British and Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland believes victory in the second Test against Australia could prove a life-changing experience for his players.
The Lions will end 16 years of Test series hurt if they topple Australia under the 53,000-capacity Etihad Stadium’s closed roof.
Not since 1997 in South Africa have the Lions returned home from a tour triumphant but, after beating the Wallabies last weekend, that immense prize is now tantalisingly close.
Gatland readily accepts that tomorrow is about seizing the moment and he also knows the spin-offs could be considerable if it becomes a case of mission accomplished.
“Potentially, for a lot of them (players), winning on Saturday has the potential to change a lot of their lives in a positive way, the opportunities that may create,” he said.
“We just need to make them aware of potentially how important Saturday is and the Test series is. It’s that close.
“It (weight of expectation) is something we are well aware of, but you can’t let that weight of expectation dominate your performance in the game. It can’t consume us, and it is important it doesn’t do that.”
Gatland has boldly named a team showing five changes from the side that won 23-21 at Suncorp Stadium five days ago, with call-ups for Tommy Bowe, scrum-half Ben Youngs, prop Mako Vunipola, lock Geoff Parling and flanker Dan Lydiate.