This was meant to be a dead rubber.
If there were any fears for the future of tours in Australia, they were washed away in Sydney as the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions played out an enthralling final Test, one which the hosts deservedly took 22-12.
The Lions may have won the series, but a first unbeaten Test series since 1974 remains elusive, as they struggled to repeat their stunning comeback from Melbourne a week ago.
In dreadful weather conditions at Accor Stadium, a niggly and scrappy game was played with a level of physicality that became uncomfortable at times. Four players left the game with head injuries inside the first 43 minutes, with James Ryan carted from the field after being knocked unconscious as he attempted to tackle Will Skelton.
A 40-minute weather delay only added to the sense of chaos in the ground, with lightning in the area causing play to be halted in the early stages of the second half.
By then, the Wallabies were ahead and good value for it, while the Lions had also lost Maro Itoje (below) and Tommy Freeman to head injuries, which was putting their 6:2 bench split to the test.
Dylan Pietsch's try and a penalty for Tom Lynagh had given the hosts an 8-0 lead, while the likes of Skelton and Nic White were continually getting under the skin of the Lions players, and leading to multiple skirmishes off the ball.
The lightning delay did take some of the niggle out of the game, and the Wallabies were sharper on the restart with Max Jorgensen racing in to push their lead out to 15-0.
And although Jac Morgan did get the Lions back into the game with a try on the hour mark, there would be no miracle comeback to cap off the series, as Tate McDermott’s try gave the hosts a consolation win, which could light a fire under Australian rugby.
The game was just three minutes old when the first biblical downpour arrived, and the conditions underfoot weren't much better, Tom Curry slipping as he broke from a lineout, the Wallabies reacting fastest to win a jackal penalty.
From that position, a well-placed kick from Tom Wright forced Hugo Keenan to carry the ball over his own line, setting up a five-metre scrum, and the platform for the Wallabies to score their opening try.
A series of short phases from the pack got the Lions defence working, before Freeman got sucked in by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, leaving Pietsch (above) alone outside to score and make it 5-0 to the hosts.
The Lions were earning good field position in the opening quarter through some clever Finn Russell kicking, but the Wallabies were winning every 50/50. Their best early attack ended with Fraser McReight winning a jackal penalty off Freeman, before Nick Frost stole a lineout off Itoje, and then Bundee Aki was turned over by a combination of McReight, Pietsch and Hooper.
The Lions scrum took a battering in the first half, and it felt inevitable that tensions would spill over during what had been a scrappy but compelling first quarter. Skelton lit that flame when he charged in late on Dan Sheehan after the Lions had won a penalty, enough to spark a considerable melee and see the home side marched backwards another 10 metres by referee Nika Amashukeli.
The first half was becoming littered with off the ball scuffles. Skelton and Porter went at it, as did Beirne and Suaalii, and it was the Wallabies who were staying on top, particularly as the Lions lost captain Itoje to a failed HIA.
Another scrum penalty gave them an easy opportunity to extend their lead, but Lynagh turned down a simple three-pointer in favour of going for the corner. The Lions shut the Wallabies out, and the home side soon learned their lesson.
When another penalty came their way on 32 minutes, Lynagh called for the tee and kicked his side 8-0 in front. It would be the out-half's final action of the game as he was instantly taken off for a HIA, which he also failed. Replays showed Dan Sheehan could count himself lucky to have avoided a sanction for an earlier clearout on the Australian.
Freeman became the third player to leave the field for a head injury assessment, and when he didn’t return after half time, it left the Lions with Owen Farrell at centre, and Huw Jones out on the right wing.
A first half of brutal physicality reached uncomfortable levels two minutes after the restart, as Ryan was knocked unconscious as he tried to tackle Skelton, and as medics raced in to assist the second row the two sets of players again became entangled again. All the while, the gormless stadium DJ blared 'Sweet Caroline’ over the speakers.
Thankfully, Ryan (below) raised an arm to the crowd as he was carried off, and the players immediately followed him off the pitch, with lightning delaying the restart by 40 minutes.
When the game did get back under way, the Lions started it by winning a scrum penalty, only to hand the momentum back with a pair of lost lineouts in quick succession.
The sloppiness continued, and on 54 minutes they were made to pay for it when Kinghorn shipped a poor pass on to Aki, and the Ireland international was slow to react to the dropped ball, as Jorgensen scooped up possession to race under the posts, and give Ben Donaldson an easy conversion to make it 15-0.
It had been 42 years since the Lions were last held scoreless in Test match, and they finally got off the mark just after the hour, Morgan driving his way over from short-range, aided by a powerful latch by Ollie Chessum.
Russell’s conversion brought it back to an eight-point game with 17 minutes to play, but their challenge grew even greater on 68 minutes when Rónan Kelleher was sent to the sin-bin after repeated infringement.
Donaldson turned down an easy three points as the Wallabies looked to kill the Lions off, and this time their bravery was rewarded when McDermott sniped in for a third try and a commanding 22-7 advantage.
The Lions spent the final minutes chasing the game, but when they eventually got in for their final score through Stuart, time was up on the game, bringing an anticlimactic feeling to the series victory.
Scorers
Australia: Tries: Dylan Pietsch, Max Jorgensen, Tate McDermott
Cons: Ben Donaldson (2)
Pens: Tom Lynagh (1)
British and Irish Lions: Tries: Jac Morgan, Will Stuart
Cons: Finn Russell (1)
Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Tom Lynagh, Nic White; James Slipper, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa (for Pollard, 72), Angus Bell (for Slipper, 57), Zane Nonggorr (for Tupou, 60), Jeremy Williams (for Skelton, 63), Langi Gleeson (for Hooper, 77), Tate McDermott (for White, 58), Ben Donaldson (for Lynagh, 33), Andrew Kellaway (for Jorgensen, 77).
British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Blair Kinghorn; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry (for Sheehan, 69), Jack Conan.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 57), Ellis Genge (for Porter, 45), Will Stuart (for Furlong, 57), Ollie Chessum (for Itoje, 28), Jac Morgan (for Ryan, 43), Ben Earl (for Conan, 63), Alex Mitchell (for Gibson-Park, 71), Owen Farrell (for Freeman, 37).
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU).
