Ollie Chessum has urged the British and Irish Lions to leave Melbourne Cricket Ground with no regrets ahead of their second Test with Australia on Saturday. 

The Lions took a 1-0 series lead with a 27-19 triumph in Brisbane last week, knowing a victory here would give them an unassailable advantage. 

It would place Andy Farrell's team alongside the teams from 1997 and 2013 to claim a successful tour away from home in the professional era. 

But Chessum, who has replaced the injured Joe McCarthy in the second row, insisted that Australia will be a different animal with the series at stake this weekend. 

Joe Schmidt's side have also been boosted by the returns of influential forwards Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, who missed the first Test through injury. 

"This is everything you have ever dreamt of," said Chessum. "There's no better time to walk towards the challenge – you'd be kicking yourself in years down the line if you didn't.

"This is where – and I can't speak for everyone, although I am fairly sure I can – everyone wants to be.

"On the biggest stage with the chance to win a Lions series at an arena like the MCG in front of our families. There's nothing better.

"Australia are going to draw on every emotional aspect of this game that they can.

"They are 1-0 down in the series but they are at the MCG, in front of their fans, on their home soil with the series on the line.

"We know they’re going to throw the kitchen sink at us and there's a real statement in the team they've named as well.

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"Maro (Itoje, captain) said it to us earlier in the week – what we produced last Saturday will not be good enough this Saturday.

"There's a whole different beast coming down the road, and we'll have to front up and tackle it head on."

Tom Curry justified his selection with an outstanding performance in the first Test, with the Lions' victory also built on the display of fellow flanker Tadhg Beirne. 

"They did a very good job of setting the intensity. Sat on the bench, I'd been sat down for about 30 seconds when that first hit went in," Chessum said.

"We knew from then on that the tone was set for the game – for us and for them. I expect no different this week. I expect it to go up another level."