Martin Johnson visits Lions camp to fire up squad ahead of Second Test against Australia

Johnson, who led the Lions to test series glory in South Africa in 1997, and England to the 2003 Rugby World Cup trophy, shared his wisdom with the touring squad during a team dinner on Thursday night. His message was clear: focus on the basics, and don’t let emotions cloud decision-making in pressure moments.

“He talked about in the biggest of games, the fundamentals are incredibly important,” said Lions scrum coach John Fogarty. The Lions coach expressed how the room as “transfixed” by Johnson’s words. “He said, ‘it’s the smallest of margins in the biggest of games’.”

With the Lions leading the series 1-0 after a 27-19 win in Brisbane, a victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground would seal the tour. But with a almost 100,000 fans expected in the stands and a proud Wallabies side hungry for redemption, Johnson’s advice struck a chord.

“When you’re playing in front of 95,000 people in a stadium as iconic as this, and you’re under pressure, or you’re applying pressure, your emotions can go up and down,” Fogarty said.

“Being able to get back to neutral, or find a way to get clarity back in your mind in the shortest of times, is difficult at times for players. So I think that’s really important for us. It’s good advice.”

Acknowledging the intensity of what lies ahead, Fogarty added, “Tomorrow, we’re not going to get everything our own way. We understand what type of game, how big a game, it’s going to be for both teams, and we know it’s going to be a game of small margins.”

The Lions have made seven changes to their squad for Saturday’s clash, with Ollie Chessum, Andrew Porter, and Bundee Aki all named in the starting lineup. Huw Jones is a late addition to the Lions midfield, as Garry Ringrose self-withdrew from starting the second test, due to a concussion. The Lions head into the fixture riding a wave of momentum, having notched their seventh straight win on Aussie soil in the closer than expected 24-19 grind, against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday.

With rain in the forecast, another gritty, physical battle is anticipated in Melbourne.

“We don’t see this game in any way as one-sided,” said Fogarty. “We understand the proud tradition of Australian rugby, we understand they’re not going to go away at all. We’re preparing for an absolute battle.”