Australia beat British & Irish Lions 22-12 after delay
Wallabies conjure ill-tempered victory in final Test
So much for the British & Irish Lions’ winner-takes-it-all ambitions. For the first time on this tour they have lost a game in Australia and precious little went to plan on a filthy Sydney night. Instead, it was the Wallabies who concluded the series on a high, defying the wet conditions and a mid-game lightning storm delay to end visiting hopes of a 3-0 clean sweep.
The Lions also had to contend with an increasingly savage injury toll, losing their captain, Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman and James Ryan to failed head injury assessments before the teams were instructed to leave the field as a safety precaution. The score was 8-0 in the hosts’ favour when play was halted at 9.12pm local time and play was suspended for 38 minutes.
A 61st-minute try from Jac Morgan did give the Lions the faintest glimmer of hope, but it was the Wallabies who came away as the damp but delighted victors courtesy of an early try from Dylan Pietsch and second-half scores from Max Jorgensen and Tate McDermott. Will Stuart’s last-gasp score for the Lions was the slimmest of consolations.
