Rugby’s leading nations have united to announce a blanket ban on playing international matches for recruits to the proposed breakaway R360 league. England, New Zealand, Ireland and France are among those who currently either favour or exclusively pick players from their domestic competitions. That meant signing up to the globe-trotting R360 itinerary was always set to put their players’ Test careers on hold.
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On a foul night of torrential rain and threats of lightning strikes in Sydney that forced play to be suspended for 40 minutes, the Wallabies shocked the British and Irish Lions and won a riotous victory in the third and final Test at Stadium Australia. The hosts, and underdogs, were dominant for much of a dramatic evening, outscoring the Lions by three tries to two. They led the Sydney slugfest 8-0 through a Dylan Pietsch try and a Tom Lynagh penalty at the end of an intense first half.
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Hugo Keenan wrote himself into the history books of the Lions, the Ireland and Leinster full-back’s try with the final play of the game sealing the 29-26 win and the series, and completing an incredible 18-point comeback against Joe Schmidt’s Australia side.
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The British and Irish Lions beat the Wallabies 27-19 in the opening Test at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Leading 24-5 early in the second half and looking like they might threaten to record one of the biggest victories in their history, the Lions fell away in the last half-hour. A Finn Russell penalty and tries for Sione Tuipulotu and Tom Curry put them ahead by 12 points at the break.
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The British and Irish Lions touched down in Australia with head coach Andy Farrell revealing there are lingering injury concerns over Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan. Farrell’s squad arrived into Perth after a 20-hour journey from Dublin via Doha ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture on Australian soil against the Western Force.
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