Ringrose withdraws after being named in Lions side

Australia v British and Irish Lions, second Test

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground Date: Saturday 26 July Time: 11.00 BST

Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app with post-match analysis on BBC iPlayer, Radio 5 Live and the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

Having been picked in the British and Irish Lions team to face Australia in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, centre Garry Ringrose withdrew from the side after feeling the effects of concussion in training.

Head coach Andy Farrell's team includes a record nine Irishmen, with seven from Leinster, with bench spots given to Owen Farrell and Jac Morgan.

It was the Ringrose story that was the major talking point, though.

Selected in the team ahead of Huw Jones, the Irishman took himself out of the team after telling Andy Farrell that he was not right.

He also missed out on possible selection for the first Test because of a head injury.

Sione Tuipulotu, returning to his home city, has been left out in favour of Bundee Aki, so the Lions will line up with an Ireland-Scotland centre partnership as they seek to clinch the series with a game to spare.

Tuipulotu has a tight hamstring, but Aki may have started ahead of him in any event.

Aki and Jones start in the midfield for the first time since the Queensland Reds game.

Hugo Keenan keeps his place at full-back, as do the underperforming wings, Tommy Freeman and James Lowe.

Andrew Porter takes over from Ellis Genge at loosehead, a move possibly intended to beef up the Lions bench after its lack of impact in the 27-19 win in the first Test.

It is an all-Irish front row with Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.

With Joe McCarthy ruled out through injury, Ollie Chessum partners Maro Itoje at lock, with Farrell opting for the same back row that did such damage to the Wallabies on Saturday.

Morgan, the only Welshman in the squad, has been included among the replacements and will make his Test debut if and when he comes on at the MCG.

James Ryan, the Leinster lock, is also in, as are Farrell, who will cover fly-half and number 12, and Blair Kinghorn, who will cover full-back and wing.

Farrell and Itoje salute Ringrose

The first of Ringrose's head injuries came during the ACT Brumbies game in Canberra, and now he has suffered another blow and his Test hopes have been destroyed again.

"Garry was actually selected and unfortunately in training today he's had to pull out," said Farrell.

"It's head-related again. It was literally as I was walking off the field. He came to me and, once it's mentioned, that's that.

"So there was no incident. He was feeling good, well in advance of Tuesday, and fit and ready to play (against the First Nations and Pasifika XV).

"No incident through the game at all, nothing yesterday and nothing this morning at all. but with these type of things, players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away."

Ringrose's honesty and selflessness was an example to all players.

"It actually is," said Farrell. "I thought exactly the same the minute he mentioned it because it's tough to do that.

"It's very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open.

"It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100% - for the team as well, not just for Garry."

Captain Maro Itoje echoed Farrell's sentiments.

"Firstly, absolutely gutted for Garry," he said.

"I played against Garry at under-20s. To play with him and get to know him over the last couple of months has been a real privilege and honour.

"I'm gutted for him that he's in this position. But it shows the measure of the man to be so selfless.

"All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first. When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it."

Injury denies Tuipulotu 'fairytale' homecoming

A couple of times on this tour Tuipulotu has spoken about how much he was looking forward to returning to his hometown.

After his stellar performance in the first Test in Brisbane, the assumption was that he would be starting in Melbourne, but he is not in the 23.

"When you've got a little bit of a tight hamstring, it influences how you're possibly going to go, so we made the call to go with Bundee," said Farrell.

"He (Sione) will be absolutely gutted but he also knows that that's rugby. The fairytale is not always written.

"Sione's a team man. The same for anyone who's missed out on the squad through injury or not selected. To a man, every single one of them has been rowing forward by putting the team first."

On a new midfield combination that has not been used since the Queensland game, Farrell said of Jones and Aki: "They'll be good.

"At this stage of the tour - and well before this stage of the tour actually - the combinations have been absolutely fine together. So Bundee and Huw will hit it off exactly like any other type of partnership.

"Bundee and Sione are very similar in many ways - both direct and abrasive and combative-type characters and exactly what you want for go-forward and gainline success.

"On the other side of the ball, they're pretty good there as well, so very similar."

Farrell targets Lions history

The Wallabies welcome back heavy hitters Will Skelton and Rob Valetini along with hooker Dave Porecki.

Coach Joe Schmidt has gone with a 6-2 bench.

"We thoroughly believe that we're way better than what we showed [in the first Test], and we've got another chance to prove that," said Farrell.

"We're the privileged ones that get the opportunity to do something special and hopefully create a bit of history.

"There's a determined Australian side that's going to try and stop us doing that, so it's a hell of a test.

"No other Lions have done back-to-back victories of tours of the same country. So, due to the good work of the 2013 touring party, we get the privilege to be in a position to try and accomplish that."

Line-ups

Australia: Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Potter; Lynagh, Gordon; Slipper, Porecki, Alaalatoa, Frost, Skelton, Valetini, McReight, Wilson.

Replacements: Pollard, Bell, Robertson, Williams, Gleeson, Tizzano, McDermott, Donaldson.

British and Irish Lions: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Lowe; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Chessum, Beirne, Curry, Conan.

Replacements: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Ryan, Morgan, Mitchell, Farrell, Kinghorn.

Match officials

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)

Assistant Referee 2: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ)

TMO: Eric Gauzins (Fra)

Foul play review officer (FPRO): Marius Jonker (SA)