Horne to step in for Long, reveals GB coach

Richard Horne will replace the absent Sean Long in the Great Britain team for their must-win Tri-Nations clash with Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Britain will be without the services of star backs Brian Carney and Long, the latter having returned home earlier this week citing personal reasons.

Carney, who suffered a hamstring injury when the Lions last squared off against the Kangaroos, has been left out of the side again for Saturday's match.

The NRL star had been expected to play against the Kiwis in Wellington last weekend but withdrew on Friday afternoon, after his injury flared up again in training.

Horne, who will fill in for Long at half-back, said: "I've been waiting a long time to get my opportunity and I'm looking forward to it.

"Sean (Long) is a big loss. But these things happen, and you've just got to get on with it and put it behind you and focus on what the team is now."

Gritty lock Sean O'Loughlin will return to the starting line-up this weekend, after missing Saturday's 34-4 defeat against the Kiwis.

Like Carney, O'Loughlin was a late withdrawal from Wellington with a suspected leg strain.

However, he returns to his regular position at the back of the scrum - which sees captain Jamie Peacock move back to the front row from the second row where he was forced to cover last week.

Centre Martin Gleeson also comes into the side at the expense of Kirk Yeaman, who has been named as the 18th man.

Head coach Brian Noble has also named youngster Garreth Carvell on a seven-man bench alongside Rob Burrow, with three players expected to be omitted later in the week.

Noble has revealed that he tried to talk Long out of quitting the tour.

"I spoke to him at length and tried to persuade him to stay," he said. "You try to counsel people but if they say they have personal reasons for wanting to go home you have to respect their feelings."

As the Lions maintained that Long, 30, had not been sent home for indiscipline, the player arrived in Manchester where he said: "I feel I let my teammates down but that I would have let them down worse if I had tried to play on. Now I just want to get home."

His wife Clair will shortly give birth to their second child.

Great Britain: Wellens, Pryce, Gleeson, Senior, Raynor; McGuire, Horne; Fielden, Newton, Peacock, Hock, Ellis, O'Loughlin.

Replacements (from): Roby, Morley, Gilmour, Wilkin, Yeaman, Carvell, Burrow.