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THOMPSON SUFFERS TEST KO
Picture
Thompson - misses final Test (Getty Images).

Lions hooker Steve Thompson has been forced out of the third Test against New Zealand in Auckland because of illness.

The England forward is suffering from a viral problem and will be replaced in the starting line-up by Ireland's Shane Byrne.

With Byrne promoted off the bench, Scotland's Gordon Bulloch - the Lions' midweek captain - now features among the replacements.

The loss of Thompson is a huge blow to head coach Sir Clive Woodward, whose team will be whitewashed if they lose for a third successive weekend.

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 Byrne (Leinster and Ireland), 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: G Bulloch (Glasgow and Scotland), 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).

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