Bowe Returns From Injury to Start Second Test

 Ulster’s Tommy Bowe has completed a remarkable return from injury and will start the second test for the Lions against Australia after replacing Wales wing Alex Cuthbert. Bowe suffered a broken hand against the Queensland Reds and was expected to miss the rest of the tour. However he has made a remarkable recovery and will start on the wing as the Lions bid to make history by winning their first series since 1997.

 Bowe, who played in all three tests during the 2009 tour to South Africa, spoke of the emotional rollercoaster he has experienced during the tour. He said "It has been a real roller-coaster few weeks and I've done everything and anything to try to get it fixed. I've been taking protein shakes, calcium tablets, omega tablets and vitamins as well as having constant icing and physio two, three or four times a day. To go from seeing the fracture put up on the board, the X-Ray, to be shown the fracture spiral right through the bone and be told that that's pretty much my tour over to being told by the surgeon that he's had guys come back within three weeks was emotional. But that enabled me to get back for selection for the second Test. Then I had to go through all the physio and everything else to try and get myself back and available. It has been a bit of a roller coaster”.

 However Bowe was delighted that his hard work had paid off and that he would have the chance to pull on the Lions jersey in a test once again, with the chance of making history. He said "These are the sort of games that you want to be involved in. You play your career in rugby to play in big games. Getting injured is the hardest part of professional sport. Whenever you get picked to play in a match like this it makes it all worth it - as long as you win. That's the big thing and that's the motivation for us this weekend. The boys did all the hard work last weekend, it's the second half now and we need to come out with a good performance".

 Bowe was one of five changes to the team which won the first test in Brisbane. In the front and second row there were enforced changes with Mako Vunipola replacing the injured Alex Corbisiero at prop and Geoff Parling replacing another casualty in Paul O’Connell. Meanwhile in the back row Dan Lydiate comes in replacing Tom Croft, who moves to the bench to cover both the second row and the back row. The final change to the team came at scrum half with Ben Youngs replacing Mike Phillips after the Welshman’s poor showing in the first test.

Full Team: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 George North, 10 Jonny Sexton, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Adam Jones, 4 Alun Wyn Jones, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton, 8 Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Ryan Grant, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Sean O'Brien, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Alex Cuthbert