Lions end 16-year series drought
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2013, Sunday
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THE British and Irish Lions ended a 16-year drought with a crushing, series-clinching 41-16 win over Australia in the third test yesterday, helped by a dominant scrum and Leigh Halfpenny's two try assists and collection of points records.
After winning the first test 23-21 and losing the second 16-15, the Lions piled on more points than ever before in a test match.
A week after missing a stoppage-time penalty that could have clinched the series for the Lions in Melbourne, fullback Halfpenny shredded the Wallabies defense on the left side as he set up the decisive tries for Jonathan Sexton and George North in the 57th and 64th minutes. He landed five penalties and three conversions, and his 21-point tally for the match gave him 49 for the series -- both Lions records.
"It's pretty undescribable, but we came through in the end," Lions captain Alun-Wyn Jones said.
Lions coach Warren Gatland gambled by making six changes for the deciding test in Sydney, relying on 10 players from his Six Nations-winning Welsh team and dropping Irish veteran Brian O'Driscoll.
Gatland said he had to use his head and not his heart in the selections, and was vindicated. After playing in the first two tests, O'Driscoll now has won his first series with the Lions -- on his fourth tour.
The match was divided into three distinct periods, with the Lions racing to a 19-3 lead before the Wallabies rallied to 19-16. But the Lions finished strongly to set their record for most points in a test match.
The Lions started at a frantic pace, needing less than 90 seconds to open the scoring, with English prop Alex Corbisiero rolling over adjacent to the posts three phases after Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia knocked-on from the kick off.
Halfpenny converted and added four more penalties to earn his individual Lions record -- most accumulated points in a test series - to increase the lead to 19-3 by the 25th minute.
Halfpenny was able to accumulate points regularly because the big Lions pack was smashing the Australians at scrum time, earning two free kicks and two penalties from the first five scrums before Wallabies prop Ben Alexander was sin-binned for another collapse that led to the fourth penalty goal.
"We had too many errors, we gave them a head start," Australia captain James Horwill said. "You have to give them credit, they were the better team tonight. We let ourselves down in the scrum."
Amid the pressure James O'Connor scored a close-range try just before halftime for the hosts. And the Wallabies got within three points just after the break via two Leali'ifano's penalty goals, setting up a frantic last 35 minutes.
After winning the first test 23-21 and losing the second 16-15, the Lions piled on more points than ever before in a test match.
A week after missing a stoppage-time penalty that could have clinched the series for the Lions in Melbourne, fullback Halfpenny shredded the Wallabies defense on the left side as he set up the decisive tries for Jonathan Sexton and George North in the 57th and 64th minutes. He landed five penalties and three conversions, and his 21-point tally for the match gave him 49 for the series -- both Lions records.
"It's pretty undescribable, but we came through in the end," Lions captain Alun-Wyn Jones said.
Lions coach Warren Gatland gambled by making six changes for the deciding test in Sydney, relying on 10 players from his Six Nations-winning Welsh team and dropping Irish veteran Brian O'Driscoll.
Gatland said he had to use his head and not his heart in the selections, and was vindicated. After playing in the first two tests, O'Driscoll now has won his first series with the Lions -- on his fourth tour.
The match was divided into three distinct periods, with the Lions racing to a 19-3 lead before the Wallabies rallied to 19-16. But the Lions finished strongly to set their record for most points in a test match.
The Lions started at a frantic pace, needing less than 90 seconds to open the scoring, with English prop Alex Corbisiero rolling over adjacent to the posts three phases after Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia knocked-on from the kick off.
Halfpenny converted and added four more penalties to earn his individual Lions record -- most accumulated points in a test series - to increase the lead to 19-3 by the 25th minute.
Halfpenny was able to accumulate points regularly because the big Lions pack was smashing the Australians at scrum time, earning two free kicks and two penalties from the first five scrums before Wallabies prop Ben Alexander was sin-binned for another collapse that led to the fourth penalty goal.
"We had too many errors, we gave them a head start," Australia captain James Horwill said. "You have to give them credit, they were the better team tonight. We let ourselves down in the scrum."
Amid the pressure James O'Connor scored a close-range try just before halftime for the hosts. And the Wallabies got within three points just after the break via two Leali'ifano's penalty goals, setting up a frantic last 35 minutes.
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