British & Irish Lions player ratings: Half-back duo, Keenan and Itoje lead the charge

Irish Examiner

26-07-2025

15 Hugo Keenan
Series-winning hero. Quite the accolade and a collective reward for hanging tough, for believing in each other and the cause until Keenan was able to apply the coup de grace in the final minute. Took his opportunity so well even if it was in squeaky-bum time. 8.5
14 Tommy Freeman
Had to kick his heels for 10 minutes in the sin-bin after ignoring Andrea Piardi's warnings to be clean in defence. Ill-discipline was to cost the Lions dear as Australia racked up two tries in his absence. Carried strongly though. 6.5
13 Huw Jones
Under the spotlight and managed to flicker brightly, scoring a try just before half-time. The beneficiary of Garry Ringrose's concussion call, Jones was worthy enough even if he did spill one flung pass from Finn Russell. Gave way to Owen Farrell. 6.5
12 Bundee Aki
Quiet but grew into it wonderfully well, featuring in the build-up to the dramatic last try. Aki was a controversial choice ahead of Tuipulotu but took time to show what he really had to offer, one big upfield bust in the second half creating enough chaos in Aussie ranks from which Tadhg Beirne was eventually to profit. 7
11 James Lowe
Under pressure but eventually came good. Lowe is not at the top of his game and was fortunate to make the starting XV. Was busy enough albeit flunked one catch over his shoulder but showed his worth when setting up Beirne's try. 6.5
Lions' Hugo Keenan celebrates winning the match with fans. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho
10 Finn Russell
Always on the ball, always on the look-out, always keen and willing. There were one or two minor blots on the copybook but Russell's head never dropped, a leader in a proper sense, never faltering or losing the belief that he could make something happen. A class act. 9
9 Jamison Gibson-Park
Kept scheming and working. The scrum-half did not have the run of the park as he had in the first test but that did not stop him from looking for a way to make things happen, with his kicking or with his probing. A proper test of character and he stood tall. 8.5
1 Andrew Porter
Contentious starter ahead of Ellis Genge to form the first all-Ireland front-row in Lions history. Scrummed effectively, about the only area of relative success for the Lions as they were set back on their heels in the opening 40 minutes. 6.5
2 Dan Sheehan
Defiant and involved. Sheehan was determined not to fold in the face of such an Aussie onslaught and managed to find his way to the try-line with an NFL-style dive over the top, legitimate in the act of scoring a try. Set-piece solid. 7.5
3 Tadhg Furlong
Hung in there. Furlong is usually so visible and it was a fair indicator of the Lions' difficulties that he was seen rarely in open play. Failed to connect with Porter on the fringe defence for Jake Gordon's try. 6.5
4 Maro Itoje (capt)
Led from the front, setting an example to others when the Lions were really under the pump in the first half. It was a match of such small margins and Itoje made sure that he kept piling forward, scragging and pressurising. 8.5
5 Ollie Chessum
Big boots to fill and was a decent fit. Chessum may not have been quite as eye-catching as the injured Joe McCarthy had been but did so much unseen and uncomplaining toil at the coal-face to ensure that the Lions had a solid platform. 7
6 Tadhg Beirne
Worked and worked and worked. Another that had to re-locate last week's energy and accuracy, eventually making his mark with some impactful runs and that important second-half try. Kept at it throughout. 7.5
7 Tom Curry
Slipped down a little from last week's monumental high, although ended his 55-minute shift with a try-saving claw-back tackle on Wallaby centre, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Set the tone for the Lions' record comeback. 7
8 Jack Conan
The Lions were a distant second in the close-quarters power game initially and Conan had to knuckle down to help kick-start something before the cavalry arrived from the bench to figure in that memorable finale. 7
British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell (right) with Jac Morgan. Pic: David Davies/PA Wire.
Replacements
A game-changing bench and so different from the first test when the Lions faded badly and only just managed to hang on.
This time the task was daunting as the Lions had to somehow recover from an early shellacking, trailing by a record 18 points at one point. Ellis Genge, James Ryan and Jac Morgan were the first to appear shortly into the second-half and managed to galvanise those around them.
Others followed not long afterwards. The forwards managed to maintain the set-piece ascendancy in the scrummage while Ryan and Morgan injected pace and energy round the field.
The relief on Morgan's face when he was deemed not to have been guilty of an illegal clear-out the final play echoed those of thousands and thousands Lions fans in the record crowd. Blair Keenan made inroads out wide. The bench had a job to do and they delivered. 8.5