Australia 26 - 29 The Lions

Full time

26 Jul 2025

The Lions Series

Stage: Regular Season Round 1

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Australia vs The Lions head to head

🎉 6

👏 7

🔥 8

😭 3

The British and Irish Lions narrowly defeated Australia 29-26 in a thrilling encounter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Tom Lynagh opened the scoring for Australia with two early penalties, but Dan Sheehan's try for the Lions shifted momentum. Australia responded with three tries, including a stunning effort from Jake Gordon, and led 26-14 at one point. However, the Lions rallied back with tries from Tom Curry, Huw Jones, and a late effort from Hugo Keenan to secure the win. Finn Russell played a pivotal role, converting crucial tries and maintaining pressure throughout the match. Australia's defense faltered in the final phases, allowing the Lions to exploit gaps. The match showcased resilience from both sides, but the Lions ultimately triumphed, extending their winning streak against Australia.

Broadcasters

Where to watch in: Australia, United Kingdom

Weather

Temperature: 11.6°C (Feels like 7.9°C) Condition: MostlyCloudy Wind: 16.0 km/h, gusting to 36.3 km/h Humidity: 79% Cloud Cover: 83%

Highlights

Events

Kickoff
4'

Penalty

Tom Lynagh · Australia

3 - 0
10'

Penalty

Tom Lynagh · Australia

6 - 0
15'

Try

Dan Sheehan · The Lions

6 - 5
19'

Substitution

Tate McDermott on for Harry Potter · Australia
22'

Try

James Slipper · Australia

11 - 5
23'

Yellow Card

Tommy Freeman · The Lions
28'

Try

Jake Gordon · Australia

16 - 5
28'

Conversion

Tom Lynagh · Australia

18 - 5
30'

Try

Tom Wright · Australia

23 - 5
33'

Yellow Card Complete

Tommy Freeman · The Lions
34'

Try

Tom Curry · The Lions

23 - 10
37'

Try

Huw Jones · The Lions

23 - 15
38'

Conversion

Finn Russell · The Lions

23 - 17
40'

Substitution

Tom Robertson on for Allan Alaalatoa · Australia
40'

Substitution

Langi Gleeson on for Rob Valetini · Australia
40'

Substitution

Angus Bell on for James Slipper · Australia
Halftime 23 - 17
Second Half
47'

Substitution

Jeremy Williams on for Will Skelton · Australia
53'

Penalty

Tom Lynagh · Australia

26 - 17
54'

Substitution

James Ryan on for Ollie Chessum · The Lions
54'

Substitution

Ellis Genge on for Andrew Porter · The Lions
54'

Substitution

Jac Morgan on for Tom Curry · The Lions
56'

Substitution

Billy Pollard on for Dave Porecki · Australia
59'

Try

Tadhg Beirne · The Lions

26 - 22
60'

Conversion

Finn Russell · The Lions

26 - 24
60'

Substitution

Owen Farrell on for Huw Jones · The Lions
60'

Substitution

Blair Kinghorn on for James Lowe · The Lions
60'

Substitution

Carlo Tizzano on for Fraser McReight · Australia
64'

Substitution

Ronan Kelleher on for Dan Sheehan · The Lions
64'

Substitution

Will Stuart on for Tadhg Furlong · The Lions
79'

Try

Hugo Keenan · The Lions

26 - 29
Fulltime 26 - 29

Player ratings

Australia

15 Tom Wright 7.5
14 Max Jorgensen 7.2
13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 6.9
12 Len Ikitau 7.2
11 Harry Potter 5.8
10 Tom Lynagh 6.5
9 Jake Gordon 8.1
1 James Slipper 7.3
2 Dave Porecki 7.0
3 Allan Alaalatoa 5.6
4 Nick Frost 7.6
5 Will Skelton 6.7
6 Rob Valetini 6.2
7 Fraser McReight 6.5
8 Harry Wilson 7.0
16 Billy Pollard 6.1
17 Angus Bell 6.2
18 Tom Robertson 5.9
19 Jeremy Williams 6.5
20 Langi Gleeson 6.6
21 Carlo Tizzano 6.1
22 Tate McDermott 6.5
23 Ben Donaldson –

The Lions

15 Hugo Keenan 7.2
14 Tommy Freeman 6.3
13 Huw Jones 7.0
12 Bundee Aki 7.0
11 James Lowe 6.8
10 Finn Russell 6.3
9 Jamison Gibson-Park 6.4
1 Andrew Porter 6.6
2 Dan Sheehan 8.1
3 Tadhg Furlong 6.9
4 Maro Itoje 6.8
5 Ollie Chessum 6.4
6 Tadhg Beirne 7.6
7 Tom Curry 8.2
8 Jack Conan 8.0
16 Ronan Kelleher 6.6
17 Ellis Genge 6.7
18 Will Stuart 6.9
19 James Ryan 6.4
20 Jac Morgan 6.6
21 Alex Mitchell –
22 Owen Farrell 6.0
23 Blair Kinghorn 6.8