by So much for the winners of the British and Irish lion-it-all ambitions. For the first time on this tour you lost a game in Australia and Precious Little has planned a dirty night in Sydney. Instead, the Wallabies, which ended the series on a high and a lightning storm delay, ended medium-sized lightning delay to end the hopes of a 3-0-toaubery sweep.
The Lions also had to deal with an increasingly wild injury fee, in which they had lost their captain Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman and James Ryan to failed ratings for head injuries before both teams were instructed to leave the field as security provision. The score was 8-0 in favor of the hosts when the game was stopped at 9.12 a.m. and the game was closed for 38 minutes.
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A subsequent 61st minute attempt by Jac Morgan gave the Löwen the weakest shimmer of hope, but it was the wallabies who, as the moist but refreshing winners, with the kind permission of Dylan Pietsch and second half of Max Jorgensen and Tate McDermott. Will Stuarts Last GASP score for the Lions was the slimest consolation.
Joe Schmidt’s side was not only better to deal with the conditions, but also more tactically more intelligently and in hardly any stage the Lions saw their first clean sweep on a multi-test lions tour since 1927.
Remarkably, this was the second time in so many weeks that a friendly for lightning was set. The Australia Wales Women’s International in Brisbane was interrupted similarly last month. The weather was wild all day, turned the male ferry into a roller coaster ride and soaked the audience on the way to the game.
However, Australia should not be distracted from the present task and, after only seven minutes, had a try on the board, a no-look pass from Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, who gave the eager Pietsch the chance to dive into the left corner.
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The Lions had the chance to answer almost immediately, but a turnover from Billy Pollard prevented them from converting a promising position deep in the house 22. The called Taniela Tupou also enjoyed a certain success and the net result was a frustrating first half hour for visitors.
The Wallabies not only enjoyed more territory and possessions, but also wanted the serenity of their opponents. Both captains were instructed to control their players by the Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli. When Fin Russell could not grasp a slippery ball and the lions were punished again on the following scrum, this summarized their problematic start.
The view was worse. Itoje never leaves the pitch for no good reason, so that his departure was a setback after an evaluation of the head injury. When he did not return, Ollie Chessum left it to keep the fort together with Ryan, with Dan Sheehan took over the captain.
Australia was also forced into a redesign when Tom Lynagh, after extending his team by another three points, gave up a difficult goal from Sheehan and then failed his Hia. The hike to the medical area became increasingly a procession, although Freeman did not return.
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However, the most coherent blow of the property was the one who suffered from Ryan who bent down to tackle the massive will and was rewarded with a disgusting knee on the head. The game was stopped for a considerable period before Ryan was finally put into a medical car and driven away.
If the Lions hope that the lightning break would change the rhythm of the competition, unfortunately you should be wrong. Twelve minutes after the restart of Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn, tried to shovel the ball to the left wing, but it went to the ground, and the Pacy Jorgensen showed, not for the first time in the series, its predatory qualities to exceed the cover. Morgan’s consolation at least made sure that the lions were not kept goalless for the first time since 1983, but a defiant Australian team could not be denied.
There were also some encouraging off-Field messages for the guest nation, with the managing director of Lions, Ben Calverse, informed a room before the game with top officials and VIPs that the touring team would definitely return to Australia in the future. Quite how high it is remains to be seen, but financially a test series still has obvious attraction.
The Wallabies can now also say that since then at the 2023 World Cup, he has made considerable progress in the field. Build on this moral result and you could still be in half -way form by the next edition 2027.
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First, in South Africa you have two consecutive tests in South Africa this month, starting in Johannesburg on Saturday week. A big loss, should you materialize, would clearly bring the overall result of this series into the right perspective, but maybe it is now the springboocs that may have to be vigilant.
As for the Lions, this tour at least underlined the continued stimulus of the brand. While the average age of the red of red continues to increase at every test event, it never gets old to enlarge Australia in any kind of sports series. However, this last stumbling was not an opportunity to remember a great affection.
Australia: Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Pietsch; Lynagh, white; Slipper, Pollard, Tupou, Frost, Skelton, Hooper, Mcreight, Wilson. Replacement: Paenga-Amosa, Bell, Nonggorr, Williams, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Kellaway.
Attempts: Pietsch, Jorgensen, McDermott. Disadvantages: Donaldson 2nd Pen: Lynagh.
British and Irish lions: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Kinghorn; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Shehan, Furlong, Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Curry, Conan. Replacement: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Chess, Morgan, Earl, Mitchell, Farrell. Tries: Morgan, Stuart. Disadvantages: Russell.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
