Time for those famous final words.

"This is your Everest." - Jim Telfer, 1997.

"Be special for the rest of your lives." - Sir Ian McGeechan, 1997.

"We're taking them boys to the hurt arena." Andy Farrell, 2013.

Here we go, kick-off is just moments away.

Tom English
BBC Sport at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Teams introduced in-stadium, tight call between Finn Russell and Jac Morgan for the loudest roar. I'm giving it to Jac.

Image source, Getty Images

The Lions have won all seven matches they have played on Australian soil during the 2025 tour. No Lions side has gone unbeaten overseas in a tour since the 1974 trip to South Africa.

It was in South Africa in 1997 that the Lions most recently won the first two Tests of a series, while you have to go back to 1966 for the last time they did it against Australia.

Played eight, won seven, but the Lions remain undefeated on Australian soil.

22 July - First Nations and Pasifika XV 19-24 Lions, (Marvel Stadium in Melbourne)

19 July - Australia 19-27 Lions, (Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane)

12 July - Invitational AU & NZ 0-48 Lions, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval)

9 July - ACT Brumbies 24-36 Lions, Canberra (GIO Stadium)

5 July - NSW Waratahs 10-21 Lions, Sydney (Allianz Stadium)

2 July - Queensland Reds 12-52 Lions, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium)

28 June - Western Force 7-54 Lions, Perth (Optus Stadium)

20 June - Lions 24-28 Argentina, Dublin (Aviva Stadium)

Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Hi Luke - I agree, rugby is in a tough place here. I've covered a few tours in this great sporting country and it feels like union is under threat from league and Aussie Rules like never before. The Wallabies, and Australian rugby as a whole, are up against it.

But having said that, this tour comes round every 12 years, and it was clear the hosts were undercooked in Brisbane. Regardless of the congested sporting landscape, you do still wonder whether they have got their prep right.

Either way, I'm confident Australia will be much improved tonight and hopefully, if the Lions are to wrap up the series, they will have to work hard for it.

Bear with us Luke, Chris Jones is typing...

Mike Henson
BBC Sport

On the back row of an old team photo, chest puffed out with pride, stands Sione Tuipulotu.

Now a Lion, back then Tuipulotu, born and brought up in Melbourne, was representing Victoria's under-12 state team.

The ready smile and hefty build make him easy to pick out more than 15 years on.

The boy standing in front of him is less readily recognisable though.

The hair is shorter, the frame is slimmer, but Rob Valetini, the Wallabies' great second-Test hope, stares out of the same frame.

Had a few sliding doors lined up, Valetini and Tuipulotu could have been on the same side this weekend.

• Read more about hometown hero Valetini

Image source, Supplied

Lock Will Skelton and flanker Rob Valetini are back in the Australia starting XV to add an extra physical dimension that was lacking last week.

Elsewhere, Dave Porecki starts at hooker but the backline is unchanged with Tom Lynagh at fly-half and Len Ikitau and cross-code star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the midfield.

Back rower Langi Gleeson has recovered from injury and is on a bench that contains six forwards and two backs.

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

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport at Melbourne Cricket Ground

There's light rain here at the moment in Melbourne but the conditions are supposed to worsen with storms forecast by 21:00 local time.

A wet weather game could suit the Lions given they have the experience and power to control that sort of match. But pressure can do funny things to even the most experienced of players. If it does turn out to be a low-scoring contest then the value of each penalty, each decision at scrum or bouncing ball increases.

John Barclay
Former Scotland captain on BBC's Rugby Union Weekly

The 12s they have picked for this tour - Bundee Aki and Sione Tuipulotu - play completely differently to Owen Farrell.

If you put Farrell in there, the game plan has to change slightly.

Do you agree with the decision to put Owen Farrell on the bench for his first international in nearly two years?

Hit the thumbs.

Tom English
BBC Sport at Melbourne Cricket Ground

The folk with the roaming mic in the MCG are busy going around Lions fans and asking them to sing songs and make predictions. To these ears, they've all been Welsh so far. Bread of Heaven just got a blast from a group of tourists. The Welsh are everywhere! I spotted a Welshman in a kilt down around Flinders Street earlier on. A true Lion.

Ugo Monye
2009 British and Irish Lion on BBC's Rugby Union Weekly

I don't think Garry Ringrose fully understands how big a decision he's made.

It is massively selfless to take himself out of it - he was going to make his Test debut for the Lions.

Is there a greater example about the seriousness of concussion and how aware players are of it?

British and Irish Lions

British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell on Garry Ringrose's withdrawal: "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."

Lions captain Maro Itoje: "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."

Lauren Jenkins
BBC Sport at Melbourne Cricket Ground

On paper, the Lions should have much more cohesion than the Wallabies.

Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum have started together 16 times for England at lock, while the front row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong have started together 16 times for Ireland and 15 times for Leinster.

Although talking of Leinster, the Wallabies do have the scourge of the side Will Skelton returning to the second row. He has defeated Leinster in a Champions Cup final on three occasions with both La Rochelle and Saracens.

On Thursday it was revealed that after initially being named in the British and Irish Lions team, centre Garry Ringrose withdrew from the side after feeling the effects of concussion in training.

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.

Andy Farrell's team includes a record nine Irishmen, with seven from Leinster.

Bundee Aki is given the nod over Sione Tuipulotu, who misses out on playing to his home city

With Joe McCarthy ruled out through injury, Ollie Chessum partners Maro Itoje at lock, with Andrew Porter starting over Ellis Genge.

Owen Farrell, Jac Morgan and Blair Kinghorn are named on the bench after not being involved in the first Test.

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

Tom English
BBC Sport at Melbourne Cricket Ground

A reminder of the biggest ever crowds to watch the Lions, given that the record might well be broken tonight.

• Pretoria, 1968 - 75,000
• Johannesburg, 1974 - 75,000
• Sydney, 2013 - 83,702
• Sydney, 2001 - 84,188
• Johannesburg, 1955 - 90,000

They're now predicting 95,000 at the MCG. If that's true then it's going to be utterly staggering.