Australia vs British and Irish Lions LIVE
Andy Farrell’s Lions fell one win short of a perfect 2025 tour as they were beaten 22-12 by Australia on Saturday. Torrential rain battered the Accor Stadium throughout the afternoon, with lightning causing a 40-minute delay in the second half, but the Wallabies rose to the occasion. While the Lions struggled with ball in hand, Australia were perfectly composed, coming quick out of the gates and making good on their early pressure as Dylan Pietsch opened the scoring on eight minutes.
The tourists defended admirably for the remainder of the opening stanza, limiting the Wallabies to just three more points before the break despite their overwhelming territorial advantage. Things slipped away from them in the second half, though. The match was neutralised due to lightning with just three minutes played, but Australia did not skip a beat on the restart, capitalising on another Lions error to add a second try through Max Jorgensen.
Tate McDermott added another for good measure before the Lions pulled two back late on, but the deficit was too great to be overcome. The tourists were still crowned series champions, but a perfect series eluded them.
Australia vs Lions latest news
- TRY! McDermott adds another
- BOOKING: Kelleher heads to the sin bin
- TRY! Morgan gets the tourists on the board
- TRY! Lions error hands Jorgensen free try
- TRY! Lions trail early
- Kick-off: 11am BST, Accor Stadium
Andy Farrell 'unbelievably proud' of Lions squad
14:54 , Arthur FerridgeAndy Farrell said he is ‘unbelievably proud’ of his Lions squad despite missing out on completing a series sweep over Australia on Saturday.
"I know we're disappointed but we should be unbelievably proud of what we achieved as a group,” he said.
“Lions tours are tough, and to do what we've done last week and put the series in the bag, upon reflection after tonight, I'm sure we'll be super proud of the achievements.
"How we got the job done in that type of theatre will live with us forever. These lads have been an absolute dream to work with."
TRY! Australia 22-12 Lions
13:39 , Arthur FerridgeAs the clock ticks into last play, consolation for the Lions. That will do it for the 2025 tour.
Australia 22-7 Lions
13:38 , Arthur Ferridge79mins: The Lions are pushing to end the tour on a high as they batter the Wallabies’ goalline. No score yet, though they win a penalty.
Australia 22-7 Lions
13:34 , Arthur Ferridge78mins: Beirne splits the lines and looks to reduce the deficit for the Lions, but another knock-on foils him.
Australia 22-7 Lions
13:32 , Arthur Ferridge75mins: The wheels have come off for the Lions now. They seem somewhat resigned to this result.
TRY! Australia 22-7 Lions
13:26 , Arthur Ferridge71mins: It has been a long time coming - Australia add another through McDermott. With a man advantage, they hit out a few phases and eventually break through to cancel out Morgan’s try. They add the conversion.
Australia 15-7 Lions
13:23 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: Nightmare for Australia! Jorgensen has the chance to score but fumbles on the goalline. Elsewhere, Kelleher is booked for the Lions.
Australia 15-7 Lions
13:21 , Arthur Ferridge67mins: Australia are hell bent on cancelling out Morgan’s try. They are raining blows on the in-goal, but lose out to a handling error. They had an advantage, though, and come back again.
Australia 15-7 Lions
13:18 , Arthur Ferridge67mins: A high tackle from the try scorer Morgan hands Australia a red-zone penalty.
TRY! Australia 15-7 Lions
13:14 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: That does it - the tourists are on the board! Jack Morgan is the man to finish it, crashing through the Wallabies' wall to cut the deficit to eight.
Australia 13-0 Lions
13:13 , Arthur Ferridge62mins: After a penalty and some substitutions, the Lions come again.
Australia 13-0 Lions
13:11 , Arthur Ferridge59mins: The Lions are bearing down on the Australia in-goal again as they look to get on the board.
Australia 13-0 Lions
13:08 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: Doesn’t seem to be much in the clip the TMO is analysing, and we play on.
Australia 13-0 Lions
13:07 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: The TMO is getting involved to look into some foul play.
Australia 15-0 Lions
13:05 , Arthur Ferridge58mins: The Wallabies hit the conversion, and play resumes.
TRY! Australia 13-0 Lions
13:03 , Arthur Ferridge55mins: The latest Lions handling error is swiftly punished. A fumbled pass from Farrell to Aki on the left flank falls to Jorgensen, who blitzes down the line to score unopposed.
Australia 8-0 Lions
13:02 , Arthur Ferridge54mins: And the Lions are penalised again! Seems to be for an early engagement at the scrum. Sloppy.
Australia 8-0 Lions
13:00 , Arthur FerridgeWith that said, there are still some sloppy errors coming into play. A knock on in contact ends the Lions’ latest spell.
Australia 8-0 Lions
13:00 , Arthur Ferridge52mins: The Lions are certainly looking lively after the delay. They will want nothing more than to complete their clean sweep here, but need to capitalise on this pressure fairly soon if they are to pull off another comeback.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:58 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: Russell hits a clever cross-field kick to Jones, who in turn looks to chip as he attacks down the right flank, but his effort is into touch. Half an hour remains.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:57 , Arthur Ferridge49mins: Kinghorn kicks away under pressure and hits a nicely weighted grubber through the line, but is tackled before he can attempt to recover it. His boot finds touch.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:54 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: The Lions kick deep to touch from another penalty but lose their lineout just as they look to be building momentum.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:53 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: Australia come down in the scrum, and the Lions win a penalty. Gibson-Park kicks deep.
BACK UNDERWAY! Australia 8-0 Lions
12:52 , Arthur Ferridge44mins: The match resumes on 43 minutes, and the Wallabies threaten to score immediately, but a knock-on ends their attack. That would have been a fantastic response to the break.
Time to get back going
12:49 , Arthur FerridgeWe are shaping up to kick back off now. We will restart with 43 minutes on the clock.
How to recover from this delay?
12:43 , Arthur FerridgeThis weather delay will prove an interesting tactical wrinkle for both sides.
With the Lions trailing by eight, this match could well be decided by the first few minutes after the restart.
Any momentum in the Test will have been neutralised. This could go either way now.
The rain soundtrack continues
12:42 , Arthur FerridgeThe Accor Stadium DJ is continuing to dish out rain-themed tunes to soundtrack this weather delay.
‘It’s Raining Men’ by The Weather Girls is the latest selection.
Restart time confirmed
12:41 , Arthur FerridgeThe Test will restart at 12.50pm BST.
Players have returned to the pitch to warm back up.
WEATHER DELAY
12:35 , Arthur FerridgePlay will resume at 9.40pm local time!
Both teams will be given time to warm back up before the match restarts.
WEATHER DELAY
12:34 , Arthur FerridgeA Rugby Australia representative says there is potential for this match to be abandoned due to the weather conditions!
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We are now just watching the weather and playing it by ear. Depending on the length of time we are off will dictate how long teams get to warm up.
“If we get close to the 55, 60-minute mark, the decision will go much higher up. The CEOs will be in discussion and there may be a match abandonment. As it is the second half, the score would stand.”
WEATHER DELAY
12:30 , Arthur FerridgeThis has been the summer of Test rugby weather delays.
England’s test meeting with the United States last month is still fresh in the memory. Three separate delays saw that match finish nearly two hours later tha scheduled.
Want to kill some time during this weather delay? Read up on that weather-affected match here!
WEATHER DELAY
12:25 , Arthur FerridgeConfirmation that the delay will be 30 minutes from the initial lightning strike, meaning we will be back underway at 12.43pm BST at the earliest.
The timer will reset, however, with every fresh lightning strike within 10km of the Accor Stadium.
Weather delay
12:23 , Arthur FerridgeBrief analysis of the Apple weather app hints that this rain is not going away any time soon.
It is forecast to stick around for the next 24 hours, at least.
There does not seem to be any more lightning on the cards, though, so fingers crossed we will be back underway shortly.
WEATHER DELAY
12:16 , Arthur FerridgeThere is lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, and play is suspended indefinitely.
Should Australia follow the same regulations as American stadiums did during the Club World Cup, play should be paused for at least half an hour.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:13 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: James Ryan is carted off on a stretcher, and play is suspended.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:09 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: The clock is off as James Ryan receives treatment. Morgan is on to replace him.
Australia 8-0 Lions
12:07 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: What looks to be a serious injury to Ryan here, who seems to be out cold after making a tackle.
2ND HALF: Australia 8-0 Lions
12:04 , Arthur FerridgeWe are into the final 40 minutes of this tour. Can the Lions battle back into this?
HALF TIME: Australia 8-0 Lions
11:48 , Arthur FerridgeThe Lions trail at the break.
Australia 8-0 Lions
11:48 , Arthur Ferridge39mins: The Lions kick deep to Wright, who takes a fair catch. He boots back into the tourists’ half, and that will take us into last play.
Australia 8-0 Lions
11:46 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: Freeman is withdrawn for a blood sub, with Farrell replacing.
Australia 8-0 Lions
11:45 , Arthur Ferridge38mins: Conan is blown up for not releasing, and the Lions’ assault comes to an end.
Australia 8-0 Lions
11:44 , Arthur Ferridge36mins: The Lions are pushing hard to get points on the board before half-time. They are just 10m out and closing.
Australia 8-0 Lions
11:41 , Arthur Ferridge34mins: After hitting the penalty, Lynagh is withdrawn for a head injury assessment.
PENALTY! Australia 8-0 Lions
11:40 , Arthur Ferridge33mins: An offside Lion hands Australia a penalty, and Lynagh slots it from right in front of the posts to widen the margin.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:38 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Spectacular defending from the Lions, who beat the Wallabies back from the 5m line to the 22m line over nine phases.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:37 , Arthur Ferridge30mins: A tough blow for the Lions as they play out from the scrum and Bundee Aki fumbles possession. Now Australia have a 5m scrum of their own.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:36 , Arthur Ferridge29mins: Australia eventually take their lineout, but the Lions beat them out and win a scrum on their own 5m line.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:34 , Arthur Ferridge28mins: Huge blow for the Lions as Maro Itoje is dismissed for a head injury assessment.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:33 , Arthur Ferridge26mins: This is a remarkable spell in possession from the Wallabies, who are attacking in waves and pushing the Lions back at speed. After some 15 phases, the tourists win possession, but Australia held the advantage and will maintain possession. They kick to the corner and will attack again.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:29 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: The Lions take their penalty and kick away. After winning their lineout, they manage just one phase before the ball slips through Russell’s hands to turn possession back over.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:28 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: The referee has words with both sides, and has laid the blame on Australia. The cards stay in his pocket, though, interestingly.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:27 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: The Lions call an end to this latest Wallabies attack and there is some significant argy-bargy down on pitch. It seems to be down to Sheehan’s forcible removal of White from the ruck.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:26 , Arthur Ferridge21mins: Australia are dominant in the scrum and force the Lions to concede another penalty. They make little of the advantage, and kick the penalty away for a lineout on the 22m line.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:24 , Arthur Ferridge20mins: The Lions are struggling to get to grips with the wet conditions here. Another knock-on ends their latest spell in possession.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:21 , Arthur Ferridge17mins: Here it is - the predicted kicking battle is upon us. A handful of high balls are exchanged but no mistake comes, and Australia opt to play out for a few phases before the kicking restarts. Australia find touch, and the Lions will take a lineout just inside their territory.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:19 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: A Gibson-Park handling blunder sees the ball on the floor and Australia take full advantage. Sua'ali'i kicks to touch on the far side.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:17 , Arthur Ferridge13mins: Pietsch dumps Curry to bring an end to ten phases of Lions attack. This rain is truly remarkable now - monsoon conditions.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:16 , Arthur Ferridge12mins: The Lions take a penalty from the 5m line and swing out to Keenan on the opposite wing, but Australia are valiant in defence as the heavens open again in Sydney.
Australia 5-0 Lions
11:14 , Arthur Ferridge10mins: Australia can’t hit the extras, in a slight boost to the Lions. They come back apace as they look to get on the board and Russell puts the hosts under pressure with a sweet chip, which the defence bat into touch. A red-zone lineout awaits.
TRY! Australia 5-0 Lions
11:11 , Arthur Ferridge6mins: The first scrum collapses in the rain, but the second holds firm. Wilson crashes the Lions line off the base, and the Tourists hit the beach, but after several phases earn a penalty advantage and swing the ball out wide to Pietsch, who dives in to open the scoring.
Australia 0-0 Lions
11:08 , Arthur Ferridge5mins: White kicks through from close range to set up a try opportunity, and Keenan slides onto it to touch down in his own in-goal. 5m scrum for the Wallabies.
Australia 0-0 Lions
11:07 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: That tells you a bit about the conditions. The Lions win their lineout and Curry comes round the corner on the ball, but slips awkwardly in doing so. The earlier rain is already making things challenging.
Australia 0-0 Lions
11:06 , Arthur Ferridge3mins: A big boot from the penalty has the Lions on the edge of the Wallabies 22 for the first time.
Australia 0-0 Lions
11:05 , Arthur Ferridge2mins: The Lions kick away and Jorgensen comes back. He looks to play a grubber down the wing, but the Lions sweep up and earn a penalty at the breakdown.
Australia 0-0 Lions
11:04 , Arthur Ferridge1mins: White collects the kick-off and boots it into touch. A sign of things to come, one would assume.
The Lions steal the lineout, though, and will enjoy their first spell in possession of the day.
KICK-OFF!
11:03 , Arthur FerridgeThe final match of this incredible tour is underway!
Here come the teams!
10:58 , Arthur FerridgeThe squads are out. Kick-off, next.
Nearly time to go
10:50 , Arthur FerridgeKick-off is just ten minutes away!
Today's starting line-ups
10:45 , Arthur FerridgeA reminder of the XVs ahead of kick-off.
Lions XV: Keenan, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Kinghorn, Russell, Gibson-Park, Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Curry, Conan
Lions Replacements: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Chessum, Morgan, Earl, Mitchell, Farrell
Australia XV: Wright, Jorgensen, Sua'ali'i, Ikitau, Pietsch, Lynagh, White; Wilson, McReight, Hooper, Frost, Tupou, Porecki, Slipper
Australia Replacements: Pollard, Bell, Nonggorr, Wiliams, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Kellaway.
Accor Stadium DJ latest
10:45 , Arthur FerridgeAfter ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head’ was played earlier in the evening, the Accor Stadium DJ has dipped back into his back of tricks and pulled out a classic rain-related song.
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Have you ever seen the rain’ comes over the tannoy.
What will come next? If things don’t dry up, we could hear another CCR classic in ‘Who’ll stop the rain?’
Anyway, the rugby will be underway in just over 15 minutes.
Catch up on the action from last week
10:37 , Arthur FerridgeThe Lions left it late to win the second Test.
Hugo Keenan was the hero as he scored to complete an immense comeback with mere seconds remaining in the 80 minutes. They had, at one stage, trailed 23-5, but battled back to win 29-26.
The Lions will hope for a more routine outing in Sydney today.
Catch up on the action from the second Test here!
Who cares about a little rain?
10:30 , Arthur FerridgeFans are already arriving at the ground in spite of the drizzle.
Joe Schmidt previews the tie
10:23 , Arthur FerridgeSchmidt provides some insight into the mood in the Wallabies camp ahead of kick-off.
He said: “It was a bit of a slow start to the week. You get a loss like that and it takes a little time to springboard back into the week.
“It's funny, we know every day is new, every set play is new, so we just try to bank any belief we can from last week.
“There’s particular things we focused on during the week, and we’re hoping for a performance that is a little bit better, but it is going to be tough conditions-wise.”
How is the weather in Sydney?
10:17 , Arthur FerridgeIn a word, damp.
The rain has been on-and-off over the last few hours, but the conditions do not look set to dry up much before kick-off.
At least the Accor Stadium DJ has a sense of humour about it...
Another downpour - warm-ups were just about to start and everyone has disappeared inside. Fans sitting low down in stands are running for cover. They’re playing ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head’ on the tannoy… pic.twitter.com/AWbbmPqQd3
— Chris Foy (@FoyChris) August 2, 2025
Wise words from Katie Taylor
10:15 , Arthur FerridgeIrish boxing champion Katie Taylor has sent an inspirational message to the Lions squad ahead of this test.
She beat Amanda Serrano to maintain her undisputed super-lightweight title in mid-July, and knows what it takes to succeed at the top level of sport.
She offered the Lions this wisdom: “Prepare to win by skill, but be ready to win by will. In both our sports, the biggest will to win often takes the spoils.”
Australia with a point to prove
10:05 , Arthur FerridgeThere is nothing for the Wallabies to lose coming into this Test as they look to dodge the ignominy of going winless in three.
"The squad was certainly deflated after the gut-wrenching end to the second Test, but they have started to gather momentum in the back half of the week and will be ready to go again," head coach Joe Schmidt said.
Can they get their own back today?
Sydney weather report
09:55 , Arthur FerridgeThe rain is back with a vengeance at the Accor Stadium, so much so that Sky Sports have been forced into an emergency ad break to get under cover.
How is this going to affect the rugby? Expect plenty of handling errors and a forwards-focused contest.
Maro Itoje previews the tie
09:54 , Arthur Ferridge“Its gonna be a tough old game today,” says Maro Itoje, with an eye on the skies.
He extended his congratulations to Tadhg Furlong, who is today making his ninth consecutive Lions start: “Tadhg is absolutely amazing. He is an amazing player, but even more impressive as a human being. He has been a massive part of the tour, and I am extremely happy for him today.”
And on the tour coming to an end, he said: “This is gonna be the last memory we have together. We are going to do all we can to make sure its a good one.”
When was the last Lions whitewash?
09:45 , Arthur FerridgeThe last perfect Lions tour came just 98 short years ago, in 1927. I’m sure you all remember it well.
They visited Argentina in that outing, winning all four tests against Los Pumas by an aggregate score of 160-3, keeping three clean sheets.
They also added wins against Anglo-Argentinos, San Isidro, GEBA/CUBA Combined, Belgrano/Buenos Aires Combined, and Combinado de Clubes to complete the set.
They allowed just nine points in the full nine-match tour.
Andy Farrell’s tourists cannot match that record, but could still go unbeaten with a win today.
'The job isn't done'
09:35 , Alex YoungLions are aiming to sign off their Australia tour in style by delivering a series whitewash.
Victory would see them become the first Lions team since Willie John McBride's 'Invincibles' of 1974 to go unbeaten for the whole tour and the first to win every Test since 1927.
"The job isn't done in any shape or form. We've got a really motivated group that have set their stall out," forwards coach John Dalziel said.
"There's only one way that we want this to end and that's to go unbeaten and to try and win 3-0. We don't want anything to derail it.
"We know it is going to be incredibly hard work and Australia showed that last week. They are a good side and they are going to be good again. They are going to be motivated playing here.
"We've got to find that energy and go again, getting that performance that we all want.
"There is still a performance in us. We've had 40 minutes in both of the Tests so we want to give our supporters and everyone watching at home a full 80 minutes and show what the Lions are about."
Weather update
09:24 , Alex YoungIt is miserable! The weather in Sydney has been described as like a “monsoon” less than an hour ago.
Take a look for yourself.
Conditions outside Accor Stadium in Sydney. If it stays like this, don’t expect too many tries in the third Test. Wallabies v Lions due to kick off in just over 2.5 hours. Fan zone being pounded by a monsoon… pic.twitter.com/sNB8rTan7Z
— Chris Foy (@FoyChris) August 2, 2025
Score prediction
09:10 , Alex YoungThis Third Test is uncharted territory for the Lions, at least in the modern era, as it is effectively a dead rubber... but also a shot at history. Do Andy Farrell's side have enough drive and, more importantly, focus to complete the whitewash? Publicly, the answer is always one thing, but the evidence will only be clear on the day.
Australia vastly improved in the Second Test, but really have themselves to blame for the late defeat as they had no answer when the Lions were anywhere near their posts. Joe Schmidt will need another tactical tweak - and then some - to plug that hole.
Much will rely on any sore bodies in need of rest after a gruelling summer at the end of a gruelling season. With history on the line, and the hosts desperate to deny it, this Third Test should be another tight affair.
Australia to win by seven points.
Australia line-up
09:01 , Alex YoungAustralia XV: Wright; Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Pietsch; Lynagh, White; Slipper, Porecki, Tupou, Frost, Skelton, Hooper, McReight, Wilson
Replacements: Pollard, Bell, Nonggorr, Williams, Gleeson, McDermott, Donaldson, Kellaway
Australia team news
08:57 , Alex YoungAustralia flanker Rob Valetini will miss today's series finale but scrumhalf Nic White has been given a chance to sign off his international career.
Flanker Valetini, who missed the first test with a calf injury, was outstanding as Australia took an early 23-5 lead in last week's second test but is being "managed" ahead of two matches against the Springboks in South Africa.
Valetini will be replaced in the back row by Tom Hooper, one of four changes to the starting line-up from the Second test.
Tighthead Allan Alaalatoa suffered a shoulder injury last week that could rob the Wallabies of one of their leaders for the rest of the season.
Taniela "Tongan Thor" Tupou brings his considerable bulk into the front row in Alaalatoa's place for his first appearance of the series.
Dylan Pietsch will start on the left wing for Harry Potter, who was taken off with a hamstring injury after 20 minutes last week.
White's inclusion at scrumhalf for Jake Gordon was not enforced but gives the 35-year-old a chance to win a 73rd cap before standing down from test rugby, a decision he announced earlier on Thursday.
Schmidt has reverted to a 5-3 split in favour of the forwards on the bench, bringing outside back Andrew Kellaway back into the matchday squad for flanker Carlo Tizzano.
Lions line-up
08:50 , Alex YoungBritish and Irish Lions XV: Keenan; Freeman, Jones, Aki, Kinghorn; Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Curry, Conan
Replacements: Kelleher, Genge, Stuart, Chessum, Morgan, Earl, Mitchell, Farrell
Lions team news
08:47 , Alex YoungThe British & Irish Lions have fielded a strong side for the final Test.
Head coach Andy Farrell has made only two changes to his starting team despite having already won the series.
Blair Kinghorn, who missed the first test because of a knee injury, replaces James Lowe on the left wing as he did during last week's win in Melbourne, while James Ryan starts in the second row in place of Ollie Chessum.
Chessum drops to the bench, where Ben Earl comes in as back row cover alongside Jac Morgan with Farrell opting for a 6-2 split in favour of the forwards for what is forecast to be a wet weather test at Stadium Australia.
The starting back row and halfback pairing remain the same for the third consecutive match, while Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth straight Lions test in the front row.
Captain Maro Itoje will start his eighth straight Lions test having played the first match of the 2017 series in New Zealand off the bench.
How to watch the Third Test
08:40 , Alex YoungTV channel: Live coverage of the Third Test is available via Sky Sports, who have exclusive broadcasting rights to the Lions tour in the UK this summer.
Their broadcast starts at 9:30am BST on Saturday morning on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action.
Live stream: Fans with a Sky Sports subscription can also watch the Third Test live online via the Sky Go app, while it’s available to stream via NOW.
Welcome
08:38 , Alex YoungGood morning and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Third Test between the British and Irish Lions and Australia.
The tour has reached Sydney for its conclusion, but with the series already decided after a last-gasp Lions win in Melbourne for back-to-back victories.
Today, or tonight local time, the whitewash - and history - is on the line. Stick with us for all the build-up, action and reaction.
