Wales flanker Jac Morgan plans to make his mark in Saturday’s pivotal second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after Joe McCarthy’s injury forced a reshuffle to the British & Irish Lions' matchday squad.
McCarthy’s set-back opened the door for Ollie Chessum to step into the starting XV in the second row, with Morgan brought onto the bench—an unexpected but potentially defining moment in his career.
With the Lions 1-0 up in the series, a win over Australia would seal a historic back-to-back triumph against the Wallabies, matching the success of 2013.
Like Morgan, for England forward Chessum, the chance to start such a monumental fixture isn’t one he takes lightly.
“This is everything you have ever dreamt of,” Chessum said.
“There’s no better time to walk towards the challenge – you’d be kicking yourself in years down the line if you didn’t.”
The MCG will provide a dramatic setting, with a near-capacity crowd of around 95,000 expected to watch the second Test.
The Wallabies, bolstered by the return of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, are desperate to level the series on home soil.
Morgan’s inclusion among the replacements marks a significant milestone for the 24-year-old, who now has the chance to impact one of the biggest fixtures of the modern era.
His call-up underlines the squad’s strength in depth and the high regard in which he’s held by Lions head coach Andy Farrell.
Meanwhile, Chessum—who has stepped up in McCarthy’s absence—knows this is the stage where reputations are made.
“This is where – and I can’t speak for everyone, although I am fairly sure I can – everyone wants to be: on the biggest stage with the chance to win a Lions series at an arena like the MCG in front of our families. There’s nothing better.”
“Australia are going to draw on every emotional aspect of this game that they can. They are 1-0 down in the series but they are at the MCG, in front of their fans, on their home soil with the series on the line.”
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Veteran lock and Lions captain Maro Itoje, set to earn his eighth Lions Test cap, echoed that warning and challenged his team to rise to the moment when the Wallabies inevitably produce some form of reaction to their generally docile display in Brisbane.
“We know we are not playing a pub team,” said Itoje.
“The Wallabies are a proper team... They are a team that can punish you if you don’t approach the game properly.”
Itoje, one of the few players in the squad on a third Lions tour, described the magnitude of the occasion and the importance of seizing the moment—not just for victory, but to create memories that will last a lifetime.
“You want to be a part of these huge occasions... the opportunity to do something that lives long in the memory, and create special memories with your friends and colleagues and family.
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"So, I try to focus on the opportunity.”
Chessum, for his part, expects a step up in physicality and energy from the opening Test—a match which saw flankers Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne set the tone with thunderous defensive work and breakdown dominance.
“They did a very good job of setting the intensity,” said Chessum.
“Sat on the bench, I’d been sat down for about 30 seconds when that first hit went in.
"We knew from then on that the tone was set for the game – for us and for them. I expect no different this week. I expect it to go up another level.”
And now, with Morgan primed and ready on the bench, that level may rise even higher.
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