Australia v British and Irish Lions preview: Tourists denied ‘greatness’ as third time’s the charm for Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt and Lions boss Andy Farrell.
It all comes to an end at the Accor Stadium in Sydney as the Wallabies and British & Irish Lions collide one final time in 2025.
There has been so much noise about this potentially being the last tour to Australia, with the Lions urged to explore other touring options, but after over 90,000 fans packed into the MCG to see the Wallabies put up a mighty fight, that has died down somewhat.
Still, the Lions head into their final touring match with the chance of not only sweeping the series 3-0 but leaving Australian shores with a 100% win record Down Under.
That will be the motivating factor for Andy Farrell and his charges, while Joe Schmidt and his men will be hellbent on spoiling their party and sending off veteran half-back Nic White into retirement in style.
It will be no easy task for the hosts, though, as the Lions showed their resolve in Melbourne, overturning a 23-5 deficit to emerge 26-29 victors and clinch the series.
As with a third-fourth Rugby World Cup play-off match, all talk of a dead rubber has been discarded and perhaps rightfully so, as the Wallabies not only play for pride but with the intent to capture the attention of the Australian public.
For the Lions, greatness awaits as they attempt to become the first touring squad since the 1974 tour of South Africa to win a Test series 3-0.
Where the game will be won
It’s become a theme of this series where the game has been won and lost on the gainline, and there is no reason why that would change for the third Test. The Lions dominated this facet of the match at Suncorp Stadium in the series opener, and Australia only found a route back into the fixture when they found some go-forward momentum from the bench.
Last week in Melbourne, it followed a similar storyline with Will Skelton and Rob Valetini turning that facet of the game where they were woeful to a real strength, but one that dissipated almost immediately when they were ejected from the action.
Honours have been largely even at lineout time, though the Lions have launched some of their best attacks from that area of the game, while the tourists haven’t quite been rewarded for perceived dominance at scrum time. On the subject of the latter, Taniela Tupou could go a long way in gaining some parity in the scrums, particularly if the match officials stamp down on Andrew Porter’s technique in the first half.
While the Lions have found a way to overcome some shortcomings in the first two Tests – the starters getting the job done in the first and the bench in the second – Schmidt and his coaching team will have identified chinks to exploit as they did last week, but can they put it together in an 80-minute performance?
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Highlights of Test II
What they said
Wallabies coach Schmidt is looking for a positive response from his team as they strive to put last week’s heartbreaking loss behind them.
“The squad was certainly deflated after the gut-wrenching end to last week’s Test in Melbourne, but they have started to gather momentum in the back half of the week and will be ready to go again on Saturday,” he said.
“The support in Brisbane and Melbourne helped to lift the squad, and I know the support this weekend in Accor Stadium, will again help to lift the players in the high-pressure moments that we know are coming.”
Meanwhile, Farrell lauded Maro Itoje and Tadhg Furlong who are set to make their eighth and ninth straight Test start for the Lions respectively this weekend.
“It’s amazing,” he said of Furlong before praising the duo.
“Look at the quality of player they are, look at the standing that they have with any group that they represent. Those two lads epitomise what it takes to be a top-level international player.”
Players to watch
All eyes will be on Taniela Tupou as Wallabies fans hope that the powerhouse forward produces his best in his first appearance in the Gold jersey this year. At his best, there are few better tightheads in the game than the Tongan Thor, but frankly, we haven’t seen that kind of form from the front-rower this season. The only exception to the rule was his game for the First Nations and Pasifika XV, where he dominated the gainline and more than held his own at scrum time. Replicating that kind of shift will be crucial if the Wallabies are to be successful.
The other change to the Wallabies’ starting pack sees Tom Hooper come in for Valetini, who put in a starring 40-minute shift against the Lions last week. Hooper has been a standout for the Brumbies this season and was solid off the bench in the first Test match before dropping out the team entirely a week later. As mentioned above, the gainline will be pivotal, and that is a strength of Exeter-bound forward.
Joseph Suaalii hasn’t quite had the desired impact in the series as of yet, outside of flashes of brilliance. However, he could really come to the fore for the final game of the series, particularly with tricky conditions predicted. He is simply outrageously brilliant under the high ball, and with Nic White slotting into the run-on team, the Wallabies can only profit from leaning into his fantastic skillset.
British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan hasn’t quite got the plaudits that his performances have warranted in the two Tests, but perhaps that is due to the insanely high standards he has set when donning the Blue of Leinster and Green of Ireland. It’s been business as usual for the brilliant front-row, but that shouldn’t understate his influence and excellence throughout the series.
Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry earned far more praise for their performances and rightly so, considering their underwhelming form before the Tests. However, they vindicated Farrell’s decision to hand them starting roles in both Tests, and the head coach has rewarded their Test form with three successive starts. The duo have led the gainline dominance. If they are to sweep the series, the pair will undoubtedly put in standout performances again.
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Main head-to-head
While the forwards can dictate proceedings in the series finale, the scrum-halves will play a crucial role in the final outcome with Jamison Gibson-Park and Nic White squaring off in the number nine jerseys.
Poor conditions are predicted for Saturday, and as mentioned above, the Wallabies could really utilise Suaalii’s aerial strength if it is paired well with White’s tactical kicking prowess. The chirpy half-back bows out of the international game this weekend, but he still possesses the ability to turn a match on its head, as he did against Fiji off the bench. Sure, the Lions are a vastly different challenge to the Fijians, but the Wallabies will lean on his acumen and experience to guide them.
Meanwhile, Gibson-Park has been the heartbeat of the Lions’ attack, with their best moments in the second Test coming through the world-class number nine. The half-back can really do it all and has come up in the clutch for the tourists time and time again.
Prediction
After accurately predicting the first Test, Hugo Keenan’s try spoiled Planet Rugby’s prediction for the second. But perhaps the third game is the most challenging to call. The Lions stand on the cusp of greatness, while White’s send-off and pride will be the emotional driver for the Wallabies. Australia showed that they do have the talent and tactics to battle the tourists, but have fallen agonisingly short on both occasions. Will the ball finally bounce their way this time around? It’s tough to call. Surely, it has to happen for Schmidt’s Wallabies, and third time is the charm. It will be close and far from the dead rubbers we see at Rugby World Cups with Australia emerging five-point victors.
Previous results
2025: Lions won 29-26 at the MCG, Melbourne
2025: Lions won 27-19 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
2013: Lions won 41-16 in Sydney, New South Wales
2013: Australia won 16-15 in Melbourne, Victoria
2013: Lions won 21-23 in Brisbane, Queensland
2001: Australia won 29-23 in Sydney, New South Wales
2001: Australia won 35-14 in Melbourne, Victoria
2001: Lions won 29-13 at The Gabba, Brisbane
The teams
Wallabies: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (c), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Andrew Kellaway
British and Irish Lions: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Blair Kinghorn, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Jac Morgan, 21 Ben Earl, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Owen Farrell
Date: Saturday, August 2
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
Kick-Off: 8:00pm AEST, 11:00am BST
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR), Andrea Piardi (FIR)
TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)
