by On a second test epic, the British and Irish lions are roaring from the serial victory. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has experienced a lot of special sporting occasions during its 172 years, but even this great old sports cathedral seemed to shake a large -scale seismic meeting, settled in the last by a sliding Hugo Keenan and a decision to be argued for a long time in the Australian night. Affirmation, colossal contacts and moments of majesty and magic – what more could you want in a meeting to restore faith in Australian rugby and prove again how special lions can be?
It was a rotary and noisy game adapted to an alleging night, the many worshipers and some infidels of rugby captivated in the same way in a rocking church which provided a properly monumental backdrop. But, for a few moments after Keenan had marked what proved the winning score of the match, no one inside the MCG seemed to be quite sure of their emotions – the clear -out of Jac Morgan of Carlo Tizzano requiring a more in -depth examination before the allocation of the test.
The rear of Hugo Keenan famous after having marked the winning test (AP)
“No unfair game”, finally concluded the referee Andre Piardi, and the Lions celebrations could begin. But series victories do not come easily and how they had to win this victory. Over 80 minutes of serious ferocity, the Wallabies answered a large part of the questions that had been asked after their first test. Joe Schmidt, their head coach, said that his team would not be so passive and would not play well – Australia supported the two proclamations with thunderous tubes and smart skuldugoculture that rugby requirements are testing a team. The thoughts of a unilateral series, common before this competition, were clearly moved; Reports of the disappearance of the Australian Rugby Union have exaggerated.
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And yet, the history books will show a side of the victorious lions with a game to lose after their biggest return of the story. Andy Farrell and his team wanted to declare their ambition to be considered as one of the major tour teams, written in the annals. A clean 3-0 scanning would be a unique achievement; Immortality is at hand.
“For me, it’s a dream for everyone in this wardrobe,” Ramed Farrell. “They dreamed of being a British and Irish lion all their lives. To reach a point now where Hugo Keenan spends a test at the last minute to win a series in Australia. If you are a child who looks at this at home, do you want to be a British and Irish lion? One hundred percent.
“It is the dream and it is the fairy tale that these guys have wished since they were This high. He is alive and kicks and we are on the moon. “”
The front atmosphere and during a magical meeting improved the show, the 90,307 present marking a new record for a confrontation of the lions. Intense traffic and the overcrowding of the streets that put the short distance to the MCG of the city center meant that the hosts were 20 minutes late – far from being ideal, even if one could intimidably suggest that it had taken them up to 42 minutes to present themselves last week.
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The Wallabies would have been much more satisfied with the way they started here, with the impact of the return Will Skelton and Rob Valetini instantly obvious. The portage of the first helped to draw a penalty from the old Saracens Chum Maro Itoje, before two other fleshy rumbles from Valetini forced offside lions. Tom Lynagh split him from the tee, as he did again after a slice Joseph -Aukuso suaalii – rarely seen in the first 40 minutes a week ago – had been covered by Tom Curry, later.
The difference in intention on and out of the ball was also clear. Skelton selected fights with almost everyone in red like a rabid bull, with a lot of Wallabies accumulate to support their barrier of bar. Everything in Lions Red was not innocent, Mind, and Piardi quickly called the two skippers in his office for dressing. The warning came in the middle of a period of pressure from the prolonged lions which led to a quick tap of Dan Sheehan and a dart on the line.
Australia was brilliant in the first half to threaten a great victory, Tom Wright among scorers (AFP / Getty)
A first half hour of bad humor had left both sides in the disciplinary platform. Tourists unable to obtain their reduction timing to the taste of civil servants, Tommy Freeman was for the bac while the Wallabies beat the Lions line. The test was inevitable, James Slipper is a surprise scorer – try four of a test career now 146 games, surely his favorite still.
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Suddenly, large gold mines have arisen around MCG. Seventeen punishing phases of a avant-garde pack proving a point were rewarded by the sniping score of Jake Gordon, before Joseph-Aaukuso Suaalii, the man at a million dollars, triggers a beauty ended by Tom Wright.
The lions seemed briefly entirely uncertain which had struck them, but will soon be again. First of all, Jack Conan and Tom Curry combined well to finish a scanning movement in the right corner, then Huw Jones – which would not have played without the misfortune of Garry Ringrose – crossed two plates to the line to recover his team in a score, 23-17.
Tom Curry helped Lions produce their biggest return for all time (David Davies / Pa Wire)
It was as if some Australians had already emptied their reservoir; It was not surprising that neither the slipper nor the Valetini reappeared after the break, with Allan Alaalatoa too. Seven minutes later, Skelton finished, the giant’s tired giant of the giant at the line of the sidelines a welcome spectacle for those in red. With the half-machine of replacement Tate McDermott already on the wing to replace a paralyzing Harry Potter, it seemed that the strength of the wounded walabies could have declined.
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The Lions, however, could not take advantage of it. The unusual errors of James Lowe, Keenan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell all arrived in a relatively rapid succession, allowing the right boot of Lynagh to extend the example of the hosts by three.
Enter the Lions bench, responsible for doing more than they succeeded in victory a week ago. Ellis Genge immediately touched, and James Ryan too, while the starter Bundee Aki gathered steam, cutting the middle with sirens by sounding. Lowe’s net work has set up Tadhg Beirne to Barrel – with the conversion of the Russell touch line, the Lions were in both.
The lions are winners of the series with a game to lose (Getty)
And then came Keenan to death to settle one of the great shows – after the most anxious expectations for those of a persuasion of the Lions while Piardi and his team deliberated. No unfair game, they reigned, and it was over. “It was our honor and our privilege,” said Captain Itoje – most inside the MCG accepted.
