British and Irish Lions player ratings as they finish with a whimper

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

The British & Irish Lions have won their first Test series in 12 years but failed in their attempt to achieve a clean sweep on Australian soil.
Andy Farrell's side were second best by a country mile, and the 22-12 final scoreline flattered the tourists in a game which was stopped for 30 minutes after a lightning strike 10 kilometres from the stadium, reports Wales Online.
Tries from Dylan Pietsch, Max Jorgensen and Tate McDermott along with a combined seven points from the boots of Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson got the Wallabies over the line.
The Lions did score two tries courtesy of Jac Morgan and Will Stuart, with Finn Russell kicking two points.
Here are our player ratings. 15. Hugo Keenan 6
One of the Lions' better players and he was outstanding under the high ball in horrific conditions.
Keenan also looked composed with ball in hand but his kick out on the full after the Lions had just scored was costly as it handed momentum back to the Wallabies. 14. Tommy Freeman 5
Only lasted 38 minutes but was solid enough in the first-half.
Strong under the high ball and in defence, while there was one powerful carry into the Wallabies 22. 13. Huw Jones 4
Started well enough in the centre but moved out to the wing after Tommy Freeman's injury forcing a reshuffle in the backline.
Struggled in a position he hasn't played in for a long time and one kick out on the full when there was an unmarked guy on the inside summed his evening up. 12. Bundee Aki 3
Offered himself as a carrier but the Australia defence was more than a match for the Ireland centre.
A number of significant errors, in particular one where he spilled the ball forward just metres out from his own line to put the Lions under pressure.
His timing was also off and another split ball allowed Max Jorgensen to intercept and score. 11. Blair Kinghorn 5
A quiet game for the talented Scotland star who wasn't helped by the terrible conditions.
Did well under the high ball and in defence but little opportunity to show his worth with ball in hand. 10. Finn Russell 5
Looked flustered during the first-half and the biblical rain forced the Lions playmaker to spill a couple of passes.
Missed a tackle on Taniela Tupou early in the second-half and looked out of sorts despite the odd moment of class. 9. Jamison Gibson-Park 5
Not his finest game but was behind a beaten pack and was forced to play on the back foot.
Had a solid enough game but a scrum-half is only as good as the pack in front of him.
Outshone by his opposite number Nic White. 8. Jack Conan 5
Conan didn't lack effort, putting in 14 tackles and made more carries than any other Lions forward with nine.
But there was very little impact in his carry and struggled to make enough post contact metres. 7. Tom Curry 6
What a shift the Englishman has put in over the course of this Test series.
Curry finished the game as the top tackler with 20 and put his body on the line throughout.
But there were no trademark turnovers and he failed to slow down the speed of Australia's ruck ball. 6. Tadhg Beirne 6 (Star man)
The 33-year-old showed up well, winning a crucial penalty at the breakdown to relieve pressure in the first-half and played a crucial role in stopping Australia's maul metres short of the Lions line.
Beirne made 16 tackles and eight carries.
One of the Lions' better players. 5. James Ryan 5
The Irish lock was relentless in defence putting in 12 tackles and put his body on the line throughout.
Stood up well to the powerful Australia pack but was stretchered off the field after 43 minutes. 4. Maro Itoje 5
Put his body on the line during his 28 minutes on the field, putting in 12 tackles and leading from the front.
Struggled with the physicality of Australian second-rows Nick Frost and Will Skelton.
Led from the front but a failed HIA resulted in an early departure. 3. Tadhg Furlong 4
This was a special day for the Irish prop who made his ninth consecutive Test start for the Lions but he was very much second best at the scrum.
Made 13 tackles but did not make a single carry.
Will go down as a Lions legend but is on the wane. 2. Dan Sheehan 4
Sheehan was world class in the first two Tests and is undoubtedly one of the best hooker's on the planet but he was well below par in Sydney.
The lineout had been close to perfect in Brisbane and Melbourne but it fell apart in Sydney.
A hooker is primarily judged on the set-piece and he was fortunate not to receive a card for a dangerous clearout on Tom Lynagh. 1. Andrew Porter 4
Got given a torrid time at the scrum at the hands of the powerful Taniela Tupou.
He did put a big defensive shift in making 11 tackles but came second best at his primary job - the scrum. Replacements 16. Ronan Kelleher 4
Lineout continued to struggle once he came onto the field and received a yellow card 17. Ellis Genge 6
Once Genge replaced Andrew Porter the scrum improved while there were a couple of powerful carries. 18. Will Stuart 6
Did well in the scrum and claimed a consolation try for the Lions 19. Ollie Chessum 4
Worked hard putting in 12 tackles after replacing Maro Itoje midway through the first-half.
But has to take some of the blame for the lineout woes and failed to physically assert himself. 20. Jac Morgan 7
The Welshman made a big impact with one superb turnover while he showed his power to crash over for a try. 21. Ben Earl 7
The 27-year-old made a big impact with a couple of explosive carries and one impressive line break.
Should have been brought on sooner. 22. Alex Mitchell N/A
Not enough time on the field to judge. 23. Owen Farrell 4
Had to play on the backfoot but his combination with Bundee Aki malfunctioned badly.