The British and Irish Lions embarrassed a shellshocked Wallabies 41-16 at a packed-out ANZ Stadium on Saturday night to celebrate a drought-breaking first series success in style.
After waiting 16 long years, singing and chanting Lions fans were absolutely jubilant in what was a death knell for Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
With intense speculation already swirling before the third Test that Deans’ tenure was coming to an imminent end, the record four-tries-to-one defeat is sure to have forced Deans’ end.
It wasn’t just the scoreline but the manner of the loss, in front of a reconfigured ground crowd record of 83,702, which was damning for Australia.
The dominant Lions forwards set the platform for the hiding by chewing up and spitting out the Wallabies pack in a one-sided first half.
A scrummaging onslaught, led by English prop Alex Corbisiero, who wasn’t even included in the original tour party, set the tone for the match.
The Wallabies endured a nightmare start which had the tourists leading 10-0 after seven minutes after Will Genia dropped the kick off and Corbisiero scored a minute later.
The first-half disaster continued with star winger Israel Folau tearing his hamstring in the 26th minute just after man-of-the-match Leigh Halfpenny kicked his fourth penalty goal for a 19-3 lead.
Halfpenny, who also set up two second-half tries to seal the win, finished with a record personal tally of 21 points.
The Welsh fullback also racked up a record series haul of 49 to be named player of the series.
The tourists’ devastating scrum dominance netted them three of their four early penalty goals and led to prop Ben Alexander being sin-binned for repeated infringements.
Thirteen points five minutes either side of halftime, highlighted by a jinking James O’Connor try just before the break, revived the Wallabies as they closed to 19-16 down.
James O’Connor scores for the Wallabies (Tim Anger Photography)
But another scrum penalty, showing that inconsistency in the set piece is still a major Achilles heel for Australia, turned the tide back the tourists’ way.
Lions coach Warren Gatland’s controversial call to dump Irish great Brian O’Driscoll and stick with Jonathan Davies in the midfield paid off handsomely when the Welshman sparked a try to Jonny Sexton to put the Lions 13 points clear midway through the second half.
Halfpenny linked beautifully with Davies to send Sexton over, and then also set up the match-sealing try to another Welsh teammate, George North, five minutes later.
Centre Jamie Roberts then added insult to injury with a fourth try 11 minutes from time by splitting the backline defence for their highest score against Australia.
“We had too many errors early on and we gave them a head start … and they were too good,” said Wallabies skipper James Horwill.
The knives quickly came out for Deans in the Twittersphere with dual international Lote Tuqiri, whose Wallabies career ended under the New Zealander, posting “see ya Robbie” in the midst of the Lions three-try blitz in the second half.
Deans lamented a “horrific start” and a poor scrum display.
“They used their set piece with great advantage and then fed off it,” he said.
“It worked for them, they were turning the scoreboard over and you saw the rest.
“We gave them a leg-up which really allowed them to thrive.”
Horwill said the loss was incredibly disappointing, especially starting “opposite” to the way they had intended.
The second-rower said his pack failed to recover from the first scrum in the first minute.
“We got penalised early and then got a bit gun shy,” he said.
“We sat on the back foot and allowed them to dictate terms.”
With the ARU sounding out the Brumbies and Queensland to potentially release coaching candidates Jake White and Ewen McKenzie, respectively, Deans acknowledged his coaching future was out of his hands.
“Those decisions will be made by others,” he said.
“You don’t presume anything in this industry and that decision is made by others, and who knows?”
Horwill said he was devastated but still stood by Deans.
“Robbie’s the coach, he’s contracted and he’s the coach,” he said. “He’s a great coach (but) now’s not the time, five minutes after a game, to talk about coaching positions.”
Gatland said he couldn’t be prouder of his men after they responded to his call to empty the tanks in the finale.
“We spoke about being prepared to go to a place that not many players go to in terms of being able to push your body to the limit,” he said.
“The players did that. They ran themselves into the ground.
“They deserve a lot of credit those players.”
Photos: Paul Barkley / LookPro Photography
[roar_cat_gal]
QC
Guest
thanks everyone; it will be great to be back in no. 10 for the wallabies under a new coach.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
Ah look KIWI DAVE, you now the Aussies! They are always all mouth and no achievement!
richard
Guest
Here's a tip for you,just because someone's parents are Samoan(that's Western Samoan,as opposed to American Samoan),doesn't mean they can't be kiwis. It's funny how the island ancestry is raised when someone with island blood is eligible for NZ.Especially in light of the amount of islanders playing for Australia.
Mick
Guest
And here's me thinking professional sport is about a spectacle. All along its been about the atmosphere.
Franky
Guest
Yes they did
Waterboy
Guest
Takes one....
Waterboy
Guest
Totally agree. He is overrated and watch Genia implode when things don't go his way. He is far from the complete player.
Waterboy
Guest
It was....Aust should have had the entire front row in the in. Blacks will smash you guys.
AndyS
Guest
No, Hibbard would be Horwill to Smith as Wyn Jones. The IRBs opinion was that any player knows exactly where his body parts are at all times, so Horwill was reckless putting his feet somewhere where another players head might be. So equally Hibbard knew exactly where his head was, could even see Smith's, so logically he must have been no less reckless in taking an action that put them together.
Marc Johnstone
Guest
I heard from someone currently employed in Australian rugby that Deans actually wanted to pick Quade Cooper for the BIL series but his three assistants threatened to all resign if he selected QC so Deans rolled over and demurred to his assistant -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Nova
Guest
Right on !!
Henry Applebee
Guest
its also fair to point out that even though we had 7 opportunities at goal 5 of them probably woulnt be there unless he went for the try. for example the first penalty that was kickable he went for touch, they didnt score but got a penalty, then another, and another. the only reason they got those penalties was because he applied pressure instead of kicking. say that he went for the kick and got it, thats three points but we are back down our half the other 5 penalties wouldnt have been in existence. so in realiity its only 2 penalties or 6 points that went missing and the one time we crossed made up for that another point is that we hardly were in there 22 so it would safe to say the lions probably would have returned down the field and scored 3 points them selves
Sky Blue Ram
Guest
Al. Lions could argue that for the first two tests.
Sky Blue Ram
Guest
English Lions Fan. I was too.
Roarer
Guest
France have a good scrum.
mikeylives
Guest
"You would take Pyle and Kimlin above Horwill? Well why not – total speculation is a wonderful thing – it means you can never be proved wrong" You did ask. They are actually dominating their opponents in matches - and in case you didn't realise - every selection is speculation, but you can still base it on current form. OK - JOC can pass. He just doesn't have a long pass and far too often takes it into traffic hoping for an offload. He does not have vision to put runners into gaps, stands deep, often runs laterally and can't hit the line running and pass at the same time. He can't kick with any distance or purpose He can't marshall a backline. This happened last night and last week AND the week before funnily enough. Smith's knee surgery was documented at the time as a minimum 12 week recovery. I'm sorry, but the "Smith is a fast healer" call by a smiling Robbie Deans at the time of the injury doesn't cut it. He is human after all.
Mike
Guest
You are going to have to do some more work if this is what you call "intelligence and proof". Re the scrum, you put Benn (not Ben) Robinson and Ben Alexander in the same category - right. And you say that they are both "yellow carded constantly" - right. And then you blame the coach for persisting with them "when there could be better options", before immediately admitting that you have no idea what those better options are - right. I suggest first learning the difference between Ben Alexander and Benn Robinson, then find outwhen they have each been yellow carded and why, and then take it a step at a time from there. Re JOC: "continue to run sideways" - right. doesn't attack the advantage line - right. fails to create brilliance for the whole backline (you know the job of a flyhalf) which in turn carries the implied assertion that some other player could have done that last night - right. On the positive side, your reasoning about flyhalf makes as much sense as your reasoning about props.
LS
Guest
Yeah mate, I did watch. I watched a flyhalf continue to run sideways instead of atacking the advantage line, and crossing over it. I watched a flyhalf who plays a brilliant individual game fail to involve those team members around to create brilliance for the whole back line (you know, the job of a flyhalf!). I watched that game. Did you? As for the scrum, he has persisted with the Bens. Two woeful props who caused a penalty try for England a few years back, who get yellow carded constantly (including in super rugby, ben alexander cost the brumbies a win of the Kings) So yes, Robbie has persisted with those two when there could be better options. Do I know the better options? No. But maybe trying the same thing and expecting different results is not the answer. Put a Ben on the bench and start with Slipper, or O'Brien, or somebody, jesus christ, just someone different! So, I'm afraid I stand by my statement, with intelligence and proof to back me up. Did you watch the game?
Mike
Guest
"I’m talking about JOC" - so am I, and I am talking about how he actually played in the game last night. You would take Pyle and Kimlin above Horwill? Well why not - total speculation is a wonderful thing - it means you can never be proved wrong. :) Re Smith - thanks for your medical opinion. ARU will be knocking on your door to replace their existing medical staff shortly. 100% and got a few steals from them - not what I recall. Does anyone have the stats? And "we seemed to be able to march it up the field to the goal line relatively easily" - must have been watching a different game.
mikeylives
Guest
Simmonds - read Simmons. And add Fardy to the list ahead of Horwill.