The heavens opened, unleashing a deluge that intensified relentlessly. The electrical storm, which compelled a 40-minute player evacuation at Sydney’s Accor stadium, not only disrupted the game’s tempo but also extinguished any lingering notion that this squad of British & Irish Lions was destined for legendary status.
Whatever remained of that delicate aspiration vanished with the image of Lions’ fly-half Finn Russell browsing on his personal device during the weather delay. Understandably, a member of the support staff opted to shield the cameras within the changing rooms following this episode. The Lions had already contested their decisive match the prior weekend, leaving insufficient emotional and physical reserves for another peak performance at the close of a prolonged season.
A unified sense of purpose was notably absent, yet head coach Andy Farrell contested claims that his team had misused their unexpected intermission: “That’s utter nonsense, complete rubbish.” The coach’s protectiveness mirrored that of a parent safeguarding their offspring, although the reality was that the Lions’ energy reserves were depleted. It becomes challenging to feign a life-or-death urgency when the reality falls short, and Melbourne, rather than Sydney, represented the Lions’ ultimate downfall.
Russell concluded his 2024-25 campaign in Australia with 2819 minutes of playing time across 38 fixtures. His team leader, Maro Itoje, closely trailed with 2564 minutes in 34 games, lasting only 27 minutes in Sydney before a failed Head Injury Assessment forced his permanent exit. Both players exceeded the player safety guidelines slated for implementation in the English Premiership next season (30 seasonal game involvements), while the more restrictive limits advocated by France’s Fabien Galthié (25 games and 2000 minutes) remained a distant aspiration.
Given these factors, the 2025 Lions demonstrated capability but rarely brilliance. They exhibited flashes of appealing play, but fortunately, they faced minimal pressure to attain peak performance until the final two matches of the tour. Regarding Australia, the second Test in Melbourne and the third in Sydney highlighted a promising team awaiting selection for the upcoming Rugby Championship, set to commence with a two-Test series in South Africa the following Saturday.
An essential condition exists: should the Wallabies aspire to competitiveness in South Africa, their 23-man squad must include players based abroad. Figures like Will Skelton, Tom Hooper, Taniela Tupou, and Langi Gleeson should no longer be penalized by a stringent policy favoring domestic players.
It has taken far too long for Schmidt to realize that his pack for the Lions series had to be built around towering second-row Skelton, despite his club commitments to Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle.
In January, shortly after Gleeson’s commitment to Montpellier in the French Top 14, the Waratahs’ back-rower was promptly disinvited from Joe Schmidt’s January training camp. Simultaneously, Tom Hooper, the standout Australian forward in Super Rugby Pacific 2025 representing the Brumbies, secured a contract with Exeter Chiefs for approximately double his offered salary to remain in Australia, remaining marginalized until the Lions series’ outcome was determined. Tupou’s transfer to Racing 92 in the Top 14 resulted in his erroneous omission from the Melbourne bench in favor of Tom Robertson.
Likewise, Schmidt’s belated recognition of the necessity to center his Lions series pack around the towering second-row Skelton, despite his commitments to Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, proved significant. These commitments may preclude Skelton’s participation for the Wallabies in both the Rugby Championship and the year-end European tour.
As Schmidt acknowledged following the Sydney match:
“[These discussions] are likely in their early stages, with clearer direction expected post-Saturday.
“I’ll meet with Will on Sunday to confirm a forward plan. His experience of winning brings contagious confidence. Those around him gain confidence playing alongside him.
“He’s a behemoth, an incredibly large individual, yet agile and skilled, with strong group connections. Moreover, he displays immense pride each time he wears the gold jersey and eagerly contributes.”
Former Wallaby captain Michael Hooper remarked on Stan Sport, “[Skelton] transformed the entire Wallabies team’s appearance and dynamics. Everyone now understands his importance to the Wallabies jersey.” Upon resuming play after the storm, Skelton had neutralized both Lions starting locks (Itoje and James Ryan), establishing the physical and emotional atmosphere for a young Wallabies squad. This newfound mentality will face its ultimate test against figures like Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph Du Toit in South Africa, a place where yielding ground, succumbing to intimidation, or retreating is not an option.
Another significant oversight occurred off the field. In May, Geoff Parling, former England and Lions second-row, declared his departure from the Wallabies coaching team following the Lions series. Parling and his family had resided contentedly in Melbourne for seven years before he seized the opportunity to lead his former club Leicester Tigers in the UK. This decision likely factored in Les Kiss’ aspiration to integrate Zane Hilton, his forwards coach with the Reds, into the Wallabies setup in 2026. Both were members of the four-person coaching panel that oversaw a 48-0 defeat to the Lions by the AUNZ Invitational XV during the current tour.
Parling’s leadership of the Wallaby lineout, coupled with his mentorship of lineout caller Nick Frost, stood out as an Australian coaching achievement during the Lions series. Skelton’s selection to start the second Test in Melbourne placed increased pressure on the set-piece specialist to ensure the Wallaby lineout’s smooth operation.
A critique of Skelton pertains to his limited role as a target on own-throw due to his substantial weight, leaving the green-and-gold team short of a receiver at lineout time. The subsequent Tests showcased the success of Parling’s ‘Skelton lineout’ strategy, evidenced by the ensuing statistics:
The Wallabies secured nearly all their own ball in the final two Tests, with Frost claiming 17 throws independently, equating to a 94% retention rate and considerable success. Following Maro Itoje’s exit in the 28th minute in Sydney, Parling and Frost orchestrated their own powerful assault on a Lions lineout led by replacement caller Ollie Chessum. The initial wave struck just before halftime:
While Skelton may lack the attributes of a traditional lineout jumper, his effectiveness as a lineout player remains. Positioned centrally in a five-man line, he must decide whether to anticipate Chessum’s feint toward the front or track James Ryan toward the tail. His correct judgment allows him to front-hoist Frost, facilitating a clean steal for the young giant. This feat was replicated after the lightning delay:
The Lions congregate at the front, but Skelton anticipates Tom Curry, positioned at the ‘+1’ insert spot, drifting toward Chessum at the rear. A three-man lift consistently gave Frost an advantage in contests against any Lions receiver. His expansive wingspan enabled him to intercept throws targeted ahead of him:
A gust transformed into a deluge of Lions lineout failures as the game approached its decisive phase in the final 10 minutes:
By the 75th minute, the Lions were resorting to drop throws at the front, yet the Wallabies anticipated this tactic. Rather than contesting the throw, they flooded the lanes toward the scrum-half, securing possession at the ensuing ruck instead.
Australia’s set-piece dominance intensified once it became apparent that Taniela Tupou would be permitted to utilize his preferred scrum angle. Late in the first half, Tupou and his opponent, Andrew Porter, were veering perpendicularly toward the sideline at each scrum:
The rainstorm that interrupted the third Test extinguished all aspirations of Lions greatness, carrying them into the Sydney night sky. The 2025 tourists displayed merit, occasionally exceptional, but never attained greatness. End-of-season exhaustion chips away at players striving for additional peak performances in an already protracted season. Finn Russell even resorted to his phone for distraction from the relentless focus on rugby during the storm break, making no attempt to conceal it from cameras after 38 games.
Variable opposition quality, even during the Test series, dispelled the illusion of grandeur. Australia started poorly, failing to play with attacking intent until Skelton’s firm establishment within the starting XV. The tourists faced potential defeat on only two occasions, winning the first and losing the second.
Skelton, Hooper, and Tupou’s achievements should prompt a reevaluation of Rugby Australia’s selection criteria for overseas players, as the Wallabies cannot afford to exclude their top talents, regardless of their global location. Should this lesson remain unlearned, two Tests against the reigning world champions on their home ground will undoubtedly underscore it in bold, prominent letters.
