Lions Test rookie Mark Cueto has rallied the battered tourists for one final effort, and declared: "We don't want to go away from New Zealand having not won a Test match."

A Lions defeat at Eden Park on Saturday would consign the Lions to a 3-0 series whitewash, completing their worst set of Test results since 1983.

Cueto, who scored eight tries in eight England Tests last season but only gained Lions selection when Iain Balshaw withdrew injured, replaces his Sale Sharks team-mate Jason Robinson.

That is one of a handful of changes following last weekend's 48-18 All Blacks thumping.

Wings Robinson and Shane Williams have been dropped, with Lions head coach Clive Woodward switching Josh Lewsey from full-back to left wing and calling up Will Greenwood and Stephen Jones as respective replacements for injured duo Gavin Henson and Jonny Wilkinson.

Henson and Wilkinson are both suffering from so-called 'stingers' in their shoulder and neck areas, while a list of other players who could not be considered because of injuries include Charlie Hodgson, Ben Kay, Simon Shaw and Gordon D'Arcy.

Cueto and Irish full-back Geordan Murphy are handed their Lions Test debuts, and Cueto, for one, is determined to seize the moment.

"At the start of the international season, there was a 60-man England training squad named and I wasn't in that, but I managed to force my way in later on and I went on to play Test match rugby," he said.

"This is more of the same, really. I am just trying to do the things I know I am capable of, keep my head down and get on with it.

"Tuesday night against Auckland was almost my last chance, really.

"I put the Test match completely out of mind - I never really expected to be involved in it - and I sort of said to myself that Auckland was my last game of the season, let's give it a crack.

"You have just got to keep going. At the end of the day, you can moan and groan about selection, but the quality of player here speaks for itself, really.

"No-one can expect to be on that team-sheet, you've got to earn it and work for it.

"I think everyone knew they were going to get chances on the field, with the midweek games and everything, and it was a case of waiting and taking your chance.

"It is fantastic, the pinnacle of any rugby player's career, and it is no different for me. It is going to be a special occasion."

Robinson, who has struggled to make an impact on his second Lions tour, was among the first to shake Cueto's hand.

"Jason is a great mate of mine, we chat a lot," said Cueto.

"There are always highs and lows to anyone's career, and he's been there for me over the last four years at Sale.

"We have become good friends. He's there for me when I need him, and I am there for him when he needs me."

With the All Blacks suffering as many injuries as the Lions - Dan Carter, Aaron Mauger, Leon MacDonald and Richie McCaw are among their casualties - Saturday's battle could be a case of last man standing.

But Cueto wants the Lions backs to show their capabilities in a series so far dominated by New Zealand's attacking glitterati.

"A lot of credit must go to the All Blacks," he added. "They have been absolutely outstanding, and it has been brilliant to be able to watch them play such good rugby. From our point of view, I think we can learn a lot from them.

"But we've got the ability, we've got the talent out there - the game-breakers - in our backs to do the same. We've got to go out with the mentality we can do that, and we will do that.

"Generally, we've not got as much ball as we would have liked, but that is testament to how good the All Blacks have been.

"Hopefully, we can change things around this weekend, get a bit of decent ball and show what we can do."

Woodward, who largely ignored Cueto during his reign as England coach, believes the Sale speedster deserves his chance.

"Geordan Murphy has had a very good tour, and he was genuinely unlucky not to be included in one of the first two Tests, and I think the same applies to Mark Cueto, especially the way he played in midweek against Auckland," said Woodward.

"It was very tough on Shane Williams and Jason Robinson, but I think considering we were 2-0 down in the series, it was right to give a couple of players the chance who had been performing very well.

"Nothing against Jason Robinson or Shane Williams, I just believed these two players deserved a go.

"I am looking forward to seeing Cueto having a go, he is certainly one of the form European wingers, and he now gets his chance on the biggest stage.

"The thing I have always tried to get across to Mark that it is not just a case of standing on the wing.

"I think we need far more out of that, but to see the way he got a lot of the ball against Auckland, got himself into good positions, covered well and kicked well, was good.

"He has done it with England, it is just interesting to see whether he can do it now with the Lions."

Captain Gareth Thomas did not train on Thursday as he continues his recovery from a virus, but Woodward is confident he will be fully fit in time for the Test.

The pack is unchanged from Wellington last weekend, and six players - Lewsey, Thomas, Dwayne Peel, Gethin Jenkins, Julian White and Paul O'Connell - will have started all three Tests.

Teams

New Zealand: M Muliaina (Auckland Blues); R Gear (Canterbury Crusaders), C Smith (Wellington Hurricanes), T Umaga (Wellington Hurricanes, capt), S Sivivatu (Waikato Chiefs); L McAlister (Auckland Blues), B Kelleher (Waikato Chiefs); T Woodcock (Auckland Blues), K Mealamu (Auckland Blues), G Somerville (Canterbury Crusaders), C Jack (Canterbury Crusaders), A Williams (Auckland Blues), J Collins (Wellington Hurricanes), R So'oialo (Wellington Hurricanes), S Lauaki (Waikato Chiefs).

Replacements: D Witcombe (Auckland Blues), C Johnstone (Canterbury Crusaders), J Ryan (Otago Highlanders), M Holah (Waikato Chiefs), J Marshall (Canterbury Crusaders), N Evans (Otago Highlanders), D Howlett (Auckland Blues).

Lions: G Murphy (Leicester and Ireland); M Cueto (Sale Sharks and England), W Greenwood (Harlequins and England), G Thomas (Toulouse and Wales, capt), J Lewsey (Wasps and England); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne and Wales), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets and Wales); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues and Wales), S Thompson (Northampton and England), J White (Leicester and England), D O'Callaghan (Munster and Ireland), P O'Connell (Munster and Ireland), S Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets and Ireland), L Moody (Leicester and England), R Jones (Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Wales).

Replacements: S Byrne (Leinster and Ireland), G Rowntree (Leicester and England), M Corry (Leicester and England), M Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), M Dawson (Wasps and England), R O'Gara (Munster and Ireland), S Horgan (Leinster and Ireland).

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa).

Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia) and Mark Lawrence (South Africa).