British and Irish Lions end-of-tour awards

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04-08-2025

The British and Irish Lions defeated Australia 2-1 to win their first Test series since 2013.
It may not have been one of the all-time classic Lions tours but it did deliver controversy, big moments and a second Test for the ages.
The Lions played nine tour games, won eight and lost the final match to deny Andy Farrell's side a first series whitewash by the tourists since 1927.
Our team in Australia - Chris Jones, Tom English, Lauren Jenkins and Nigel Ringland - dissect the tour on the latest Rugby Union Weekly episode and give out their end-of-tour awards.
Player of the tour
NR: "Dan Sheehan. He is possibly the best hooker in the world and has only enhanced that reputation.
"He set the tone in his first game and captained the side. If he continues on an upward curve with Leinster and Ireland then he could be a potential captain in 2029. At hooker he was way ahead of his competition."
TE: "Tadhg Beirne. Played 80, 80, 80 in the Test-match series. Hugely influential right from 16 seconds in. Tom Curry makes a tackle on James Slipper and he is in for the turnover.
"I love to see players doubted and then coming through. That is the epitome of greatness. He hit greatness on this tour."
CJ: "Tadhg Beirne for me."
LJ: "Maro Itoje is up there. His durability and aura as a captain. The third Test was the first time he didn't finish a Test since 2022 against Australia.
"You wouldn't put it past him doing it again in four years time. Nine Lions Tests under his belt."
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TE: "For sure, 90,000 people at the MCG, dramatic, the comeback, the controversy of the clearout. We will be talking about that the next time we are in Australia, but there were moments on this trip.
"The Owen Farrell call-up too came at the stage when the tour was meandering along and the Lions were beating everyone. A bit of a yawn fest.
"He then appears and it is amazing. When he gets out of bed in the morning people are not happy."
LJ: "The two tries in four minutes before half-time in Melbourne changed the game. From 23-5 to 23-17, when reflecting on the tour you might not think about it but it was huge."
CJ: "When Tom Curry cut James Slipper in half that was a big 'I am' moment. After lots of chat about whether he should play the first Test."
NR: "It was the last play of the game in Melbourne. All the controversy and announcing no foul play in the build-up.
"It was so well-worked, and so much composure as to where the players needed to be in that moment on the pitch."
Performance of the series
LJ: "The First Nations and Pasifika XV. That was the performance of the series and the game that it felt like everyone was waiting for. They could have snatched it at the end. I left that stadium with a spring in my step."
CJ: "The Wallabies in the third Test after people talking about where Australian rugby is. All the greats of Wallaby rugby saying they can't lose 3-0. They went out and did a job on the Lions."
TE: "The first half of Test one."
NR: "I am going to cheat a little and go the first half of the first Test and the second half of the second Test. Put those two together.
"Those last few minutes in Melbourne is what we will take away."
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Individual performance
TE: "It is hard to look past Tom Curry in the first Test or Tadhg Beirne in the first and third Tests."
LJ: "Waratahs flanker Charlie Gamble was brilliant. Man of the match in that loss for First Nations Pasifika XV and he was brilliant for the Waratahs."
CJ: "Rob Valetini's 40 minutes in Melbourne and Taniela Tupou in the third Test. My player of the tour from an Aussie point of view is Will Skelton, as when he was on the pitch Australia won the series by 14 points. I know that doesn't matter but it shows how amazing he was."
Try of the tour
CJ: "Tom Wright's try in Melbourne. Joseph Suaalii sees the space and you go 'there is the two million buck man' - that's why they paid the big dosh to get him out of the NRL.
"It lifted the stadium and you felt in a special sporting occasion."
TE: "It [Wright's try] electrified the stadium, in that moment you felt 'there is the guy [Suaalii]'."
LJ: "Finn Russell's miracle pass to Sione Tuipulotu in the first Test. First Scot to score a Test try since Alan Tait in 1997."
And a word on the Welshman...
LJ: "Jac Morgan comes away with his reputation enhanced. You expect good players to go on Lions tours and perform but that doesn't always happen. As the sole Welshman you knew he was good but he has now done it at the top level.
"He hasn't had a Welsh coach fighting his corner or the familiarity of the Leinster or Ireland players around him. It'll be interesting to see where he goes from here, as he will return a better player.
"I had him down as a homeboy but this tour would have opened his eyes. Maybe he will think he can go and thrive in different environments."
TE: "He is class. You possibly have to go back to Brian O'Driscoll in 2001, the whole waltzing O'Driscoll stuff, when he broke on to the international scene, to find a Lions cult figure like Jac Morgan.
"Everyone adopted Morgan. It didn't matter where you were from from, you were willing him on.
"He was a huge tourist and brilliant in the way he played."
Combined starting XV
Four Australia players have made the chosen combined starting XV.
It includes Rob Valetini, who played only 40 minutes of rugby across the Test series, and lock Will Skelton, who missed the first Test.
Dylan Pietsch was not selected for the first two Tests but impressed in Sydney to earn a spot on the wing.
Combined starting XV: Keenan; Jorgensen, Jones, Tuipulotu, Pietsch; Russell, Gibson-Park; Genge, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Skelton, Curry, Beirne, Valetini.
Australia players in bold
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