“Wrong changes” – Five alterations McGeechan would make to Gatland’s Lions XV

Gatland has made six changes to his starting team after the Lions’ heavy loss in the second test, with most of those coming in the back three and the front row.

However, former Lions coach McGeechan revealed in his column for that he’d have liked further alterations.

"So I have enormous admiration for what Gats has achieved when push comes to shove in one of the most high-pressure situations any rugby coach will find themselves.

"Yet I have to confess that he has made several selectorial decisions which are very different to those I would have made."

Check out the changes McGeechan would have made with his revised XV at the end.

McGeechan said: "The most puzzling forward selection is Owens, who had a torrid time at the lineout last week. If the Lions are to win, they need to get tempo from the set-piece and in particular the lineout. I’d have put him on the bench and started with Jamie George, whose lineout throws are by far the most accurate.

McGeechan said: I would have liked to see the back five of the scrum changed at least a bit. Courtney Lawes has had one good half so I’d have started with Tadhg Beirne at No 6.

McGeechan said: "I’d have put Iain Henderson – the form tight forward in the early stages of the tour before Alun Wyn Jones arrived – on the bench with a view to bringing him on at half-time for Alun Wyn to add some mobility and ball-carrying."

McGeechan said: "’I'm puzzled at how Duhan van der Merwe has retained his place after last week’s performance. Sure, he’s kept Cheslin Kolbe pretty quiet and he put in that huge hit on Kwagga Smith that started the first Test fightback, but I’m worried about his defensive frailties."

McGeechan said: "In South Africa, to take the initiative you need a good kick-attack game and nobody does that better than Russell so I’d have started with him at stand-off, especially as he and Price have such an established partnership."

McGeechan said: "I’d probably have retained the pairing of Henshaw at 12, where he would see a good deal of the ball, and Chris Harris at 13, on the basis that he’s the Lions’ best defender."

McGeechan's Lions XV: Williams, Josh Adams, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Anthony Watson, Finn Russell, Ali Price; Wyn Jones, Jamie George, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (replaced by Iain Henderson at half-time), Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan