Australia coach Joe Schmidt has admitted his players are 'gutted' and 'angry' after they lost to the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
The hosts had looked set to win the match when they raced into a 23-5 lead in the first half.
But the Lions then came roaring back, with Hugo Keenan going over the line at the death to secure a 29-26 win.
It was a cruel blow for Australia, who had performed well throughout the clash but have now lost the series after losing the first fixture last weekend.
SKY
|Australia coach Joe Schmidt has admitted his players are 'gutted' and 'angry' after they lost to the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
And Schmidt has now admitted that his players are 'angry' and 'gutted' after being forced to settle for nothing.
"The players are gutted. They’re angry. I’ve got to let that emotion settle a bit," he told Sky Sports.
"We travel to Sydney tomorrow, then we’ve got a day to recover — because they gave everything tonight.
"There’s always pride in pulling on the jersey. This series is part of the journey.
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HUGO KEENAN WINS IT FOR THE LIONS! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/FX9bX2Jylh
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 26, 2025
"We wanted to be alive going into [the third Test] Sydney, and we were right until the end."
Australia had been in front for 79 minutes before Keenan snatched victory for the Lions with just 23 seconds left on the clock.
Schmidt added: “It’s a tough one to take. We led for 79 minutes and then got a decision at the end that’s left us feeling pretty forlorn.
"I’m still incredibly proud of the players — they responded after last week’s result and showed real mettle.
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"They showed they can play. We found space on the edges and through the middle, and looked like a real attacking threat.
"Congratulations to the Lions on winning the series — we’ve got to dust ourselves off and keep working to improve."
While Schmidt was disappointed, Lions coach Andy Farrell was thrilled.
"It was never in doubt, was it?" he quipped.
"It’s amazing — the occasion, the fans all travelling out here — they all deserve this, and that grandstand finish.
"This is what Lions rugby is all about. I’m absolutely delighted."
On his side's overall performance, he continued: "It wasn’t great, especially in the first half.
"We started with back-to-back penalties and yellow cards, and it really cost us on the scoreboard.
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|Australia rugby players look on in despair after the British and Irish Lions won Saturday's match
"But we found a way back into the game, and that gave us confidence heading into the second half. And, wow - what a finish!\]
"When we were able to build pressure, we rolled pretty nicely. Every time we got into the 22, we came away with something.
"We had solid belief at half-time and knew we could win if we controlled our discipline."