Last-gasp try seals series for Lions over Wallabies

Otago Daily Times

26-07-2025

Hugo Keenan scored a last-gasp try as the British & Irish Lions mounted a record comeback from 18 points down to overhaul a gallant Australia 29-26 and win the series with a test to spare.
Fullback Keenan's late score capped the biggest fightback in Lions' test history and left the Wallabies heartbroken in front of 90,307 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a record crowd for a Lions test.
The result was not without controversy as Australia desperately appealed for a penalty over Jac Morgan's clean-out on Carlo Tizzano in the buildup to Keenan's try.
But after an agonising wait as the TV match official assessed a variety of angles, the try stood and the Lions claimed their first series win since beating Robbie Deans's Australia 2-1 in 2013.
As ecstatic Lions players sang in their changing room, a gutted Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said the referees got the decision wrong.
His Lions counterpart Andy Farrell saw things differently and said his team were deserving winners.
'They have dreamed of being a Lion all their lives and the fairytale is true, getting to this point and winning it at the death like that. What a privilege," said Farrell, who was the Lions defence coach in 2013.
Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones and Tadgh Beirne also scored tries for Farrell's men, the first Lions team to seal a series 2-0 since the 1997 tour of South Africa.
While Farrell's team celebrated, it was a bitter night for the hosts, who had taken a 23-5 lead in a belter of an opening half featuring three tries apiece.
That lead was trimmed to six points by halftime as the counter-punching Lions produced a two-try burst in the five minutes before the break.
"It hurts," said Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
"So proud of this team. We've been written off. We came out here, we put our bodies on the line. The game was there to the very end and to lose like that, it hurts." 'FAIRYTALE STUFF'
With enforcers Rob Valetini and Will Skelton back from injury, Australia were much improved from the side who were outmuscled in the 27-19 defeat in the Brisbane opener.
They hit harder at the breakdown and converted their dominance of possession into early points as the Lions struggled with indiscipline.
Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh kicked a pair of penalty goals in the first 11 minutes before the Lions settled through a dominant scrum.
Hooker Sheehan took a quick tap near the try-line and flew over a pair of low-tackling Wallabies for the opening try.
With only two backs named on the bench, Australia were reduced to one when winger Harry Potter came off with a hamstring injury.
Tate McDermott, normally a scrumhalf, was a valiant replacement and the Wallabies shrugged off the blow when James Slipper burrowed over at the left corner in the 23rd minute.
Referee Andrea Piardi grew impatient with the Lions' repeated infringements and showed Tommy Freeman a yellow card, and Australia duly capitalised with a couple of quick tries.
Scrumhalf Jake Gordon veered out of a ruck to bolt five metres through a gaping hole in the Lions' line for the first.
Centre Joseph Suaalii then sent home fans into delirium two minutes later as he burst through midfield and dished off to Tom Wright, who steamed over to put the Wallabies 18 points up.
Once restored to 15 men, however, the Lions rallied with two tries of their own.
Curry danced around Gordon to touch down in the corner, and centre Jones carried strongly over the line to put his team six points adrift at the break.
Both teams struggled to impose themselves after the restart but the Lions' Bundee Aki cracked the game open with a furious line break, the tourists shifting to the left where James Lowe offloaded to a barnstorming Beirne to thunder over on the hour.
Flyhalf Finn Russell's conversion made it a two-point game and the Lions ratcheted up the pressure, with their forwards dominating the scrum.
After several narrow escapes, the Wallabies finally buckled in the last minute when the quick-footed Keenan stepped through a gap in the left corner for a score which the referees were unwilling to roll back.
Farrell's men will look to become the first Lions team to sweep the Wallabies in a three-test series when they head to Sydney next week.
"It's fairytale stuff," said Farrell.
"You can say whatever you want but to these lads, it means absolutely everything."