Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories The Lions came from 18 points down to win.Alamy Stock Photo Schmidt's Wallabies were transformed, but so was the Lions bench Andy Farrell’s substitutes helped shift the momentum in Melbourne. 1.40pm, 26 Jul 2025 Share options Ciarán Kennedy LATE OFF THE bus, fast out the traps. Today’s second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was everything we hoped this Lions series could be, arriving a week after an opening Test which brought everything we hoped it wouldn’t. This was a Wallabies side transformed, in no small part due to the presence of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, two game-changers who lived up to their billing on the grandest stage. An absorbing second Test put some credit on this series. If this game had gone as smoothly as last weekend for Andy Farrell’s team, we’d be facing an inquest into the validity of keeping Australia on the Lions’ rota. It also ensures the players will truly appreciate their achievement. Instead of turning up and blowing Australia away, this Lions squad had to really work and pull off something special to clinch the series, coming from 18 points down to win it at the death through Hugo Keenan. Their celebrations were full-hearted. The Wallabies looked broken. How different this could have been. How close they came. How much they poured into a brilliant 80 minutes of rugby. After heavy traffic had delayed the home side’s arrival at the MCG, a scintillating opening 40 ended with the Wallabies leading by six, and it could have been more – out-half Tom Lynagh off the mark with two of his three conversion attempts. The hosts looked reinvigorated right from the off, with the twin towers of Skelton and Valetini immediately prominent as half-backs Lynagh and Jake Gordan guided their team through Schmidt’s blueprints. Skelton was superb for the Wallabies.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The gameplan was simple but devastatingly effective – build territory, carry hard and punch holes. In those opening exchanges the Wallabies were bossing the collisions, their reward two Lynagh penalties to build a promising 6-0 lead after 10 minutes. But they were always going to need more than three-pointers to trouble a Lions side who comfortably dismantled them in Brisbane seven days earlier. The Lions began to land some punches, Dan Sheehan diving over a tackle to score as the visitors found success from their third shot at the line in quick succession. Yet when the Wallabies had the ball they looked more aggressive, more accurate, more determined. They were making smart decisions on the ball and brave ones when it came to managing the game. A shot at another three was turned down in favour of rolling the dice in the corner. That call led to James Slipper muscling over for just his fourth try across 146 Tests. By that point, 23 minutes in, the Lions pack had made 13 carries in total. Skelton, Valetini and the excellent Dave Porecki, a fresh face at hooker, had combined for the same total between them. Advertisement If the Wallabies came in with hope they now had belief, even as their plan hit a bump in the road – a 6/2 bench proving troublesome as winger Harry Potter limped off, sending scrum-half Tate McDermott out to the wing. Playing with confidence, Tom Wright produced a wonderful 50/22 after sharp play in dangerous territory. That proved the launchpad for Jake Gordon to score their second, sniping through after another series of excellent, accurate carries, the Wallabies dominating the ruck and playing cleverly off nine. Then a moment which really suggested something special might be unfolding. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i was the Wallabies’ pre-tour poster boy for this series but watched the first Test pass him by as part of a team effort Joe Schmidt described as ‘submissive’. Today Sua’ali’i packed his paint and put some magic on the canvas, dancing through flailing red shirts to serve up try number three for Tom Wright. Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i and Jake Gordon celebrate a try.Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO At 23-5 down the Lions were staring into the abyss after a statement 30-minute showing from Schmidt’s men. What followed will ensure this tour goes down as a memorable one. Two well-executed tries before half-time from Tom Curry and Huw Jones cut the gap to six and teed-up a massive second half. The big question was could the Wallabies keep such an effort up against a Lions team who had a loaded bench in wait, Farrell shaking up his substitutes after an unsatisfactory return last weekend. He has a good record of getting such calls right. Lynagh knocked over the first points of the second half but that’s where the tap ran dry, with the Lions scoring the next 12 points to snatch the win as the bench reinforcements helped wrestle the series back into their grasp, their introduction following the exits of Valetini and Skelton. James Ryan came in and was a monster in defence, throwing himself into some crunching tackles. Jac Morgan added momentum in the backrow. Ellis Genge, demoted from the starting team, joined the front row and went full Rambo as he condensed an 80-minute workrate into an explosive 25 minutes. Approaching the hour Tadhg Beirne went over for a try that had Irish fingerprints all over it, the Munster captain scoring after a surging Bundee Aki carry and wonderful fend and offload from James Lowe. Bundee Aki makes a break.Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO More energy entered through Owen Farrell and Blair Kinghorn. A superb Finn Russell kick put the Lions in the corner, but Ryan was held up over the tryline. The Lions were knocking at the door, a succession of scrum penalty wins ensuring the momentum stayed in their favour as the Wallabies missed Skelton’s heft. Then the killer blow, the highlight moment of this series. Keenan, jinking through to seal a wonderful Lions attack – where Beirne was again prominent. A magic Lions moment, to cap a magic night in Melbourne. Ciarán Kennedy View 3 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Schmidt's Wallabies were transformed, but so was the Lions bench”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Schmidt's Wallabies were transformed, but so was the Lions bench”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. 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