwing away a pile of aces.
The British & Irish Lions head coach has made six changes to his starting line-up for the decisive third Test against the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
Big guns Owen Farrell, Anthony Watson, Tadhg Beirne, Chris Harris and Stuart Hogg are not even in the 23 and are reduced to carrying tackle bags this week.
But maverick Scotland fly-half Finn Russell, recovered from an
Achilles injury, is on the bench with instructions to go and win the Test in the last quarter. Wales’ Liam Williams, the self-styled ‘Bomb Defuser’ is in at full-back to thwart the Springboks’ aerial threat, as is wing Josh Adams, the top try-scorer on tour. And Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe is retained despite his yellow card and defensive struggles in the second Test.
Prop Kyle Sinckler will be on the bench, along with Exeter No.8 Sam Simmonds, after having his citing for biting in the 27-9 second-Test defeat dismissed.
Irish muscleman Bundee Aki joins Robbie Henshaw in midfield with the aim of battering the Bok pairing of Lukhanyo Am and Damian de Allende into submission.
Russell can win or lose you a game and Gatland might be betting the house on the
Racing 92 stand-off.
He said: “Finn is just back to full fitness – it has taken the whole tour but he adds something different.
“Hopefully in that second half when things loosen up we get some more ball-in-play time, get some tempo and he can come on and add to that.”
Ken Owens starts at hooker, with Luke Cowan-Dickie on the bench.
Wyn Jones, who missed the first two Tests with a shoulder injury, starts at prop, with Ali Price at scrum-half to inject tempo.
The Boks are without scrum-half Faf de Klerk and flanker PieterSteph du Toit who are both injured. Former Northampton No.9 Cobus Reinach starts and Franco Mostert shifts to the back row to cover Du Toit, with Sale’s Lood de Jager at lock.
Gatland said: “They will be two big losses for them. They are both world-class players and can have a big impact.
“It possibly changes the way we are going to look at things. With the way Faf defends, everything is on the edge and he is pretty feisty.”