As Andy Farrell took a seat in the underbelly of the Suncorp Stadium, ready to dissect the Lions’ opening night victory, he handed over his dog-eared notebook to his media assistant. ‘Sometimes I surprise myself with what I write in there,’ he said.
After 43 minutes, the head coach may as well have written: ‘Job done’.
Do not be fooled by the close scoreline here in Brisbane. The Wallabies were submissive. From the moment Tom Curry pummeled James Slipper in the opening play, the hosts must have known they were never going to win this fight.
If the Lions had not taken their foot off the throat, they could have won this match by 30 points. Even with squandered scoring opportunities, jeopardy was never in the equation. Australia had no answer to the Lions’ power game.
It felt like the Lions could have fielded their midweek team and still got the job done. In fact, there is a strong chance that Owen Farrell could be promoted from said midweek team after the tourists let complacency creep into their second-half performance.
There were solid blocks of red supporters behind the posts, roaring every one of Curry’s bruising hits. The travelling fans arrived on a pilgrimage down Caxton Street, where the timber-framed houses and live music made the place feel like a New Orleans carnival. They filled out every seat of the 52,000 arena, reminding us why the Lions are still relevant in the modern sporting landscape.
Andy Farrell’s Lions earned a one-sided 27-19 win over Australia in their first Test on Saturday
Finn Russell seized his moment on the big stage as Australia had no answer for the tourists
It was just a shame the Wallabies struggled to hold up their side of the bargain. They desperately need Rob Valetini and Will Skelton to return with a tour de force next week if they stand any chance of keeping this series alive but, once again, they will be underdogs.
Valetini and Skelton are the only players who can combat the Lions’ henchman-like defence, with the lurking presence of Tadhg Beirne ready to disrupt every breakdown. They starved their hosts of oxygen, charging to a 19-point lead. Ellis Genge carried the ball like a baby bull, while Tadhg Furlong also resembled thoroughbred cattle with his classy touch.
Behind them, Finn Russell seized his moment on the big stage. His half-back partnership with Jamison Gibson-Park is the best combination to emerge on this tour, with the two players on a different level to their opponents.
Russell kicked an early three pointer, pinning the Wallabies back with a 50-22. He punished their passive defence as the Lions set up camp. He popped Dan Sheehan through a hole in the 10th minute, flinging a pass across the face of four dummy runners to set up Sione Tuipulotu for the first try of the series. The first try from a Scottish international since Alan Tait in 1997.
The Wallabies lineup had 638 caps compared to the Lions’ 1151. At fly-half, Tom Lynagh was starting his first Test for the hosts.
His father, Michael, dazzled in his days in the green and gold jersey. A son of the Brisbane soil, Lynagh entered his local stadium with a target on his back. Joe Schmidt dropped him to full-back in defence to protect him from heavy carries, but he lacked options in attack.
The Wallabies never found their flow, relying on one-out runners against a Lions operation that looked far more cohesive. After all the build-up, Joseph Suaalii was barely given a sniff.
The Wallabies fired one shot in the first half -with Max Jorgensen beating Hugo Keenan in the air to score an impressive aerial try – but the Lions responded with tries through Curry and Dan Sheehan. If the Lions back-three – Keenan, James Lowe and Tommy Freeman – had been as hot as their back-row then the scoreline could have been a rout.
If the Lions had not taken their foot off the throat, they could have won this match by 30 points
The power of the tourists was too much for the Australians at the Suncorp Stadium
Australia have a lot to think about ahead of next Saturday’s second Test in Brisbane
Tractor-sized lock Joe McCarthy hobbled off early in the second-half and the Lions replacements failed to maintain the intensity. The performance flattened out. Allan Alaalatoa pinched a couple of scrum penalties for the hosts and Harry Wilson’s influence grew in open play. ‘This time last year we probably would have melted,’ admitted Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
Rounding off a 10-phase attack, Carlo Tizzano scored in the 68th minute. Frustration crept into the Lions camp. Farrell almost spat out his orange squash as his team forced passes, with Maro Itoje thumping the ground in frustration as he joined the culprits.
‘We roll onto the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013,’ said Farrell, referencing the Wallabies victory in the second Test 12 years ago. ‘When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle so we expect a different game next week. But having said that we expect more of ourselves as well.
‘When you give a few penalties away, or you are under warnings, or there is a loose offload or carry, that pressures you a bit and we started losing a few collisions. I believe that is a fantastic place to be because there is so much more in us.’
Marcus Smith replaced a cramping Russell in the closing stages and kicked three points to keep the Lions two scores ahead, before Tate McDermott wriggled over late on to score another for the Wallabies. The hosts were never in a position to win the match, but at the very least their fightback can give them a faint flicker of belief for the second Test in Melbourne. Irrespective of what Farrell scribbles in his notebook, the Wallabies will need a miraculous 80-minute turnaround.
