The British and Irish Lions took a commanding victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane as they took the first test 27-19.
Finn Russell was instrumental in orchestrating the Lions' attack, delivering exceptional passes that left the Australian defence scrambling.
Tom Curry also delivered a standout performance, silencing critics who questioned his inclusion in the starting 15.
The England flanker crossed for a crucial try, with Russell adding the conversion to extend the visitors' lead.
The Englishman's selection ahead of Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier had sparked debate, but his performance has provided a compelling response to his critics.
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|Lions Captain Maro Itoje led his team to a dominant first test victory
The Lions' early dominance was evident from the first minute when Tadhg Beirne secured a penalty.
Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu opened the scoring for the Lions, finishing off a brilliant attacking move that showcased the tourists' superior cohesion and skill.
Russell's exceptional distribution proved decisive in that opening try, as he delivered an incredible long pass to set up his Scotland colleague Tuipulotu.
The fly-half's creative play had earlier seen him produce a great pass that released Dan Sheehan.
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The Walabies appeared disconnected and were never really able to mount sustained offence against Andy Farrell's side.
A glimmer of hope came from the home side as they scored at the half hour mark of the game, but that was all the offence they were able to muster in the first half.
This was the first time fans were able to travel to Australia for the test series in eight years.
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Getty | Tom Curry had faced backlash all week after he was chosen over Wales captain Jac Morgan
The Lions kept their foot on the gas as they scored again with minutes of coming out from the break, keeping pressure on the Wallabies, who seemed unable to mount any sort of pressure on Andy Farrell's side.
The Wallabies tried to launch a late comeback, however the try they scored with 20 minutes to go was ruled out and the Lions continued to control the matchup.
Australia did finally get on the board in the second half as a good spell saw them close the gap with a Carlo Tizzanno score.
A late score from Tate McDermott made the score closer then it ought to have been as the Wallabies finished the last few minutes of the game strong.
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The atmosphere inside the stadium reflected the one-sided nature of the contest, with Australian supporters notably quiet.
The gulf between the teams appeared significant, with local fans showing little belief even before kick-off.
Despite their dominance, the Lions have not been flawless.
Several errors have prevented them from establishing an even more commanding advantage, though their superiority remains evident throughout.
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|The British and Irish Lions looked a class above the Wallabies throughout the game
The Wallabies looked out of sorts throughout the whole match-up in Brisbane and will need to do a lot of work to recover before the second test in Melbourne.
The teams will now have the chance to rest and learn from this game before they go again on June 26 for the second of the three match test series.