Lions fail in bid for series whitewash as Australia win 22-12 in stormy Sydney

The British and Irish Lions’ quest to complete an unbeaten tour of Australia failed at the final hurdle as Australia prevented a series whitewash by registering a stormy 22-12 victory in Sydney.

Tries by wings Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen and replacement scrum-half Tate McDermott inflicted the Lions’ first defeat Down Under and they were conclusively outplayed in front of a 80,312 crowd at Accor Stadium.

On a night when points were at a premium because of treacherous conditions, it was the Wallabies who kept the scoreboard ticking over while showing greater appetite for the fight with Nic White and Will Skelton the main agitators.

Early in the second-half the game was paused because of lightening strikes in the area, forcing a delay of 37 minutes, and when play resumed Australia continued to squeeze the Lions out of contention.

A ferocious contest took its toll on both sides, producing three failed HIAs and the departure of James Ryan after he was knocked out while making a tackle on Skelton.

The Lions had already clinched the series following last Saturday’s 29-26 victory in Melbourne, but this was not the climax to the tour they wanted having targeted the clean sweep needed to secure their place in the history books.

From the moment wing Pietsch touched down after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s run had sucked in Tommy Freeman, Australia were in the driving seat.

The Lions were unable to break through during a rare visit to the 22 with a thunderous hit by Pietsch leaving its mark on Freeman and even all-action flankers Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne were swimming against the tide.

Australia won a scrum penalty and then showed their appetite for confrontation during a lengthy skirmish instigated by Skelton.

Finn Russell dropped a simple pass and the Lions’ problems continued when captain Maro Itoje and wing Freeman failed HIAs, the second setback resulting in Owen Farrell’s arrival off the bench.

Tom Lynagh landed a penalty to extend the lead to eight points but Australia’s fly-half became the third player to have his match ended by concussion following a tackle by Dan Sheehan.

Sheehan had taken over the Lions captaincy and he was straight into the eye of the storm after Ryan’s head connected with Skelton’s knee, which ignited another flashpoint involving White and Farrell.

Referee Nika Amashukeli warned both captains that the next clash would result in a yellow card and as Ryan was driven from the pitch, the players returned to the changing rooms for their own safety due to the adverse weather.

When play resumed, Harry Wilson ran into a red wall and Curry forced a penalty in promising signs from the Lions that were quickly replaced by the hammer blow of leaking a second try.

It took awareness, sharp reflexes and speed for Jorgensen to finish, but the chance was presented when a Lions attack broke down amid a mix-up between Bundee Aki and Sheehan.

The tourists were off the mark when Jac Morgan crossed in the 61st minute after a series of pick and goes, but the Wales flanker was then penalised for a high tackle close to the line.

Australia took the chance to pile on the pressure and, soon after Ronan Kelleher was shown a yellow card for offside, they went over through Tate McDermott from close range to guarantee the result before Will Stuart added a last-gasp consolation try for the Lions.