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Australia ran riot against the British and Irish Lions to gain a well-merited victory that ensured they didn’t end the series empty-handed.
Pietsch (7'), Jorgensen (54'), McDermott (70')
Tries
Morgan (61'), Stuart (79')
Donaldson (55', 71')
Conversions
Russell (62')
Lynagh (33')
Penalties
Australia ran riot against the British and Irish Lions to gain a well-merited victory that ensured they didn’t end the series empty-handed.
It was a brutal Wallabies performance inspired by scrumhalf Nic White on his final international appearance, and Will Skelton, whose power the Lions had few answers too.
Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen, and Tate McDermott scored the tries, and Tom Lynagh laned seven points from the tee.
Jac Morgan grabbed the Lions first try just after the hour mark, and Will Stuart scored another at the end.
The Lions can have few complaints. They were second best in everything they did on a rainy night in Sydney, during which the match stopped for 40 minutes with lightening in the area.
Andy Farrell’s team lost captain Maro Itoje and winger Tommy Freeman to head injury assessment (HIA) protocols and too often tried to force play in the wrong areas against a team that swarmed over the rucks and mauls and didn’t give Lions scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park a moment’s peace.
Australia will be left wondering what they could have done if they started the series better, but will go into the Rugby Championship with a win to their name and confidence growing.
COMING OUT SWINGING
Skelton showed he was in the mood early on when he swatted at Gibson-Park at an early ruck.
A scrum five metres out from a Tom Wright grubber gave the Wallabies the chance to attack and when the ball went wide Pietsch launched himself to the corner.
The heavens opened as the Lions were on the attack. They were already stuttering, and Lynagh came up with a huge tackle on Freeman that brought it to an end. The tourists were guilty of overplaying, which the rampaging Wallabies were happy to profit from, their gold shirts swarming everywhere.
Itoje lifted spirits with a big hit on Lynagh, but Bundee Aki was snared in a gang tackle. To add insult to injury they then won a penalty from the scrum.
Tempers flared on the 20-minute mark with referee Nika Amashukeli picking out Skelton and Andrew Ryan. The Lions marched forward 10 metres, but moments later Finn Russell coughed up possession with a knock-on.
STRETCHING THE LEAD
Soon enough Australia were back on the Lions line. Lynagh kicked to the corner, but the Lions defended it well.
Another Lions knock-on gave Australia a scrum five metres out. Again, the waves of Wallabies attacked, again they won a penalty. This time they took the straightforward kick.
It was a well-deserved lead for a team that played the conditions fantastically well. To rub salt into the wounds Itoje failed his Head Assessment Injury (HIA) test. Freeman too before halftime.
A Russell quick tap put the Lions on the attack, but there was a lack of support for the carrier, and it didn’t take long for Tom Hooper to win a huge turnover for the Wallabies.
Farrell came on for a bloodied Freeman, and stayed on, and the errors continued. Ollie Chessum missing Gibson-Park from a lineout catch. When the hooter went White was able to calmly kick to touch.
MORE OF THE SAME
Russell didn’t hang around with his first touch in the second half. He launched it high with Blair Kinghorn leading the chase. Another fracas broke out over the prone body of Ryan who had been left cold with a knee to the head.
Ryan wasn’t the only one going off. The teams joined him in the changing rooms with lighting storms overhead.
After the delay Taniela Tupou went on the charge but knocked on. The Lions won two penalties but coughed up two lineouts.
Errors continued. Huw Jones, now on the wing, picked up a Russell crosskick, raced into the Aussie half, then kicked straight to touch. The hosts were winning the kicking battle.
Jorgensen swooped on another mix-up and raced clear to cap an impressive series. It was the least they deserved.
LATE RALLY
Morgan’s score came after White took his leave, but a misplaced clearance put the Lions on the back foot straightaway. A penalty followed, they tried to maul over once, twice, and another penalty came.
Ronan Kelleher went to the sinbin, the Wallabies opted to scrum, and not long after White’s replacement McDermott squeezed through a gap and reached out to score his second of the series.
Stuart dotted down another consolation try at the death for the last word. The Lions can have no complaints about the result, but the Australians will wonder what would have happened if they had shown up in the first test.
The Lions win the series. They will go into the history books. Where the Wallabies go, remains to be seen.
Australia Starting XV (1-15) James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, Nic White, Tom Lynagh, Dylan Pietsch, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright
Australia Replacements (16-23) Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway
British & Irish Lions Starting XV (1-15) Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Bundee Aki, Huw Jones, Tommy Freeman, Hugo Keenan
British & Irish Lions Replacements (16-23) Ronan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell
