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Wallaby winger Israel Folau deserved to be on the winning side last night after a stunning two-try international debut in a new position.
But the penalty gods denied him and shined on the Lions instead.
The scoreboard read Lions 23, Wallabies 21 in an epic, nail-biting 80 minutes that had the record 52,499 Suncorp crowd in a constant roar.
But ‘dem gods’ didn’t deliver for home consumption, and it left a gnawing hollow feeling in the gut that the Wallabies had been denied.
James O’Connor missed two penalties and a conversion for eight precious points, Kurtly Beale missed two late penalties, slipping and falling on the second.
Either shot would have given the Wallabies a famous victory. Instead it was a famous loss because the men in gold had to endure carnage in the backline.
It was a serious procession, starting with Chrstian Lealiifano in debut. Just 50 seconds after kick-off, Lealiifano tackled opposite number Jonathan Davies head-on and was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Lealiifano was carted off in a neck brace and was followed in the medi-cart by Berrick Barnes and Pat McCabe, also sporting neck braces.
Late in the game Adam Ashley-Cooper was escorted off with a shoulder injury to complete the backline carnage.
Yet despite the goal-kicking setbacks and the mounting injury toll, the once wobbly Wallabies stuck it to their more illustrious visitors for 80 magnificent minutes.
There was nothing left in the Wallaby tank, they had given their all.
But I bet they had the same gnawing gut feeling, especially Israel Folau, rightfully described post-match by his skipper James Horwill as a “freak player”.
Not only did he score two tries no other Wallaby could have scored, but he saved one one, and was always looking dangerous.
Will Genia couldn’t have possibly done anything more. He had the backline moving forward all the time, while probing himself.
Genia is definitely a ‘freak player’ as well.
And there are times when O’Connor can be described as freakish, but not last night.
He was out of his comfort zone at 10, and it affected his goal-licking. O’Connor is very much the touch player, when he’s hot he’s hot and everything falls into place.
When he’s not, he’s not, just like last night and his game goes pear-shaped.
So what will coach Robbie Deans do with him next Saturday in Melbourne for the must-win second Test?
Lealiifano was concussed, and shouldn’t be considered, while Barnes with his long history of concussions mustn’t be allowed to play.
That leaves Beale standing alone at 10 with Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, and Bernard Foley not in the squad, leaving Deans between a rock and hard place.
Even Deans knockers must feel for him. The carnage last night was beyond belief.
The media this week will be chockful of suggestions, and the net result will rest entirely on Deans.
Will he add to his squad which could only be his Achilles’ heel Cooper, or risk Toomua or Foley as two more debutants in a must-win Test?
It’s a rock and a hard place alright with Quade Cooper the only realistic selection, under the circumstances.
The final word is left to the Lions.
Their pack was awesome at scrum time, their lineout secure, and they have two runaway train wingers in George North and Alex Cuthbert who both scored tries in keeping with their class.
And a fullback in Leigh Halfpenny who is mighty dangerous in attack for a pocket rocket and a superb goal-kicker who booted them home last night.
Lions 23, Wallabies 21 – not a struck match in it.