Keenan Clinches Series Win For Lions With Dramatic Late Try

Hugo Keenan etched his name into British & Irish Lions history with a decisive 79th-minute try, as Andy Farrell’s men came from 18 points down to beat Australia 29-26 on a magical night in Melbourne.

2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR – SECOND TEST:

Saturday, July 26 –

AUSTRALIA 26 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS 29, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Scorers: Australia: Tries: James Slipper, Jake Gordon, Tom Wright; Con: Tom Lynagh; Pens: Tom Lynagh 3
British & Irish Lions: Tries: Dan Sheehan, Tom Curry, Huw Jones, Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan; Cons: Finn Russell 2
HT: Australia 23 British & Irish Lions 17

A record Lions crowd of 90,307 watched the much-improved Wallabies lead for most of the game, but the tourists’ bench helped to turn the screw as the Lions secured their first Test series win since the 2013 tour Down Under.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground was rocking to Australia’s beat when James Slipper’s try, coupled with a yellow card for Tommy Freeman, was swiftly followed by scores from Jake Gordon and Tom Wright to open up a 23-5 lead.

Dan Sheehan had touched down in the 15th minute – incredibly his seventh try in seven Tests this year – and late efforts from Tom Curry (34) and Huw Jones (37) left just six points in it at half-time.

Tom Lynagh’s third penalty goal kept Australia on course at 26-17, but that proved to be their final score. Tadhg Beirne stormed over on the hour mark, and the Lions, with captain Maro Itoje a deserving player-of-the-match, held their nerve during a tense finale.

A couple of visits to the opposition 22 saw Farrell’s side emerge without a score, but their persistence eventually paid off. Keenan had the pace to get outside Len Ikitau and claim a glorious match winner, taking the Australian centre with him over the try-line.

Finn Russell’s missed conversion, following a nail-biting conclusion as the try had to survive a TMO review, was not needed as the Lions’ memorable comeback saw them win their opening two matches in a Test series for the first time since 1997.

A record nine Ireland players started, including Bundee Aki and Andrew Porter who came into the team that won 27-19 in Brisbane last Saturday. James Ryan made his Lions Test debut as part of an impactful bench.

A penalty from outside the tourists’ 22 was an early nerve-settler for Lynagh, as Australia took a fourth-minute lead. It all came from a lineout out the back to the returning Rob Valetini, and some forceful carries with the fit-again Will Skelton getting on the ball.

A third successive penalty against the Lions – this time Curry was whistled up for not releasing – allowed young out-half Lynagh to make it 6-0. His long-range kick stayed inside the right hand post.

An encouraging scrum penalty had the Lions on the cusp of responding, with Jack Conan unfortunately knocking on. The Wallabies got bodies in, but two further penalties were tapped, and hooker Sheehan successfully lunged over to maintain his excellent try-scoring form.

With Russell’s conversion bouncing away off the near post, Australia took a one-point advantage into the second quarter. Joe Schmidt’s charges resumed with their improved ball-carrying causing damage again, and the Lions leaked more penalties.

The indiscipline led to veteran Australian prop Slipper burrowing over in the left corner, and it was a double setback for the Lions as referee Andrea Piardi sin-binned Freeman for offside. Lynagh’s missed conversion left six points in it.

The Lions fell 13 points behind when a classy 50:22 kick from full-back Wright had the Wallabies’ tails up. Their forwards responded with some incisive carrying, and scrum half Gordon cleverly took advantage of a defensive gap to snipe over.

Freeman’s yellow card was proving very costly for the men in red, and Australia punished them further. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i’s eye-catching midfield break set up Wright to romp over, much to the delight of the home support.

Restored to their full complement, the Lions fired back swiftly. Freeman got every metre out of a carry, putting them in try-scoring range. Jamison Gibson-Park took them back to the short side, and Conan’s quick hands allowed Curry to step inside Gordon and finish well.

Jones made it two tries in quick succession, as Russell used a penalty to launch a great touchfinder. His pack battered away before Keenan’s well-timed pass set up centre Jones to crash over impressively, with the extras from Russell closing the gap back to six points.

There was no change to the scoreboard during a cagey start to the second period, the Wallabies replacing two of their most influential players, Valetini and Skelton, with the latter’s calf niggling at him.

Replacement scrum half Tate McDermott was playing on the left wing, following Harry Potter’s first-half withdrawal, and his purposeful run into the Lions 22 set up Lynagh to make it 26-17 from the tee.

Curry’s ball-dislodging tackle on Sua’ali’i came at an important time for the Lions, who began to use their bench effectively with Ryan, Ellis Genge, and Jac Morgan entering the fray. Genge played his part in winning an immediate scrum penalty.

The Lions lifted the intensity and tempo with a bustling break downfield from Aki, a series of ground-gaining carries building pressure on the Australian defence who were put firmly on the retreat.

James Lowe then pulled the trigger, expertly shrugging off Ikitau and offloading for Beirne to blast past Max Jorgensen and score despite the presence of two more defenders. Russell’s high-quality conversion from out wide suddenly made it a two-point game.

The Lions came hunting again soon after, Russell’s right boot plunging them back into the left corner before Ryan was tackled short, and Australian replacement Carlo Tizzano won a relieving penalty at the breakdown.

Replacement Blair Kinghorn’s surging break, on the back of a scrum penalty, had the Lions pressing again until Will Stuart was penalised for an extra roll on the ground. A maul turnover saw them wrestle back possession, past the 70-minute mark.

Time was not on the Lions’ side as Conan took a free-kick from the scrum, and a subsequent knock-on handed the ball back to Australia. Their half-backs did well to move their opposition back to halfway, but the Lions had more in the tank.

They backed themselves to produce a match-winning try rather than get in position for a drop goal. Freeman gained good ground down the right, and a few phases later, replacement Stuart pierced through to the 22 with a brilliant bulldozing run.

Carries from Beirne, Itoje, and the lively Kinghorn stretched the home defence further, before Ryan straightened up the attack in front of the posts. The pivotal moment came in the 13th phase, Gibson-Park inviting Keenan to take Ikitau on and he delivered a priceless five points.

There was relief all round for the Lions players, and the raucous ‘Sea of Red’, when referee Piardi and his match officials adjudged that there was no foul play from Morgan’s clearout on Tizzano. Leading 2-0, Sydney now awaits for a shot at completing a series whitewash.

TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Australia penalty: Tom Lynagh – 3-0; 10 mins – Australia penalty: Tom Lynagh – 6-0; 15 mins – British & Irish Lions try: Dan Sheehan – 6-5; conversion: missed by Finn Russell – 6-5; 22 mins – Australia try: James Slipper – 11-5; conversion: missed by Tom Lynagh – 11-5; 23 mins – British & Irish Lions yellow card: Tommy Freeman; 27 mins – Australia try: Jake Gordon – 16-5; conversion: Tom Lynagh – 18-5; 30 mins – Australia try: Tom Wright – 23-5; conversion: missed by Tommy Freeman – 23-5; 34 mins – British & Irish Lions try: Tom Curry – 23-10; conversion: missed by Finn Russell – 23-10; 37 mins – British & Irish Lions try: Huw Jones – 23-15; conversion: Finn Russell – 23-17; Half-time – Australia 23 British & Irish Lions 17; 53 mins – Australia penalty: Tom Lynagh – 26-17; 59 mins – British & Irish Lions try: Tadhg Beirne – 26-22; conversion: Finn Russell – 26-24; 79 mins – British & Irish Lions try: Hugo Keenan – 26-29; conversion: missed by Finn Russell – 26-29; Full-time – Australia 26 British & Irish Lions 29

AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright (ACT Brumbies); Max Jorgensen (NSW Waratahs), Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i (NSW Waratahs), Len Ikitau (ACT Brumbies), Harry Potter (Western Force); Tom Lynagh (Queensland Reds), Jake Gordon (NSW Waratahs); James Slipper (ACT Brumbies), Dave Porecki (NSW Waratahs), Allan Ala’alatoa (ACT Brumbies), Nick Frost (ACT Brumbies), Will Skelton (La Rochelle),Rob Valetini (ACT Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds) (capt).

Replacements used: Tate McDermott (Queensland Reds) for Potter (18 mins), Tom Robertson (Western Force) for Ala’alatoa, Langi Gleeson (NSW Waratahs) for Valetini, Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs) for Slipper (all half-time), Jeremy Williams (Western Force) for Skelton (47), Billy Pollard (ACT Brumbies) for Porecki (56), Carlo Tizzano (Western Force) for McReight (60). Not used: Ben Donaldson (Western Force).

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), James Lowe (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (capt), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England), Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England), Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).

Replacements used: Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England) for Porter, James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) for Chessum, Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) for Curry (all 54 mins), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) for Lowe, Owen Farrell (Saracens/England) for Jones (60), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) for Sheehan, Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) for Furlong (both 64). Not used: Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England).

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)