SYDNEY — Put some respect on the Wallabies. After Saturday night’s determined 22-12 win over the British and Irish Lions, they certainly deserve it. The fact that they had to do it after a 38-minute weather delay, only added to the drama of another extraordinary night in this gripping series.
Sure, the Lions Series Trophy had already been decided amid a mountain of controversy and the tourists had partied for a couple of days as a result. But Andy Farrell’s side was still desperate to create history by being the first team to sweep a series since 1904, they just ran into a Wallabies team intent on salvaging something from one of the tougher weeks in their recent history.
Conditions were nothing short of atrocious at Accor Stadium on Saturday night, but it was Australia who navigated them far better as they built an 8-0 halftime lead, negotiated the complete reset brought about by the 38-minute weather delay, and then reasserted their dominance to ensure they finished the series with a win and not a 3-0 whitewash.
It was clear from the outset that the Wallabies wanted this one more. Lock Will Skelton picked up where he left off last week with a stellar 64-minute effort, the hulking second-rower antagonising the Lions pack whenever he had the chance. Skelton was warned by referee Nika Amashukeli in the first half but found himself as the flashpoint for several tense exchanges after.
And this match very nearly boiled over completely when Lions lock James Ryan joined his skipper Maro Itoje on the sidelines after he went low on Skelton and knocked himself out cold early in the second half. Itoje had earlier failed an HIA, as had Tom Lynagh, the Wallabies No. 10 the victim of an appalling clean-out that Lions hooker Dan Sheehan will surely hear more about once his summer holiday is done.
Skelton appeared to simply check on Ryan’s health after Amashukeli had almost immediately called for the stretcher, before Owen Farrell, on as a replacement for Tommy Freeman charged in and put himself in the middle of a melee.
What transpired next was almost unbelievable. While Ryan was being tended to on the field by medical staff, a thunderstorm with dangerous lightning appeared to be tracking for Accor Stadium and, as a result, play was halted for 38 minutes as the players left the field, and spectators in the bottom ring of the stadium were urged to seek cover in the concourse.
While no lightning was visible from inside the ground, the weather was undoubtedly wild; so too the crowd as four pitch invaders offered some light entertainment while play was stopped, at least until they were cleaned up by an army of security guards that somehow missed the jump on each occasion.
When play eventually resumed, the Wallabies were awarded a penalty for the fracas following Ryan’s head knock. And they immediately set about trying to reestablish the foothold they had in the match.
But it was left to another piece of individual brilliance from Max Jorgensen to ensure they got it, the winger producing his second stunning play for the series to land the vital first score of the second half.
Looking to go wide, the Lions put the ball through the hands out to the left touchline, but a loose carry from Bundee Aki allowed Jorgensen to pounce and sprint away to the tryline from Finn Russell for the second time this series.
At 15-0 to the good, this was the Wallabies Test to lose. But unlike last week’s thriller at the MCG when they had led 23-5 before being run down, Australia would not let this one slip.
While the Lions eventually found their way to the line through Jac Morgan, after a sustained period of pressure when they pounded away at the Lions’ line around the hour mark, they almost ceded momentum back to the Wallabies immediately after a butchered clearance from Russell and Hugo Keenan.
That gave the Wallabies the opportunity to set up camp in the tourists’ half once more, and after a succession of penalties that brought about a yellow card to replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher, Tate McDermott did what Tate McDermott does.
Amid a concentration of Lions defenders, McDermott was able to squeeze himself underneath and between them, before reaching out his right mitt to plant the ball down.
You could almost feel the tension lift completely from Accor Stadium. For those in gold among the 80,312-strong crowd, this was a moment of relief and joy, albeit muted, after the drama of the MCG and the opinion-dividing few days that followed.
A consolation try to Lions prop Will Stuart rounded out the scoring for the series, before the dais was wheeled out for the official presentation, and Wallabies players grabbed a knee to ponder not only an extraordinary night in Homebush, but also what might have been.
“Certainly one of the most bizarre, that’s the longest Test match I’ve ever been involved in with a big hiatus in the 43rd minute,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said when asked to reflect on not only Saturday night, but the seven days that had preceded it.
“But again, I couldn’t be prouder of the way the players rebounded after last week after the feeling of disappointment that they had, and it was deep, and you almost had to let that run its and then springboard back.
“And even the number of changes we made, losing some of those talismanic players like Allan Alaalatoa, that made it tough.”
Earlier, the Wallabies had played the better wet-weather rugby amid monsoon-like conditions. Heavy showers drifted across Accor Stadium leading up to kick-off and throughout the contest, which made handling difficult and high balls the order of the day.
But it was Australia who started the stronger despite an early lost lineout, Dylan Pietsch’s ninth-minute try just reward for a positive start from the hosts. The winger’s effort was superb given the circumstances, Pietsch reeling in a pass from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii that was behind the winger after Australian rugby’s star recruit had dragged in two defenders.
Unlike the majority of the first Test in Brisbane, and last week’s second half, this time it was the Wallabies with the line speed, the Wallabies winning the gain line, the Wallabies winning the micro moments that had abandoned them as the Lions roared home at the MCG to snatch victory with Hugo Keenan’s 80th minute try.
Australia gave the Lions all sorts of trouble at set-piece, particularly after Itoje’s failed HIA, but also worked over the visitors at scrum time.
Maybe there is life in Taniela Tupou’s Test career yet? The prop was busy in his 61-minute performance and had one glorious carry in the second half before he looked to transfer the ball to his left hand and instead knocked on. Australia got an extra 19 minutes out of Skelton too this week, no doubt aided by the break in play, but the lock was again impressive as he carried on 10 occasions and generally threw his weight around as only he can.
But the pick of the Wallabies forwards was Tom Hooper, who started for Rob Valetini at No. 6. Hooper mad a couple of huge breakdown plays and carried on 15 occasions, the most of any player on the paddock, in what was the kind of showing that will have Australian rugby holding his breath his stint with Exeter remains at only one season.
Lynagh’s penalty goal was the only other scoring act of the first half otherwise and while it felt as though the Wallabies could have had at least another three points for their efforts, the first score of the second half was always going to make them tough front-runners to hunt down.
Nic White, playing what we think will be his final Test — Jake Gordon’s injury could yet change that — was another player to enjoy a fine evening; the veteran No. 9s box-kicking and exits key in helping Australia out from their own end.
But this was the Lions’ worst showing of the tour, even more so than their off night against the Waratahs across town some four weeks ago. Russell, at the end of a long tour and an even longer season, had a forgettable night as he struggled in the conditions, as did Bundee Aki who was twice held up by the Australian defence.
For a man his size, even in the horrific conditions, that is nigh-on inexcusable.
Tom Curry again did his best to inspire his team, so too Tadhg Beirne, who was later named Player of the Series, but the Lions were always going to do it tough after the loss of Itoje and then Ryan, even with their 6-2 bench split.
And so the undefeated tour of Australia proved a bridge too far for the visitors. While that will be disappointing, they still walk away with the series win and bragging rights over the Wallabies for the next 12 years, and maybe even longer, though Andy Farrell’s remarks on Friday should have put paid to the idea of scrubbing Australia from the tour roster.
“The try that I thought broke the camel’s back really was because we were trying to play too much rugby around halfway, the dropped ball and them picking it up on the break and then scoring a try in those type of conditions, it was always going to be an uphill battle that we were in,” Lions coach Andy Farrell said of his team’s performance.
“So a bit of game control stuff. I thought Australia’s set-piece in general was pretty good, especially their defensive lineout.”
While the Lions head off for a well-earned late summer holiday, the Wallabies will have a few days rest before setting course for Rugby Championship. Their prize for winning the third Test? A two-game tour against the world champions in South Africa.
Saturday night’s win has given the Wallabies something to build on; facing the Springboks on the back of three straight defeats would have been a dire situation to navigate.
Their 10-point win over the Lions was a step forward, no doubt, but as has been the case for Australian rugby for some time, producing that level of performance on a consistent basis remains a huge challenge.
They are unlikely to have Skelton for that trip, but Schmidt later indicated that Hooper, Tupou and Langi Gleeson, all of whom have signed to play overseas later this year, would all remain in contention for selection.
Australia will need them, too. For now, skipper Harry Wilson, Schmidt and the rest of this Wallabies cast can savour a few hours of that feeling that comes only with winning. As good as that might feel, it likely won’t be enough to paper over that nagging belief that they should have been playing for a whole lot more tonight.
Pride, undoubtedly has been restored in the gold jersey. But the Wallabies love to be toasting a series win instead.
