Wallabies team announced - George Smith is back

1. Robinson,
2. Moore,
3. Alexander,
4. Douglas,
5. Horwill (c),
6. Mowen,
7. Smith,
8. Palu

9. Genia,
10. O'Connor,
11. Tomane,
12. Leali'ifano,
13. Ashley-Cooper,
14. Folau,
15. Beale.

Bench: S.Fainga'a, Slipper, Kepu, Simmons, McCalman, Hooper, Phipps, Mogg.

Odd that Hooper's been benched, with Smith back that would have been a perfect pilfering combination.

Smith, the Aussies are going to love this.

I must say that in the Brumbies games Ive watched over the last couple of months hes been dynamic.

I'm stoked G. Smith is back. This is more than likely his last test for the Wallabies so he'll be going all out. His experience & leadership will be invaluable and he'll become the only Wallaby to play in 2 Lions series - and hopefully the 1st Wallaby to play in 2 series victories. The Lions drop one legend and we reinstate one. Personally, i think the Lions have missed a trick by not including Brian O'Driscoll, even on the bench. These are type of games are what players like O'Driscoll, Smith and McCaw are made for. Not sure about the 6/2 split on the bench though. We won't get any injuries in the backs will we Robbie? Never happened before has it?

Bad juju for the Lions.
Smith is a great player for Brumbies and for Wallabies.
Good on him if he helps clinch the series, though I hope not.

Aussies tight five is better than the Lions. Second rows under-powered. AWJ has captained Wales once. Aussies have back row playing in natural positions; we do not. Given that Warbuton is out, Tipuric is our natural 7.

BOD is our best back and best defender, and a Test match player beyond the talents of either centre. Not selected. No guile in the centres as a consequence.

Gatland and his coaching team have made an almighlty botch of selection, and all of them -Gatland, Farrell, Howley and Rontree - have the dimunition of the Lions on their shoulders.

Australia play the Grand Slam in the autumn internationals. Looking forward to each and everyone of them.

Galtand, to my surprise, has sacrificed the Lions to his CV. He will be forever unforgiven come Win, Lose or Draw. He has quite clearly demonstrated that he has no connection with the tradition of the Lions.

The Lions is a throwback, yes; but one, in the prefessional era, that has a connection with something that money won't buy. That's why the players and the fans connect so strongly with it.

The Lions have been poor on Tour and I don't see such a blinkered coach overcoming that performance.

Dropping BOD out of the 23 said it all. Oh, and BelowParling ...

Hopefully the Australians will be more settled after two games and stop the silly mistakes, knocks on and losing the ball in contact.

George Smith is a huge call. Retired from international rugby for 4 years. Hell of a player, but can he slip straight back into the squad?

Good luck to the bloke. Bit disappointed the new guys haven't stepped up to the plate, according to Deans, but smith's a defo warrior in the old fashioned class, he'll not be intimidated by any one or any occasions.

Do like the look of the backs now, Quade seems to now just be a memory, JOC I'm sure will settle more naturaly into the 5/8th slot, and Beale's head is in the right place now.

That's a pretty big Lions side we're facing, with strong players in every position. Hopefully we can make a few line breaks early in the game and get the guys settled. I think we can match the Lions toe to toe in a frontal game, but only for about 58 minutes, cause the Lion's bench has more power coming on we haven't.

go the wallabies!!!

you have to concede that for one thing Deans is consistent.

He has decided to stick with James O'Connor at fly half, for me O'Connor is one of those rare talents, but as an individual and not as a man who must control a match from 10. He should be in the back three where he has space and time and less responsibility, where he is allowed to weave magic from deep.

Also don't see why Hooper had to be dropped, if Deans thinks George Smith on his own is going to make a difference at the breakdown, then he is sadly mistaken.

As Hooper had to perform as a lone ranger last weekend, the same will happen to Smith, if the rest of the forwards don't stand up.

Well I think the forwards have done their bit, it has not been the pushover some Lions supporters have predicted ( so far!! ). but Hooper's on the bench, am hoping deans can see quite early if his call is correct, and if smith is outplayed, have the nous to bring hooper back in, even if in the 1st 20 minutes.

Though I have to confess that I like smith, I think he was one of the last of the line of Wallabies that other sides had respect for and knows he can't be bullied out of a game, and i think he's a very clean player for a flanker. Doesn't come across as a big dude (in the forwards world) but manages a lot of steals.