Wallabies fight back to deny the Lions series whitewash

Irish Times

2 days ago

Lions tour, third Test: Wallabies 22 British & Irish Lions 12
This
series
finale was never going to scale the heights of last week's epic second Test, bouts of monsoon-like rain ensured that, but it sure was different, unique even, certainly eventful, and even a little farcical. At the end of a long night in Sydney's Accor Stadium, there was no doubting that the Wallabies were the hungrier and more deserved winners in salvaging something from the series.
The patience and good humour of the 80,312 crowd was remarkable, and although many had abandoned a game that resumed after a 37-minute suspension due to lightening in the vicinity, the vast majority were still there when the game finally finished at 10.38pm local time, two hours and 38 minutes after it started.
It was both an eventful and tough watch as four players went off with HIAs, with a prolonged treatment for James Ryan after his head was caught by Will Skelton's knee, at which point the players were led off due to warnings of possible lightening within 10 kilometres of the stadium.
Who is Ireland's greatest ever Lion?
Listen |
26:49
The Lions had to go through reshuffles in the back five of their pack and backline, while
Dan Sheehan
and finally
Tadgh Beirne
, who was magnificent again, took over the captaincy. But at least all the players who departed with head knocks could be seen on the sidelines afterwards, including Ryan.
READ MORE
During the break, spectators in rows one to 18 were advised to move to the stadium's concourse while the remainders joined in a rendition of Zombie, among other stadium classics. They also cheered on four Lions fans who took it in turn to invade the pitch before being hunted down by half a dozen or so security staff, despite warnings that entry on to the pitch could result in fines of up to Aus$5,500.
James Ryan gives a thumbs up as he is taken from the pitch. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
From the outset thousands shivered inside rain ponchos, which must have done a roaring sale, while the players aquaplaned on the sodden turf.
Although both sides took turns to build up a head of steam, overall the Wallabies carried a tad harder off Nic White in his farewell. The hosts were also a little more ferocious at the breakdown and, perhaps most of all, put the ball through the hands better in tightly-knit patters, using Joseph Suaalii's deft handling to find space on the edges in a way that the Lions failed to do. Nick Frost & Co also did a number on the previously potent Lions lineout.
There was also plenty of needle, with Will Skelton as ever the chief agent provocateur and White not far behind, but on a difficult night for all concerned Nika Amashukeli further enhanced his reputation.
Inevitably, grubbers in behind were a fiendishly difficult tactic for those defending in the backfield to manage, and when Tom Wright did so in the outside channel, there was nothing
Hugo Keenan
could do except slide and gather the ball before being dragged over the line by the Wallabies' fullback and the recalled Dylan Pietsch.
The Wallabies carried relentlessly in the ensuing power play before Suaalii took White's pass and used his footwork to attack
Jamison Gibson-Park
's outside shoulder and draw in Tommy Freeman to feed Pietsch, and he finished superbly by the left corner flag.
After Blair Kinghorn retrieved a towering Gibson-Park up-and-under, Russell weighted a lovely kick on the run which forced Wright to concede an attacking lineout.
[
Lions player ratings: Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry best of the tourists in Sydney washout
Opens in new window
]
But the Wallabies rolled up their sleeves and after Pietsch put in a monstrous hit on Freeman, Fraser McReight was quickly over the ball to earn a penalty.
The Wallabies kept winning little moments, stealing just a second Sheehan throw in the entire series before Tom Hooper executed a choke tackle on
Bundee Aki
, and the hosts winning a scrum penalty.
The momentum stayed with Australia, who looked like they erred in turning down a kickable three points by going to the corner, at which point captain Maro Itoje was taken off for a HIA and not to return. Tom Curry and Beirne, burrowing through the maul in trademark fashion, were at the heart of the Lions' resulting turnover, but from their own defensive scrum, the tackles of White and Len Ikitau forced the slightest of knock-ons from Aki.
Max Jorgensen showed some sharp footwork on the right flank after he too was deftly released by Suaalii before Lynagh tapped over a penalty for offside to make it 8-0, a lead which seemed big given the conditions.
Owen Farrell in action for the Lions against the Wallabies' Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Photograph: David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
Lynagh and Freeman would also follow for HIAs and not return, Russell tapped quickly rather than kick to the corner. After Hooper was quickly over the ball and Sheehan was penalised for a side entry, the Wallabies closed out the half with another lineout steal, a second of six on the night.
But the players were barely back on the pitch when play was stopped for Ryan to receive treatment before both teams were led off due to the lightning warning.
On the second resumption, as it were, the Lions won a couple of penalties only for Frost to nick a couple more Sheehan throws. Huw Jones also kicked out on the full after being picked out by Russell's crosskick before Aki was choke tackled by Ikitau.
The game slipped further away from the Lions when they coughed up a turnover try. There seemed to be good shape on their attack off a superb take by Keenan, but Farrell took slightly too much out of the ball and Aki over-ran Kinghorn's tip-on; Max Jorgensen snaffling the ball to sprint clear from halfway and score under the posts.
The Lions were put on the front foot by Keenan brilliantly reclaiming a Russell bomb and from a quick tap by Rónan Kelleher, they pounded the Wallabies line before Jac Morgan, with help from Ollie Chessum, burrowed over and Russell converting.
Tate McDermott scores a try for the Wallabies. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
But Tate McDermott, as he does, ignited the Wallabies with his running game, earning a penalty off Morgan for a high tackle. Kelleher stopped Ikitau just short of the line and Gibson-Park tackled Jorgensen before Keenan forced a spillage from Pietsch.
But Kelleher paid the price for repeated Lions' offsides and McDermott dummied before diving under tackles from Genge and Will Stuart to seal the Wallabies' deserved win, rendering the latter's last-minute close-range finish a minor consolation.
It's tough to complete a series whitewash, and history will still adjudge these Lions as winners.
Scoring sequence – 8 mins:
Pietsch try 5-0;
34:
Lynagh pen 8-0;
Half-time 8-0
;
55:
Jorgensen try, Donaldson con 15-0;
62:
Morgan try, Russell con 15-7;
71:
McDermott try, Donaldson con 22-7;
80:
Stuart try 22-12
AUSTRALIA:
Tom Wright (Brumbies); Max Jorgensen (Force), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (Waratahs) Len Ikitau (Brumbies); Dylan Pietsch (Waratahs); Tom Lynagh (Reds), Nic White (Force); James Slipper (Brumbies), Billy Pollard (Brumbies), Taniela Tupou (Waratahs), Nick Frost (Brumbies), Will Skelton (La Rochelle), Tom Hooper (Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Reds), Harry Wilson (Reds, capt).
Replacements:
Ben Donaldson (Force) for Lynagh (34 mins), Angus Bell (Waratahs) for Slipper (58), Tate McDermott (Reds) for (59), Zane Nonggorr (Reds) for (61), Jeremy Williams (Force) for Skelton (64), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Force) for Pollard (73), Langi Gleeson (Waratahs) for (78).
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS:
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/Ireland); Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Bundee Aki (Connacht/Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); Finn Russell (Bath/Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster/Ireland), Andrew Porter (Leinster/Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Ireland), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Ireland); Maro Itoje (Saracens/England, capt), James Ryan (Leinster/Ireland); Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Ireland), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England), Jack Conan (Leinster/Ireland).
Replacements:
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) for Itoje (28 mins), Owen Farrell (Saracens/England) for Freeman (38), Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) for Ryan, Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) for Porter (both 43), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland) for Sheehan, Will Stuart (Bath/England) for Furlong (both 58), Ben Earl (Saracens/England) for Conan (63), Sheehan for Curry (69-79), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) for (72).
Yellow card:
Kelleher (69-79 mins).
Referee:
Nika Amashukeli (GRU)