British & Irish Lions

Chris Jones
Rugby union Correspondent in Sydney

Image source, BBC Sport

Former Australia captain Michael Hooper says the Wallabies have to move on from the controversial end to last weekend's decisive second Test, and hopes their performance in Melbourne can act as a line in the sand ahead of a home World Cup in 2027.

Speaking to the Rugby Union Weekly podcast in Sydney, Hooper reflected on the call from the officials not to penalise Jac Morgan ahead of Hugo Keenan's winning try.

"It's the game right. But these things happen and if being a player teaches you anything it's that you have to move on," he said.

"I hope the Wallabies have had a couple of days just to grieve, get it over with, and to get mentally prepared to bring it this week."

Despite the series defeat by the Lions, Hooper hopes the Wallabies can start to get the Australian sporting public back in love with the national side.

"We are fair weather fans in this country. We love a winner and we love teams that show up with what we see as being Australian, which is showing up with a bit of grit and being competitive," he added.

"What we want to see in the next two years [before the World Cup] is just a consistent improvement, a trend upwards, and you don't see these valleys and troughs we have seen over the past decade and a bit.

"You are a very lucky player if you get to have a home World Cup, and these guys are going to get to do that."

Image source, Getty

British and Irish Lions centre Huw Jones says Garry Ringrose, who he replaced in the second Test starting line-up at late notice after the Ireland midfield man suffered lingering concussion symptoms, would have been "unbelievable" had he been fit to play in Melbourne.

"It was a pretty mental week. I had the initial disappointment of not being in the squad on the Tuesday," Jones said.

"I had a chat with Andy and I was gutted. I got over that and was ready to get behind the boys.

"And then on Thursday we trained and Garry - to be fair to him - said his head just wasn't right. I think he may have got a knock in the session and went to the doctor.

"That's brave. And pulling yourself out as well. It was at the end of training, I had no idea that he was struggling,

"I was gutted for him because he deserved to play and I know he would have been unbelievable. Sometimes that's rugby and that's sport."

Image source, Getty Images

Lions captain Maro Itoje and prop Tadhg Furlong will win their ninth Test caps for the Lions if selected for Saturday's finale.

Both men are on their third tours for the Lions and will move into elite territory if they face Australia in Sydney.

Owen Farrell currently has seven caps and will hope to win his eighth this weekend.

Here's a look at the top 10 most-capped Lions players:

17 caps - Willie John McBride

13 caps - Dickie Jeeps

12 caps - Mike Gibson, Graham Price, Alun Wyn Jones

10 caps - Tony O'Reilly, RH Williams, Gareth Edwards

9 caps - Syd Millar, Mako Vunipola

Mantej Mann
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Lions have not won a series whitewash for almost a century.

Victory over Australia in the third Test on Saturday will deliver a first clean sweep since their tour of Argentina in 1927.

The Lions, made up of English and Scottish players, won all four Test matches in somewhat humble beginnings for the Pumas.

According to the Lions website, external, the River Plate Rugby Union – now Union Argentina de Rugby – recognised those four matches as the first official games of the Argentina national team.

Can Maro Itoje become the first Lions captain since Scottish lock David MacMyn to lead the tourists to a series whitewash?

Image source, Getty Images

Several of the British and Irish Lions were sporting some natty home-made neckwear during their celebrations in Melbourne.

Their garlands, made out of chocolate bar wrappers and ribbon, were made and presented by the family of centre Sione Tuipulotu.

Tuipulotu was born in Australia, but his father is Tongan and he spent four years in Tonga as a child. He qualifies for Scotland, and therefore the Lions, through his maternal grandmother who comes from Greenock.

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Getty Images

Former All Black prop Aidan Ross has been called up by Australia as they prepare for Saturday's third Test against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney.

The 29-year-old, who played for New Zealand in two Test defeats by Ireland in 2022, was born in Australia before moving across the Tasman as a child.

Under World Rugby's 'birthright' rules, players can represent a second nation after a three-year stand-down period if they, a parent or a grandparent were born in that second nation.

Ross, who was part of the Chiefs team that lost the Super Rugby final last month, has since moved to the Queensland Reds.

He has already played the Lions twice on their tour, turning out for the Reds and an invitational Australia and New Zealand side.

Elsewhere wing Harry Potter has been ruled out of the tour finale after straining his hamstring in Australia's second Test defeat in Melbourne.

Image source, Getty Images

Wallabies Max Jorgensen and Nick Frost have come out in support of team-mate Carlo Tizzano after the replacement flanker was at the centre of a decisive late call in the British and Irish Lions series-clinching second Test win in Melbourne.

Attempting to win a turnover at the breakdown, Tizzano was cleared out by Jac Morgan in the final ruck before Hugo Keenan's game-winning try.

The incident was reviewed and cleared by the video official and his on-field team, however Australia coach Joe Schmidt claimed, with Tizzano having won the race to the ball, Morgan's solo clear-out above Tizzano's shoulder line, should have been a penalty awarded the Wallabies' way.

Lions fly-half Finn Russell said after the match that Tizzano had "tried to get a penalty" by going down holding his head.

"He's a bloody tough player and he really puts himself in tough positions for us constantly throughout the game and week in, week out," said Jorgensen of Tizzano.

"Carlo's a competitor, like he always is, He's trying to get the ball.. he's there first and he gets hit pretty hard with a full force clean-out," Frost added.

"It is what it is. We can't do anything about a decision…"

Mantej Mann
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Conan has revealed that a video message from Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor helped inspire the Lions' memorable comeback in their series-clinching victory over Australia.

Olympic gold medallist and undisputed world super lightweight champion Taylor urged the touring party to dig deep in a good luck message before the second Test in Melbourne.

The Lions took heed of Taylor's encouragement after overturning an 18-point deficit to win 29-26.

"The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will," said Ireland number eight Conan.

"That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all.

"It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well.

"She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades.

"Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy - it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us."

Image source, PA Media

A special episode of Rugby Union Weekly looks back at a dramatic second Test, which was won 29-26 by the British and Irish Lions.

BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones is joined by Matt Dawson, Jamie Roberts and Andy Nicol to discuss the big talking points from an incredible match at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

• Listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Dawson, 1997, 2001 & 2005 Lions tourist, on BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's a rugby IQ thing, watch that [Hugo Keenan] try back and how many Wallabies players cluster around that ruck?

"You could throw a towel over six of them, which gives the space for Keenan.

"The Wallabies defensively have been so passive in this series. They have been absorb, absorb, absorb and no-one gets over that ball."

Here are some of the statistics from a pulsating game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Lions fought back from 23-5 behind to win 29-26 and secure a series win.

Mark Benstead is joined by BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones and three-time Lions tourist Matt Dawson live from Melbourne Cricket Ground, along with former England wing Chris Ashton, to discuss the Lions' mementous series win in Australia.

Saturday's incredible comeback victory in Melbourne secured a series win for the British and Irish Lions over Australia.

Can they make it a 3-0 clean sweep in Sydney?