British and Irish Lions thrash Australia to seal series win
Australia (10) 16
- Tries: O'Connor
- Conversions: Leali'ifano
- Penalties: Leali'ifano (3)
British and Irish Lions (19) 41
- Tries: Corbisiero, Sexton, North, Roberts
- Conversions: Halfpenny (3)
- Penalties: Halfpenny (5)
The British and Irish Lions ended a 16-year wait for a series win with a stunning second-half demolition of Australia in a pulsating decider in Sydney.
Leading 19-10 at half-time via an early Alex Corbisiero try and four Leigh Halfpenny penalties, the Lions roared to victory with three scores inside 12 minutes.
Jonny Sexton, George North and Jamie Roberts all crossed in a breathless spell to bring up the tourists' record points tally in any Test.
Recent Lions series
- 1997: Lions won 2-1 in South Africa
- 2001: Lions lost 2-1 in Australia
- 2005: Lions lost 3-0 in New Zealand
- 2009: Lions lost 2-1 in South Africa
- 2013: Lions won 2-1 in Australia
Man-of-the-match Halfpenny landed eight from nine kicks to finish with 21 points.
That was a new individual record for a Lion in a Test, overtaking the previous mark of 20 points shared by Jonny Wilkinson (in 2005 against Argentina) and Stephen Jones (in 2009 against South Africa).
It also took Halfpenny past Neil Jenkins's previous series record of 41 points for the Lions, the Welsh full-back finishing with 49.
A James O'Connor try from the last move of the first half had kept the hosts in touch after the Lions had gone 19-3 ahead, and two Christian Leali'ifano penalties cut the gap to three points early in the second half.
But Halfpenny's fifth penalty settled the nerves and the Lions then ran away with it, surpassing their previous highest tally of 31 - in 1966 - against Australia.
Lions coach Warren Gatland had summoned some heavy artillery in making six changes to the side that narrowly failed to clinch the three-Test series in Melbourne, when Australia edged a 16-15 win, and the changes yielded an immediate reward when one of them, Corbisiero, burrowed over with just one minute and 17 seconds on the clock.
Will Genia knocked on Sexton's kick-off to give the tourists a scrum platform that produced the first in a series of free-kicks and penalties.
Mike Phillips took a quick tap, Alun Wyn Jones was held up short, but the England prop - who missed the second Test through injury - forced his way over at the posts, Halfpenny adding the conversion.
The Lions promised an overtly physical approach, and hooker Richard Hibbard was at the heart of it.
Official match stats
| Aus | Lions | |
|---|---|---|
|
44% |
Possession |
56% |
|
47% |
Territory |
53% |
|
3 (3) |
Scrums won (lost) |
10 (0) |
|
12 (1) |
Line-outs won (lost) |
10 (2) |
|
9 |
Pens conceded |
11 |
|
64 (4) |
Rucks won (lost) |
78 (5) |
|
29 |
Possession kicked |
35 |
|
108 (15) |
Tackles made (missed) |
112 (14) |
|
12 |
Offloads |
6 |
|
6 |
Line breaks |
3 |
(provided by Opta Sports)
Veteran Australia flanker George Smith, recalled for his first Test in four years, was led off gingerly after a sickening clash of heads with the Welshman in the fifth minute.
Remarkably Smith reappeared five minutes later, by which stage a thumping hit from Dan Lydiate on Joe Tomane, with help from Sean O'Brien, had produced a penalty from which Halfpenny made it 10-0.
Leali'ifano got the hosts on the board from the restart after some deliberate obstruction, but when they were penalised for deliberately wheeling the next scrum, Halfpenny restored the Lions' 10-point lead.
The Wallabies were then driven back on their own ball at the next engagement, with the same result: penalty to the Lions; Halfpenny through the sticks.
Ben Alexander was deemed the culprit, and when referee Romain Poite dispatched the Australia prop to the sin-bin for collapsing another scrum, Halfpenny's fourth successful penalty took him past Jenkins's record from 1997 - the last time the Lions won a series.
Australia belatedly built some momentum as half-time approached, Geoff Parling's superb ankle tap on Jesse Mogg, on as a replacement for the stricken Israel Folau, halting a dangerous attack.
Three times in quick succession Australia opted to kick penalties to touch rather than at goal, each time with no reward. But the third brought a scrum five metres out, and O'Connor stepped past Sexton and O'Brien to squeeze over, Leali'ifano's conversion cutting the deficit to nine points.
That was reduced to three within six minutes of the resumption as Leali'ifano landed two penalties.
Gatland: Lions were exceptional
But after Halfpenny made it 22-16 on 51 minutes, the Lions turned on the style to leave Australia in tatters.
Sexton and Tommy Bowe combined to send Jonathan Davies through a tackle and Halfpenny was on his shoulder, getting his pass away for Sexton to sprint over.
Halfpenny's conversion suddenly gave the scoreline a far more reassuring look from a Lions perspective at 29-16.
It got better and better.
Halfpenny, one of a record-equalling 10 Welshmen in the starting XV, stepped inside Genia and away from Tomane to send North surging to the left corner for a third try.
And the strains of "Bread of Heaven" were still ringing around the ANZ Stadium when Conor Murray's sweet pass put Roberts over for the fourth.
The Lions emptied their bench, including Richie Gray - the only Scot to feature in the series - as their army of travelling support were able to luxuriate in a thumping victory long before the end.
Australia: Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Leali'ifano, Joe Tomane, James O'Connor, Will Genia; Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, James Horwill (capt), Kane Douglas, Ben Mowen, George Smith, Wycliff Palu.
Replacements: Saia Fainga'a (for Moore, blood, 55-62, then 72), James Slipper (for Robinson, 66), Sekope Kepu (for Smith, 26-36, for Alexander, 36), Rob Simmons (for Douglas 62), Ben McCalman, Michael Hooper (for Smith, 5-10, then 66), Nick Phipps (for Genia, 69), Jesse Mogg (for Folau, 27).
Yellow card: Alexander (24)
Lions: Leigh Halfpenny; Tommy Bowe, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, George North; Jonathan Sexton, Mike Phillips; Alex Corbisiero, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Geoff Parling, Dan Lydiate, Sean O'Brien, Toby Faletau.
Replacements: Tom Youngs (for Hibbard 48), Mako Vunipola (for Corbisiero, 67), Dan Cole (for A Jones, 55), Richie Gray (for Parling, 68), Justin Tipuric (for Faletau, blood, 55, for O'Brien, 60), Conor Murray (for Phillips, 51), Owen Farrell (for Sexton, 64), Manu Tuilagi (for Roberts, 69).
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Attendance: 83,702
Comments
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Comment number 2488. Posted by Mr Ichallen
on 8 Jul 2013 22:13@2486: Front Ugly
Yea induvidual brilliance v team work. Both great!
I loved seeing the scenes in the coaching box. They all looked so pleased and it really summed up how it was a team effort. Farrells face as Roberts went over was fantastic. Straight off the training ground! -
Comment number 2487. Posted by SA
on 8 Jul 2013 22:04@2472 Tommy as a SAfrican I completely disagree with your comments. The Lions have it hard enough as it is. It is all about WINNING rugby. This is not a social gathering at Sunday school or a UN meeting. Get a grip man. The selection for the last test was bang on. 41-16 speaks for itself. Cant remember the last time and international team scored 41 points against OZ in OZ. JH at 8 & no GN? NUTS.
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Comment number 2486. Posted by Front 3 win ugly
on 8 Jul 2013 21:532483 Mr Ichallen
agree about Norths try, breathtaking Individual try, just thought halfpennys was good because of the interplay by roberts and davies in build up. Short sharp and then angle.
Also,
Best moment - seeing the coaches congratulating eachother in the box, making sure to include everyone like the analysts e.t.c, team effort not just 23, cant wait for DVD 12 August, -
Comment number 2485. Posted by Impartial Observer
on 8 Jul 2013 21:46Tommy, I have to go now.
Good banter. No hard feelings. George North is washed up after you dropped him. Would Glasgow take him on a free ? Not sure what position he played in school !! Take it easy, have a good un and keep comedy alive. -
Comment number 2484. Posted by Impartial Observer
on 8 Jul 2013 21:36Tommy Tommy Tommy. How many grand slams ? How many Lions
? The turning point was that 12 mins from Richie Gray. Love the ARPR.who cares who wins the series so long as Glasgow do well in the Rabo, and Hogg passes his exams. Would you accept George North on a free ? I mean he's washed up after you dropped him. -
Comment number 2483. Posted by Mr Ichallen
on 8 Jul 2013 21:35@2477: Front Ugly
Agree with your picks there. Although I think I would have Norths try as the best just as I havent jumped out of my seat like that in a while!
Would add - Happiest player in celebrations: Wade. Looked the happiest man on the planet despite only palying one game! -
Comment number 2482. Posted by Brownie the hooker
on 8 Jul 2013 21:33Tommy mate its clear you are blinded by the thistles in your specs. I've watched a lot of the players over the last few years. Hogg and Gray are not yet ready. Grant should have started 2nd test but not as good as AC. Scottish rugby has been in the doldrums for a decade if not more. The days of Sole, Jeffrey, Hastings brothers, Calder et al are gone at the moment. I hope they return
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Comment number 2481. Posted by tommy
on 8 Jul 2013 21:262480. Nonsense. Grant, Gray & Hogg all good enough. In your ARPC they would have been asking Hogg about his two glorious tries from deep.
2472. Yes- CM v MP, no contest. In the other changes you are replacing bashers with actual rugby players. Are you honestly telling me the team I propose wouldn't have also pumped this poor, injury ridden Aus side?
2474. Fiji. Samoa. Japan. & now Tonga in Nov?? -
Comment number 2480. Posted by Brownie the hooker
on 8 Jul 2013 21:20Alternative Reality Press Conference - "Warren why did you drop North for the decider and play Hogg? The lack of power in the back three cost us the game"
"True mate, but at least every country was represented. We'll just have to wait another four years to try and win a series."
Not a single Scot was better than those selected to start in the third test. And I'm half Scottish -
Comment number 2479. Posted by Carlosmonzon
on 8 Jul 2013 21:17WG. Thank you,for having the courage of your expert convictions. And not listening to the media.
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