Ireland full-back Geordan Murphy has finally been handed a Test opportunity for the Lions and will start alongside Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan and Simon Easterby in Saturday's series finale against the All Blacks.
Wings Jason Robinson and Shane Williams have been dropped for the final Test at Eden Park with Murphy and Mark Cueto handed their Test debuts.
Head coach Clive Woodward has made five changes, including the positional switch of Josh Lewsey from full-back to left wing, following last weekend's 48-18 second Test thumping in Wellington.
Woodward's other changes were enforced though, with England veteran Will Greenwood getting the nod ahead of Shane Horgan to replace Gavin Henson to partner skipper Gareth Thomas in midfield, and Stephen Jones taking over from fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
Henson and Wilkinson are both suffering from so-called "stingers' in their shoulder/neck areas, while a list of other players who couldn't be considered because of injuries include Charlie Hodgson, Ben Kay, Simon Shaw and Gordon D'Arcy.
Captain Thomas did not train today 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, and six players - O'Connell, Lewsey, Thomas, Dwayne Peel, Gethin Jenkins and Julian White - will have started all three Tests.
Defeat for the Lions on Saturday would consign them to a 3-0 series whitewash, completing their worst set of Test results since 1983.
"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.
"It was also very tough on Shane Horgan, who I was thinking about starting with. 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.
"We've got one game to go. It is obviously a huge Test match for this side, and we would sincerely like to finish the tour with a win against New Zealand on Saturday.
"It was a case of getting everyone well-rested and just making the right calls after the Tuesday night game against Auckland," he added. "The atmosphere in the camp is excellent. We are all very disappointed about the Test results, but it is just a massive opportunity for everyone involved. You don't get many chances to play New Zealand, and we've picked the strongest team we can put out."
British and Irish Lions: 15-Geordan Murphy (Ireland), 14-Mark Cueto (England), 13-Will Greenwood (England), 12-Gareth Thomas (captain, Wales), 11-Josh Lewsey (England); 10-Stephen Jones (Wales), 9-Dwayne Peel (Wales); 8-Ryan Jones (Wales), 7-Lewis Moody (England), 6-Simon Easterby (Ireland), 5-Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 4-Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland); 3-Julian White (England), 2-Steve Thompson (England), 1-Gethin Jenkins (Wales).
Replacements: 16-Shane Byrne (Ireland), 17-Graham Rowntree (England), 18-Martin Corry (England), 19-Martyn Williams (Wales) 20-Matt Dawson, 21-Ronan O'Gara (Ireland), 22-Shane Horgan (Ireland).