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WORLD SPORT

Lions make seven changes for Test

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Woodward has been under pressure after the first Test defeat in Christchurch.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- The British and Irish Lions have made seven changes to their starting line up for Saturday's second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

Coach Clive Woodward reacted to their heavy defeat in the opening Test by introducing Welsh pair Gavin Henson and Shane Williams, who scored five tries in Tuesday's rout of Manawatu.

Jonny Wilkinson has moved back to flyhalf and there are five changes in the forwards who performed below expectations last weekend.

"Clearly things were not right last Saturday night and it was time to shake things up," Woodward told a news conference.

"We made errors, we made mistakes and we've got to fix it very, very quickly and I think this sends the right message to the whole squad."

Woodward was heavily criticised for his selections in the first Test but, in need of a win to keep the three-Test series alive, he has once again kept faith in the English players who won the 2003 World Cup, awarding them nine of the 22 places in the squad.

Six Nations champions Wales provided eight players to the squad while five Irishmen were chosen. There were none from Scotland.

Woodward had to reshuffle his backline to accommodate the loss of his captain Brian O'Driscoll who dislocated his shoulder in the 21-3 defeat in Christchurch.

The experiment of playing Wilkinson at inside centre has been abandoned after one match while the new skipper, Welshman Gareth Thomas, has moved from the wing to outside centre.

Josh Lewsey and Jason Robinson also switched positions, with Lewsey at fullback and his fellow Englishman back on the wing.

Inside centre Henson and winger Williams, who were both controversially left out of the first Test, were the new faces in the backline.

Scrumhalf Dwayne Peel was the only back to retain his starting position while Stephen Jones, one of the stars of the Welsh team that won this year's Six Nations, was the lone casualty in the backs, dumped to the bench to make way for Wilkinson.

Hooker Shane Byrne paid the price for his erratic throwing in the first Test. The Irishman lost his spot to England's Steve Thompson, while the English trio of Neil Back, Ben Kay and Martin Corry were also axed.

Lewis Moody replaced Back at openside flanker, Irishman Donncha O'Callaghan took Kay's spot at lock while Welshman Ryan Jones won the number eight shirt at the expense of Corry.

Simon Easterby, of Ireland, was also added to the starting side replacing Richard Hill at blindside flanker after the Englishman injured his knee in Christchurch.

Byrne, Corry and Jones were all relegated to the bench and Kay and Back were dropped altogether. Graham Rowntree, Matt Dawson and Shane Horgan retained their spots among the reserves while Martyn Williams was added to the replacements after Danny Grewcock was suspended for biting.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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