One hopes of an Australian fightback to come in this series but this felt like a first Test of potentially portentous omens. On a night where Suncorp Stadium was the beating red heart of British and Irish rugby, the Lions powered into a 1-0 series lead with a performance again comprised of too many fits and starts – but still too good for an understrength, underweight and seemingly underprepared Australia.
A second half rally gave the Wallabies a thick varnish of respectability and hope to take to Melbourne but they never looked much like beating the Lions for the first time in Brisbane. For long periods before the interval, the tourists looked to be lining up something resembling romp or rout, a few too many handling errors and ditsy decision-making capping their scoring ambitions somewhat but an eventual eight-point margin still feeling a misrepresentation of the early supremacy they had showed.
Will Australia be better for another game in their legs? Most certainly, but it was they who looked the more disparate drawn of the two outfits. Injured forwards Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, who all hope will be ready to rumble at the MCG next week, left great gaping holes in a pack that looked outmatched for the first hour, while Tom Lynagh – on his first international start – had a deer in the headlights look at times, not at all helped by an absence of avenues through which to escape with Australia sorely lacking in shape or structure. One hopes that the hosts can take heart from their second half showing and be better next week; but having left plenty out there, the Lions will expect to improve, too, with a shot to seal the series set up.
After the pandemic forced the fans to stay away from South Africa four years ago, the “Sea of Red” flooded Brisbane with full force, many a bar in the city centre three deep with travelling supporters hours before kick off and a scarlet streak drawn down Caxton Street as the pilgrims made their way to a sacred Lions temple. The tourists had never lost here – or, indeed, anywhere in Brisbane.
The 2001 series had begun with a bang across town at the Gabba with the Lions in front inside five minutes in a flash of Jason Robinson’s feet. The opening points here were not so spectacular: Finn Russell slotting from the tee after a first Wallaby ruck infringement at the game’s third breakdown.
It kickstarted an opening quarter that the tourists thoroughly dominated, flankers Tom Curry and Tadhg Beirne responding emphatically to questions over their selection by setting the tone with a blend of gainline muscle and ruck menace. The front row were right amongst things, too – Dan Sheehan, Ellis Genge and Tadhg Furlong all prominent in the carry as the Lions pulsed the Wallabies in contact. It left space aplenty for Russell to drop something delicate into the lap of Sione Tuipulotu, back in the land of his birth as the proudest of Lions try scorers.
An all-Scottish midfield had been selected for the first time in a Lions Test and the combination soon seemed to have another, Huw Jones finishing after fine work from James Lowe in the build-up. Jones was deemed, however, to have been tackled before getting up to ground – outstanding cover work from Wallabies wing Max Jorgensen having been pistoned away by Lowe moments earlier.
The Lions could – should – have been powering out of sight given the superiority they had enjoyed – instead they found themselves pegged back by something out of nothing. England fans may recall Jorgensen’s ability to pluck rabbit from hat from his match-winning score in a Twickenham thriller last November and the wing again conjured here, emerging with ball hidden up his sleeve from an aerial contest that Hugo Keenan had been favourite for and then hopping merrily away.
It proved the only moment of cheer for the outnumbered Aussie fans in 40 minutes in which the hosts simply could not find a foothold. There were at least three moments of real butchery from the Lions as they carved first Australia and then themselves. One Russell crosskick evaded a lumbering Joe McCarthy, who had the freedom of Queensland, but the impressive Curry ensured a 12-point advantage, piercing the try line from close range like a spear fisherman.
The hope was that the Wallabies would freshen up, toughen up and frankly pitch up after the break; inside two minutes, the Lions were over again. Curry, continuing a superlative showing, snatched a lineout at the tail to get them going before working hard to get in position to deliver a try-scoring pass to Sheehan in the right corner.
“Where are you Wallabies fans?” the stadium announcer bellowed, though it was little wonder that they were staying silent. Joseph Suaalii did at least cross the line, dragged over by a jackalling Bundee Aki; the score curiously given initially but overturned after a protracted review from the television match official. Carlo Tizzano had got there legitimately, though, reducing the gap to 12 with 12 minutes to go.
The Lions weren’t taking anything for granted, Maro Itoje pointing to the posts and instructing Marcus Smith, on for Russell at fly half, to take three to push them back beyond two scores. It meant Tate McDermott’s late sniping score was little more than an accounting exercise.
