Combined Country v British & Irish Lions, Newcastle
O'Driscoll skippers Lions in Newcastle
ESPN Staff
June 8, 2013
The Lions' Brian O'Driscoll stretches the Force defence, Western Force v British & Irish Lions, Patersons Stadium, Perth, June 5, 2013
Brian O'Driscoll captains the Lions for the second time this tour © Getty Images
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British & Irish Lions boss Warren Gatland has rung the changes for Tuesday's game against the Combined Country side in Newcastle and has handed the captain's armband to Brian O'Driscoll.

O'Driscoll skippered the team against the Western Force and he gets the captaincy a second time in a much-changed line-up from the one that faced the Reds on Saturday. It was a bruising encounter for Gatland's men with Tommy Bowe looking to have suffered a tour-ending injury but the coach has opted to retain three players who started that clash in Brisbane.

Stuart Hogg shifts to fly-half to allow Sean Maitland to come into the side at fullback while Alex Cuthbert retains his place on the right wing. O'Driscoll starts at outside centre and will reunite with Jamie Roberts for the first time since the duo formed a devastating combination during the 2009 Lions tour. George North, who impressed off the bench against the Reds having replaced centre Manu Tuilagi, is on the other flank while Ireland's Conor Murray partners Hogg at half-back.

Alex Corbisiero is handed his first start of the tour at loose-head with Richard Hibbard and Dan Cole lining up alongside him. Richie Gray, who also started against the Reds, is named in the second-row with Ian Evans handed the No.5 shirt. And in the back-row, Justin Tipuric, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip all start.

On the bench, Ryan Grant is named after he flew in to replace Gethin Jenkins who was recently ruled out of the remainder of the tour with a calf injury.

Lions: Sean Maitland, Alex Cuthbert, Brian O'Driscoll (captain), Jamie Roberts, George North, Stuart Hogg, Conor Murray; Alex Corbisiero, Richard Hibbard, Dan Cole, Richie Gray, Ian Evans, Sean O'Brien, Justin Tipuric, Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: Rory Best, Ryan Grant, Matt Stevens, Alun-Wyn Jones, Toby Faletau, Mike Phillips, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny

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