So much for the British & Irish Lions’ winner-takes-it-all ambitions. This was far from their finest hour and almost nothing went to plan on a filthy Sydney night. Instead, it was the Wallabies who concluded the series on a high, defying the wet conditions and a mid-game lightning storm delay to end visiting hopes of a 3-0 clean sweep.
The Lions also had to contend with an increasingly savage injury toll, losing their captain, Maro Itoje, Tommy Freeman and James Ryan to failed head injury assessments before the teams were instructed to leave the field as a safety precaution. The score was 8-0 in the hosts’ favour when play was halted at 9.12pm local time and play was suspended for 38 minutes.
