Australia 16

THE final test produced a record vi c t or y f or t he Lions but proved to be a shattering experience for Australia. Between their first- half collapse in the s c r um a nd t hei r s e c o ndhalf defensive nightmare the Wallabies actually mounted a decent rally, but it was fitful, short-lived and unconvincing.

On a day that should have been one of great sporting theatre, Australia robbed the occasion of grandeur through their abject failure to make it any sort of contest. Credit to the Lions, of course, but their first series victory of the century should never have been this easy.

The experts had predicted a close game, but right from the start it was clear the Lions had a massive advantage in the setpiece. Australia’s scrum folded so often and so easily it was more like watching an origami class than Test rugby.

They steadied after hopelessly i nef f e c t ual t i ghthead Ben Alexander was sin-binned (and not brought back) after 24 minutes, but the hosts were laughably short of Test class in that area.

Lions loosehead Alex Corbisiero deserves praise for the penalties he harvested in the scrum, but putting Alexander and his team-mates to the sword was a challenge on a par with rearranging pillows.

There was a rumour that Australia had finally sorted out the scrum problems that have bedevilled them for the past decade, but it was dynamited in 20 ruinous minutes in the ANZ Stadium.

Australia managed to regroup after Alexander’s departure but the damage they had sustained was not just on the scoreboard. By the final quarter, they were breathing so hard the Lions could easily have levered their points tally up to 60.

As a consequence, the Lions

It was more like watching an origami class than Test rugby

had begun with a gruesome and unforced knock-on by Will Genia after just a few seconds, and the first quarter had brought one calamity after another.

Genia’s error brought the scrum, quickly followed by a freekick that provided the platform for Corbisiero’s opening try with barely a minute played, and the Lions all but ripped the hearts out of the Wallabies in that opening 20 minutes.

Alexander departed after the fifth scrum. Three of those set- pieces had brought Lions penalties; the other two had led to free-kicks.

Leigh Halfpenny punished the indiscretions mercilessly, kicking the Lions into a 19-3 lead, although things steadied at that point as Sekope Kepu added the solidity that Alexander had so dismally failed to provide. In