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British & Irish Lions vs Wallabies takes: Worst team since 2005, no answer for Skelton
By Ben Smith at Accor Stadium, Sydney
A fired-up Wallabies side provided the last chapter of the 2025 British & Irish Lions series with a 22-12 win in the third Test in Sydney.
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The victory prevented the Lions from achieving their stated goal of a 3-0 series win, and shines new light over the hard-fought series that was much closer than originally predicted.
The Lions fell short of being the greatest ever, despite coming away as series winners. Here are takes after the third and final Test.
Lions lacked bite in finale
These Lions proved to have little bite as talk of 3-0 washed away in the Sydney rain at Accor Stadium. They were battered, bruised and embarrassed as the Wallabies crushed them with wet weather tactics fit for the occasion.
They ended with a series points differential of +1 over the three Tests, lost four of the six halves of rugby, and had to comeback from 23-5 down at the MCG. Let’s not forget the Wallabies team for the first Test was severely undermanned with no Skelton, no Valetini, and no Tupou.
The British & Irish Lions are officially 2-1 series winners but they can’t escape being the worst Lions outfit since 2005.
The brave 2009 side took the Springboks, then World Cup winners, to the edge in the second Test and claimed a valiant third Test win. The 2013 Lions beat a stronger Wallabies team and blew them out in the decider. The 2017 went 1-1-1 against one the greatest All Blacks teams ever. The 2021 side went 1-0 up over the World Cup winners and went close in the third Test.
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The 2025 Lions are better than the 2005 team that got swept 3-0 in New Zealand, but no better than any of the above. This Lions team came surrounded with expectations, but failed to live up to those lofty ambitions.
There is no answer for Skelton
The Wallaby lock continued to wreck carnage on the Lions in the third and final Test, with his physicality too much for the Lions too handle. There was not a single Lion who could move or do anything to Skelton. The after-the-whistle niggle worked in Skelton’s favour as the biggest player on the field was able to assert his dominance, then follow through, with Skelton battering them with every carry afterward.
The Wallabies are left with many ‘what ifs’ the biggest will be if Skelton was available for the entire series. He was pulled out of the first Test and only played 43 minutes in the second, but he was arguably the most influential player of the series.
With Skelton on the field the Wallabies held a +14 points advantage, outscoring the visitors 38-24. That is some indication that he could’ve swayed the entire series had he played the first Test.
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Nic White masterstroke
The perfect No.9 to rile up the Lions, create some spice, and play wet weather rugby, White’s recall was a masterstroke.
He cleared the lines very well and got chirpy with the Lions pack as things got heated midway through the first half. The retiring halfback is renown for his competitiveness and that’s exactly what the Wallabies needed to lift themselves with the series result already determined.
White was involved in multiple scuffles, sparking off with Owen Farrell early in the second half but it left the Lions frustrated and flustered. The errors compounded for the visitors and they couldn’t get their heads in the game.
Jake Gordon had his moments in the first half of the second Test, but White’s third Test again raises questions on selections for the series.
Pietsch too little, too late
After missing selection for the first two Tests, Pietsch played the house down in Sydney. A brilliant finish to open the scoring included a tough one-hand grab behind his shoulder and a dive for the corner. On defence, Pietsch was a rock, jamming Tommy Freeman inside the Wallabies’ 22 which led to a turnover penalty. On midfield carry by the Lions, Pietsch combined with McReight and a few others to force a collapsed maul turnover.
On the other side, Max Jorgensen continued to shine with multiple breaks down the right side. He ripped off a big try in the second half against the run of play to show the world his class once again. You question where Pietsch was the entire series after dazzling for the Force in the opening game of the tour and then showing in the third Test what the Wallabies were missing out on.
The Wallabies best pair of wingers were on show in the final Test, complementing each other with different skillsets.
Lions players of the series
Finn Russell and Tadhg Beirne were named as the Lions’ player of the series in two different awards. Beirne was far more deserving than Russell, who outside of his pass in the first Test for Sione Tuipulotu had not much else to write home about. His best plays were his touchfinders in the second Test but those were clearly beyond the mark.
Man-of-the-match in the opening Test win, Beirne was valiant in the third Test defeat as the Wallabies turned the heat up a notch. But the player that swung the series across the first two Tests was Tom Curry, he is the only Lion who produced the plays that mattered.
The difficult part of the Lions series win is giving out this award. They lost four of the six halves of rugby. There were plenty of admirable performances and a few strong ones, but the reality is they were outclassed in the series by the Wallabies.
Beirne was a good candidate for their award but Curry was the best candidate.
Australia deserves the series and not the disrespect
The criticism levelled at Australia as a viable host is unwarranted and altogether insulting, and the Wallabies proved to be more than a match for the Lions on the pitch.
With an improved revenue sharing model with the Lions taking a larger share than past series, why would you leave off Australia from the touring list? Commercially that would be a bone-headed move, this tour makes the most of any of the three current destinations.
Australia’s infrastructure is the best of the three destinations as well. The series provided huge crowds at some of the best stadiums in the world, the MCG with 90,000 people will be a memorable night in Test rugby, with a thrilling contest fitting for the occasion.
The Australian series was a winner on and off the pitch.
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