Larkham withdrawal tilts balance in tourists' favour

First blood to the underdogs. The world champions of Australia were forced to give up on a world-class talent in Stephen Larkham yesterday, while the Lions continued to insist that Jonny Wilkinson, their own organiser-in-chief, would take the field at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium for tomorrow's third and decisive Test. Larkham's absence is a grievous blow to the Wallabies, just as Wilkinson's presence will be of priceless benefit to the tourists. Major series have turned on less.

Larkham was withdrawn from the Wallabies' starting line-up when nerve trouble in the upper arm prevented him training for the third day in succession. He will be replaced by Queensland's Elton Flatley – a very decent performer in his own right, if not remotely as inventive as his superior. At the same time, the hosts also ruled out David Giffin, their tough and combative second row. Giffin, suffering from shoulder trouble following last weekend's highly physical Test in Melbourne, gives way to a second ACT Brumbies lock, the uncapped Justin Harrison.

All this was grist to the Lions' mill. "Numbers nine and 10 will be central to the outcome of this game," said Matthew Dawson, the Northampton scrum-half and noted tour diarist, "and I think the Wallabies will miss Larkham, who, with George Gregan, got everything right in Melbourne last weekend. Mind you, these team changes have their disadvantages. I was hoping for a sleep this afternoon, but I suppose I'll have to stay up and watch a few videos of Flatley."

Shaken by the reaction to his now notorious newspaper criticism of the Lions hierarchy, Dawson was unusually subdued yesterday. "I don't think my loyalty to this team, or to the Lions cause, has been called into question," he pronounced, before adding: "This is not the time or the place to reflect on what happened, or to explore my relationship with the management. The chapter is closed." The fact that Dawson himself erred in terms of both time and place by talking out of school on the morning of the first Test in Brisbane appeared to have slipped his memory.

He will, however, be forgiven most things if he can re-scale the heights he reached in South Africa four years ago. His game-breaking try in Cape Town has an honoured place in Lions lore, and his unshakeable defence in Durban a week later helped the tourists complete the most unlikely of victories. Dawson may be too cocksure for his own good at times, but he remains one of the boldest competitors in the world game. Tomorrow's tussle with the outstanding and equally cussed Gregan will be a highlight of the series.

"I feel I've performed reasonably in the last couple of midweek matches, which tend to be extremely physical – especially for a scrum-half, who is often the target of attention," he said. "Yes, I was disappointed at missing the first two Tests. But I have an opportunity now, and it doesn't worry me in the slightest that I'm in because of an injury to Rob Howley. I am always confident of raising my game.

"In my view, this Lions party has more individual talent than the '97 side, and when we get things right, we are also better technically. In '97, we had a fantastic ability to stick together and fight it out. It might well come down to that at Stadium Australia and if it does, I think the true character of this team will reveal itself. I'm not sure whether victory would be a greater achievement than that of four years ago, but there is certainly something special about being involved in a winner-take-all game."

The Australians have drafted James Holbeck, the Brumbies wing, onto their bench following the promotion of Flatley. Meanwhile, the Lions management confessed to minor concerns over the Irish centres, Rob Henderson and Brian O'Driscoll, and the Welsh No 8, Scott Quinnell. All three are expected to take the field.

AUSTRALIA (v Lions, Third Test, Sydney, tomorrow): M Burke (NSW); A Walker (ACT), D Herbert (Queensland), N Grey (NSW), J Roff (ACT); E Flatley (Queensland), G Gregan (ACT); N Stiles (Queensland), M Foley (NSW), R Moore (NSW), J Harrison (ACT), J Eales (Queensland, capt), O Finegan (ACT), G Smith (ACT), T Kefu (Queensland). Replacements: B Cannon (NSW), B Darwin (ACT), M Cockbain (Queensland), D Lyons (NSW), C Whitaker (NSW), J Holbeck (ACT), C Latham (Queensland).