Lions fight back to win series against Australia in classic Test Rugby

This article was last updated on July 28, 2025

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Tries: Slipper, Gordon, Wright Con: Lynagh Pens: Lynagh 3

British and Irish Lions (17) 29

Tries: Sheehan, Curry, Jones, Beirne, Keenan Cons: Russell 2

Hugo Keenan scored a last-minute try against Australia to win a classic Test match and seal a series victory for the British and Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In front of a record Lions crowd of more than 90,000, there was nail-biting tension all evening during a game for the ages. Even when Keenan scored, there was a television match official check that would have had every Lions fan quaking in their boots.

Jac Morgan’s clearout at the breakdown was deemed legal, the try was given and the Lions won.

Incredibly, the tourists had trailed 23-5 in the first half after the hosts

The resurgent Wallabies, driven on ferociously by Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, their returning totems, shocked the Lions to their very core in surging into that huge lead.

James Slipper, Jake Gordon and Tom Wright all scored in a blizzard of a first 40 minutes, adding to Tom Lynagh’s early penalties. Gordon and Wright both struck while Lions wing Tommy Freeman was in the sin-bin.

The Lions had scored through Dan Sheehan but they were pulverised for large parts of the half until they launched a remarkable comeback.

Before the half was over, Tom Curry and Huw Jones both scored. Six tries in a mesmeric opening period and a six-point lead for the underdogs.

If the scoring slowed, the fascination never did. Lynagh made it 26-17 with the boot before Tadhg Beirne scored in the corner.

With Finn Russell’s conversion, the gap had narrowed to two points, before Keenan’s dramatic late score ensured the Lions won the first two Tests of a series for the first time since 1997.