Wallabies left heartbroken as Lions score controversial try to win series at MCG

And just like that, it was over. The Lions have won the Test series against the Wallabies with a game to spare after scoring a heartbreaking – and controversial – try in the final minute at the MCG.

A vastly improved Wallabies led 23-5 after half an hour, and despite a Lions comeback, still held a two-point lead in the dying moments. But the Lions found a gap wide and Hugo Keenan scored to win the game.

The match ended in controversial circumstances, however, with Wallabies captain Harry Wilson pleading for a penalty for an illegal clean out by Wales breakaway Jac Morgan on the neck of flanker Carlo Tizzano in the last ruck.

It was directly on the back of the neck and could have been deemed dangerous by another whistleblower, but referee Andrea Piardi gave the all clear, and the try stood.

Hugo Keenan of the British & Irish Lions scores the winning try.Credit: Getty Images

It was the only time the Lions had led in the match, and the players leapt with delight at securing the 2-0 series win, and so did the red half of a record 90,307 crowd at the famous Melbourne venue.
The Wallabies were gallant in defeat but left to regret not finishing the job after dominating the opening 30 minutes.

The Lions came back before half-time and again in the back end of the second half. The Wallabies led by nine for much of the half but gave up a try in the 59th minute to draw within two points, and then couldn’t convert opportunities to score when in the Lions’ half in the last 15 minutes.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt also may come to regret his bench choices and early substitutions, with the Lions coming home much stronger, particularly at the scrum.

The series now goes to Sydney for a dead rubber third Test, with only pride on the line for the Wallabies.

Bundee Aki of the British & Irish Lions celebrates victory following the second test of the series between Australia Wallabies and British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket GroundCredit: Getty Images

Australia led 23-17 at half-time after a frantic opening that saw them leading by 23-5 after 30 minutes. The added power of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini was noticeable in the collisions.

Tom Lynagh banged over a penalty in the fourth minute, and after disciplined kick pressure by the hosts, he added a second in the 10th to lead 6-0.

After a succession of penalties against the hosts, the Lions crashed over for a try from close range through Dan Sheehan. Wilson unsuccessfully objected that Sheehan had dived in the air and over the defence.

With only two backs in the bench, disaster struck for the Wallabies when wing Harry Potter came off with a torn hamstring. Reserve halfback Tate McDermott replaced him. The Wallabies didn’t miss a beat, though, and built pressure on the Lions’ line. It led to a barging try to prop James Slipper – only his fourth Test try.

Harry Wilson of the Wallabies and Maro Itoje of the British & Irish LionsCredit: Getty Images

The Lions lost Tommy Freeman to the bin, and the Wallabies had the crowd alight when they returned to the Lions’ quarter and scored again, this time to a darting halfback Jake Gordon.

The noise levels went through the roof when the Wallabies scored a third from the kick-off, after shifting the ball left and allowing Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to step and get free. He set Tom Wright on a free run to the line for a try and an 18-point lead.

But the Lions responded when Freeman returned. A dropped kick by Lynagh in his own quarter allowed the Lions to build pressure, and Tom Curry dived over in the right corner. The Lions scored again in the 38th minute, when Huw Jones barged over from in close.

The Wallabies managed to keep the Lions in their half, and Lynagh extended the score by another three in the 53rd minute.

The Lions made the Wallabies pay for a wasted chance when they scored a few minutes later. The power game of the Lions and some nice offloading found big flanker Tadhg Beirne on the edge and he was too big to stop.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is a man who rarely lets his emotions show, but that game pushed him close as the New Zealander looked devastated at the final whistle. It was impossible to blame him.

Throughout the week, Australian rugby has had the sword of Damocles hovering over it, with some sections of the travelling press vocally questioning if this is even a country worth visiting for the Lions.

Tonight’s performance from the Wallabies will go some way to answering that insult, but ultimately, they didn’t get the result they desperately needed against a ruthless Lions side.

The series has been sealed by the Lions and Schmidt will have the job of his life to try to inspire the Wallabies to greater efforts after coming so close.

The Lions have been vocal about wanting to make this a whitewash and surely the Wallabies can get up for one last push in the harbour city.

Former Wallabies captain said on Stan Sports that the players will need time to grieve and that will happen.

Rugby like all sports is filled with ifs, buts and maybes. The decision from Schmidt to bring off Skelton and Valetini may have been forced by their fitness, but it seriously depowered the Wallabies pack.

Finally, the late decision from Andrea Piardi to not award a penalty for contact to Carlo Tizzano’s neck by Jac Morgan.

None of it matters now and the series if over, the Wallabies still have a huge job to do against the Lions next Saturday in Sydney.

Maro Itoje of the British & Irish Lions celebrates victory after the second test of the series between the Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket GroundCredit: Getty Images

And just like that, it was over. The Lions have won the Test series against the Wallabies with a game to spare after scoring a heartbreaking – and controversial – try in the final minute at the MCG.

A vastly improved Wallabies led 23-5 after half an hour, and despite a Lions comeback, still held a two-point lead in the dying moments. But the Lions found a gap wide and Hugo Keenan scored to win the game.

The match ended in controversial circumstances, however, with Wallabies captain Harry Wilson pleading for a penalty for an illegal clean out by Wales breakaway Jac Morgan on the neck of flanker Carlo Tizzano in the last ruck.

It was directly on the back of the neck and could have been deemed dangerous by another whistleblower, but referee Andrea Piardi gave the all clear, and the try stood.

Hugo Keenan of the British & Irish Lions scores the winning try.Credit: Getty Images

It was the only time the Lions had led in the match, and the players leapt with delight at securing the 2-0 series win, and so did the red half of a record 90,307 crowd at the famous Melbourne venue.
The Wallabies were gallant in defeat but left to regret not finishing the job after dominating the opening 30 minutes.

The Lions came back before half-time and again in the back end of the second half. The Wallabies led by nine for much of the half but gave up a try in the 59th minute to draw within two points, and then couldn’t convert opportunities to score when in the Lions’ half in the last 15 minutes.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt also may come to regret his bench choices and early substitutions, with the Lions coming home much stronger, particularly at the scrum.

The series now goes to Sydney for a dead rubber third Test, with only pride on the line for the Wallabies.

Bundee Aki of the British & Irish Lions celebrates victory following the second test of the series between Australia Wallabies and British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket GroundCredit: Getty Images

Australia led 23-17 at half-time after a frantic opening that saw them leading by 23-5 after 30 minutes. The added power of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini was noticeable in the collisions.

Tom Lynagh banged over a penalty in the fourth minute, and after disciplined kick pressure by the hosts, he added a second in the 10th to lead 6-0.

After a succession of penalties against the hosts, the Lions crashed over for a try from close range through Dan Sheehan. Wilson unsuccessfully objected that Sheehan had dived in the air and over the defence.

With only two backs in the bench, disaster struck for the Wallabies when wing Harry Potter came off with a torn hamstring. Reserve halfback Tate McDermott replaced him. The Wallabies didn’t miss a beat, though, and built pressure on the Lions’ line. It led to a barging try to prop James Slipper – only his fourth Test try.

Harry Wilson of the Wallabies and Maro Itoje of the British & Irish LionsCredit: Getty Images

The Lions lost Tommy Freeman to the bin, and the Wallabies had the crowd alight when they returned to the Lions’ quarter and scored again, this time to a darting halfback Jake Gordon.

The noise levels went through the roof when the Wallabies scored a third from the kick-off, after shifting the ball left and allowing Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to step and get free. He set Tom Wright on a free run to the line for a try and an 18-point lead.

But the Lions responded when Freeman returned. A dropped kick by Lynagh in his own quarter allowed the Lions to build pressure, and Tom Curry dived over in the right corner. The Lions scored again in the 38th minute, when Huw Jones barged over from in close.

The Wallabies managed to keep the Lions in their half, and Lynagh extended the score by another three in the 53rd minute.

The Lions made the Wallabies pay for a wasted chance when they scored a few minutes later. The power game of the Lions and some nice offloading found big flanker Tadhg Beirne on the edge and he was too big to stop.

Stan Sport commentator Morgan Turinui fumed at game-deciding decision during post-match discussions.

“The end is a penalty to the Wallabies,” Turinui said on Stan Sport. “And the referees were too weak to give it.

“It doesn’t matter, you cannot hit a guy in the back of the neck to save the ball, who is legally jackaling. The referees have got it wrong.

“It has cost the Wallabies survival in the series. The British and Irish Lions lead this series 2-0. It was brave to come back from them, but it is a terrible decision that decides this match.”

“I’m pretty gutted, we wanted to fight this week and we showed glimpses, we were hit and we weren’t good enough and I wanted to apologise for not getting the result.

“We had moments in that game in first half, any time they entered our D zone, they took points and ultimately they came away with the chocolates, we’ll have to regroup and not make it a whitewash...we’ll be fighting, it’s very special to put on this jersey.”

Will Skelton of the Wallabies evades a tackle.Credit: Getty Images

It was heartbreak for the Wallabies at the MCG after bombing a 23-5 lead to suffer a last-minute 29-26 defeat on Saturday night.

Australia’s players stood up but couldn’t hold on at the death as the Lions celebrated a series win before a bumper crowd.

Here’s how the players rated.

1. James Slipper: Missed the tackle to stop a diving Dan Sheehan close to the line, but made up for it with his try in the 23rd minute. A great moment for the big prop in his second Lions series. A solid 40-minute shift in what could be one of his last Tests on Australian soil. 7.5/10

Click here for the rest of Tom Decent’s player ratings.

“To say delighted would be an understatement, what a day, what an occasion, what a grandstand finish, everyone who came deserved something like that.

“To everyone who has travelled, this is fairytale stuff, this is what we’ve dreamed of since we were this high. To come to the MCG, to roll against the punches in the first half, Australia certainly turned up.

“To stay in the fight until the death, and to back ourselves...we were coming away with something, big balls, we’ll be delighted with that.”

Andy Farrell, the British & Irish Lions head coach congratulates Owen Farrell (L) of the British & Irish Lions and Sione TuipulotuCredit: Getty Images

I’ve had a good look at the controversial non-penalty call on Carlo Tizzano.

Yes, there might have been contact on the neck there as Tizzano goes over the ball, but in the grand scheme of things I don’t think there’s a lot in it.

Owen Farrell, Ronan Kelleher, Maro Itoje and Ellis Genge of the British & Irish Lions celebrate.Credit: Getty Images

It would have been a huge call to award the penalty there for something like that.

I can live with that staying as a non-penalty.

Just not sure if that happens in the first minute there is as much conjecture.

Have seen some cruel Wallabies losses over the past decade but that’s up there.

Very different feeling to the 40-6 loss to Wales at the 2023 World Cup.

Great game of Test rugby.