Sport hurts. And while losing — after leading for 79 minutes — was clearly painful to witness, the raw brutality of Test rugby unfolded deep in the bowels of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
For 16 minutes, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and captain Harry Wilson faced the media, struggling to process what had just happened.
The record books will show that the Lions set a new record, overcoming a 23–5 deficit in a test match destined to join the pantheon of instant classics in the history of this fabled touring side, now 137 years steeped in blood, sweat and tears.
And the back pages will inevitably focus on the final-minute call, when the Italian referee Andrea Piardi upheld Hugo Keenan's decisive try, despite frantic Wallaby appeals that Jac Morgan had infringed in the clear-out on Carlo Tizzano.
What you didn’t see was the way Schmidt and Wilson spoke while, just a few metres away, the Lions’ dressing room erupted into full karaoke mode — Oasis, Sweet Caroline, Queen, Boyzone and a raucous rendition of Dirty Old Town echoing down the corridor.
To be serenaded when everything hurts, emotionally and physically, and to avoid boiling over in frustration spoke volumes for both men.
Schmidt remained adamant that the crucial late try should not have stood but soon shifted focus to avoiding an unprecedented series whitewash in Sydney next weekend.
“That decision is a tough one to take,” he said. “I don’t want to detract from the Lions’ performance or how they built their way back into the game. It was a real Test match.
“I’ve told the team how proud I am of them. This group is growing. To stand up and deliver what they did against some of the world’s best players, I’m just immensely proud.
“We won’t wallow in self-pity because we didn’t get the result. We need to keep building what we’re trying to do.
“It’s a blow in the short term, but you can’t get more motivated than what the players demonstrated here.
“I didn’t think we were that poor in Brisbane. I always felt we had the game to challenge them, and we showed that today. I think their experience allowed them to stay in the contest and execute their plan. It was a heck of a match but we’re gutted.
“When you build a 23–5 lead and let it slip, that’s hugely disappointing, especially when it happens in the final seconds. We’re trying to build consistency and a brand of rugby we enjoy playing. We’re learning.”
The return of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton — both absent in Brisbane through injury — made a tangible difference as the Wallabies took the game to the Lions in a dominant first half.
Their physicality was enough to make you wince, even from the upper reaches of the cavernous MCG, where a Lions tour record crowd of 90,307 watched on.
When the pair departed — Valetini at half-time, Skelton soon after — Australia lost some punch but not their spirit.
“It’s so painful, but I’m so proud of the team and how they bounced back from Brisbane. To not get the result and miss that series decider, it hurts so much,” Wilson said.
“Any opportunity to wear this jersey is special for our group. We’ll refocus on Sydney quickly. We can’t win the series, but it’s a home Test match and we want to win it.”
