The betting shows Australia the favourites at $1.77 and we think that’s probably fair: we’ve been impressed by the resilience of the Wallabies to both the pressure heaped on them before the series and to the intense physicality of the Lions. It was only a string of injuries in the first Test in Brisbane, and the chaos it caused in their organisation, that took the momentum away from the men in green and gold, and we think that the pendulum has swung back their way.

But there’s only a single point separating the two teams over 160 minutes of brutally intense Test Rugby. And the Lions are sitting at $2.05 to leave Australian shores with the spoils they came for in the first place – a first series win of the century. It could be a brave man who bets against the men in red on Saturday.

Take a look at some of the markets on offer: Hollywood scriptwriters might be keen to bet at $1.5o that the last score of the game will be a penalty, but would you take last-minute try drama at $2.87? It could easily come down to the boots of Lealiifano and Halfpenny: you’ll get $2.00 for Lealiifano to outscore his kicking rival, $1.83 if it’s Halfpenny who takes the most points out of the pair.

We’ll be watching the game, along with lots of other rugby fans in Australia and in Europe!

Israel Folau starts on the right wing, after switching codes from rugby league and trying his arm at Australian football.
Christian Leali’ifano is picked ahead of Pat McCabe at inside centre and Ben Mowen starts at blind-side flanker.

Folau can be backed at odds of $13.00 to be first tryscorer and at odds of $3.60 to score a try at anytime.

Furthermore James O’Connor makes only his second test, lining up at fly-half starts at fly-half, with the troubled Kurtley Beale on the bench. Following his treatement for alcohol related issues, and the punching of two of his Rebels team-mates, Beale has only played one game of club rugby, but his undoubted talent sees him on the bench.

The Lions themselves have picked Alex Corbisiero for the first test after he wasn’t even in the original starting tour party.

The British & Irish Lions are favourites to win the first test at odds of $1.58, with Australia at odds of $2.50. The line is 3.5 points.

Sportsbet have a massive array of markets available, including the excellent ‘choose your own line’ market.

The full line ups are:

Australia starting 15: Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs); Israel Folau (NSW), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW), Christian Leali’ifano (ACT Brumbies), Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds); James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), Will Genia (Reds); Benn Robinson (NSW), Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), James Horwill (Reds – capt), Kane Douglas (NSW), Ben Mowen (ACT), Michael Hooper (NSW), Wycliff Palu (NSW).

Replacements: Saia Fainga’a (Reds), James Slipper (Reds), S Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Reds), Liam Gill (Reds) Nick Phipps (Rebels), Pat McCabe (ACT), Kurtley Beale (Rebels).

British & Irish Lions starting 15: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales); Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), Jonathan Davies (Wales), George North (Wales); Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales); Alex Corbisiero (England), Tom Youngs (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Tom Croft (England), Sam Warburton (Wales, capt), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland).

Replacements: Richard Hibbard (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Dan Cole (England), Geoff Parling (England), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Ben Youngs (England), Owen Farrell (England), Sean Maitland (Scotland).