Under terrible conditions, Australia defeat the Lions

This article was last updated on August 5, 2025

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…Australia (8) 22

Tries: Pietsch, Jorgensen, McDermott Cons: Donaldson 2 Pen: Lynagh

British and Irish Lions (0) 12

Tries: Morgan, Stuart Con: Russell

On a foul night of torrential rain and threats of lightning strikes in Sydney that forced play to be suspended for 40 minutes, the Wallabies shocked the British and Irish Lions and won a riotous victory in the third and final Test at Stadium Australia.

The hosts, and underdogs, were dominant for much of a dramatic evening, outscoring the Lions by three tries to two. They led the Sydney slugfest 8-0 through a Dylan Pietsch try and a Tom Lynagh penalty at the end of an intense first half.

Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman and Australia’s Tom Lynagh all failed head injury assessments in a cruelly physical contest played in horrendous conditions.

Lynagh’s exit came after Dan Sheehan appeared to catch him in the head at a breakdown. Three minutes after the restart, James Ryan was knocked unconscious in a distressing incident where his head crashed into the knee of the giant lock, Will Skelton.

As Ryan was being treated, a series of fights broke out around him, then play was suspended after lightning was reported locally. Forty-three minutes had been played.

After an absence of half an hour both teams were back on the field for a warm-up. Ten minutes later, play resumed and the Wallabies struck again when the Lions gifted possession to wing Max Jorgensen who ran away to score in the corner.

Substitute Ben Donaldson’s conversion made it 15-0 to Australia. Jac Morgan’s try and Finn Russell’s conversion narrowed it to an eight-point game, but the Wallabies hit back quickly.

With Ronan Kelleher in the sin-bin, Tate McDermott sniped in for the Wallabies’ third try. Donaldson converted and a thumping home win was secured. Will Stuart scored in the last act for the Lions. Too little, too late.

The conditions were savagely difficult and led to a massive contrast, from the free-scoring wonder of Melbourne to a serious scrap in Sydney. Every inch was hard won, every collision brutal. The rain might have been a great leveller if it hadn’t been for the demonic intensity of the Wallabies.

Will Skelton typified it. While he’s been on the field in this series, the Lions have had no answer to him. How different things might have been deemed fit enough to play in the first Test in Brisbane. He was close.

Taniela Tupou was playing for the first time in this series and the prop was immense. They lost the series last week but if their spirit was broken by that late drama in Melbourne then nobody told the Wallabies. In the deluge, there was a battle and the hosts won it hands-down in a total grind of an opening half.

They scored after just five minutes when a Tom Wright grubber was carried over his own line by Hugo Keenan. Scrum, Australia. Phases, Australia. Try, Australia.

Joseph Suaalii’s work to hold the Lions defence – Freeman was caught in no-man’s land – before offloading to Pietsch was outstanding, the winger’s acrobatic finish quite brilliant in the conditions.

Pietsch, parachuted into the team after playing zero minutes in the series so far, was like a man possessed, hitting hard and often. All of the Wallabies were similarly driven.

When it wasn’t a kicking contest, it was attrition all the way. Aggravation was everywhere. A couple of melees broke out. An element of badness existed. Dead rubber? Some chance.

The Lions could get nothing going, their much-praised scrum getting pulverised now that Tupou was back in the front row. How Wallaby head coach Joe Schmidt must rue some of the selection decisions he has made in this series.

What was worse for the Lions was Itoje’s failed HIA and then Freeman’s failed HIA, with centre Huw Jones now switching to the wing. Australia fly-half Lynagh also failed an HIA and here there will be recriminations. Lynagh looked to have taken a shoulder to the head from Dan Sheehan, now the Lions captain in Itjoje’s absence.

Before he left, he kicked the Wallabies 8-0 ahead in a half of continuing dominance. Even when the Lions got decent field position, the power of the Wallabies snuffed them out. Tom Hooper ransacked Jack Conan in the Wallabies 22 and Stadium Australia went berserk in delight.