A golden effort, a cruel ending, a classic for the ages
The second thing to celebrate was just how wonderfully the Wallabies played. I want my Australian teams to bleed for the jersey, to back themselves, to eschew the percentage play in favour of a damn-the-torpedoes, full-speed-ahead approach — and that is exactly how they played from the outset.
After losing last week, our blokes started the match as 6-1 underdogs, criticised by former Lions coach Clive Woodward for having a 'losing mentality,' and there was a widespread feeling that we were simply outclassed.
But under the captaincy of Harry Wilson, the Wallabies looked like a different team from the opening whistle.
The lineouts worked. The scrums worked. Courtesy of the likes of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini coming into the pack this week, we had so much go-forward in the collisions that the Lions forwards were reeling with every clash.
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In the backs, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Tom Wright and Max Jorgensen made break after break. With ten minutes to go before half-time we had gone out to an 18-point lead, 23-5, courtesy of fabulous tries to James Slipper, Jake Gordon and Tom Wright - and it really looked as if not just a win but a blow-out win was on the cards!
Even when the Lions came back with two tries of their own just before half-time, hope sprang eternal.
For still the Wallabies didn't back off, tackling themselves red-raw meantime. The Australians even had the line wide-open at one point for what might have been the winning Wallabies try with ten minutes to go, only for our ball to be lost on heavy contact.
It all came down to the final minute, with the Wallabies clinging to a 26–24 lead — only for the Lions to go over in extremis, in the corner. Many felt Lions flanker Jac Morgan's pulling down of Carlo Tizzano at a ruck just before Hugo Keenan scored, should have seen the try disallowed. Maybe. Maybe not.
The ref said it was a legitimate try, and so be it.
That technical loss aside, there was victory off the field in having staged such a match at the MCG — before a Lions world-record crowd of just over 90,000 — with many Victorians seizing the rare opportunity to witness a game of such global significance. With that in mind, I'll leave you with the words of Mr AFL himself, Eddie McGuire, who texted John Eales and myself immediately after the match ended.
Folks, here's… Eddie!'
'What an amazing night for your code. 90,000 at the MCG!
'Record. Amazing game.,' McGuire messaged.
'Not sure why we didn't get the last penalty. Ref has no idea about setting up a huge result and a big final game. Another effing tax auditor ruining the game!!
'Almost the perfect result. Still an amazing night. You should be very proud of the rugby culture. A week of joy. More please!'
More to come, Eddie.
It will be at the Olympic Stadium, next Saturday night. The Australians will be waiting for the Lions. They're a team that has grown before our eyes over this past week, a team to be proud of. They will be even better next week, and if there is a rugby God, this time it will go our way!
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