Hugo Keenan became a Lions hero in Melbourne on Saturday, crossing for a decisive score with merely 23 seconds left on the clock to seal a thrilling 27-26 triumph over Australia.
The Irish fullback sliced through the defensive line after his teammates had driven deep into Australian territory.
The victory hands the British and Irish Lions an unassailable 2-0 advantage in the three-match series.
Australia's protests about a potentially high clear-out on Carlo Tizzano during the crucial sequence were dismissed by officials as late drama escalated.
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|The British and Irish Lions produced a sensational comeback against Australia on Saturday to win the Test series at Melbourne's MCG
The tourists had trailed significantly during the opening period but produced an extraordinary recovery to claim one of their most memorable wins on Australian soil.
Australia dominated the opening exchanges, with Rob Valetini and Will Skelton making immediate impacts following their inclusion in the starting fifteen.
Tom Lynagh's accurate kicking established an early 6-0 advantage within the first ten minutes.
The hosts maintained their intensity despite losing Harry Potter to injury, which forced scrum-half Tate McDermott to operate on the wing for an hour.
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James Slipper powered across for Australia's first try, with the score leading to Tommy Freeman's sin-binning.
Jake Gordon capitalised on gaps around the breakdown to extend the lead, before Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's brilliance created Tom Wright's score.
Suaalii evaded three tacklers before releasing Wright, establishing an commanding 23-5 advantage.
The Lions' response began before the interval when Tom Curry crossed following sustained pressure from the visitors.
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HUGO KEENAN WINS IT FOR THE LIONS! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/FX9bX2Jylh
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 26, 2025
Huw Jones then crashed through to score with three minutes left in the first period, reducing the deficit to just six points at the break.
Lynagh extended Australia's advantage with his third successful penalty early in the second period. However, the Lions struck back when flanker Tadhg Beirne finished in the corner following several powerful runs from centre Budee Aki.
The visitors' forward dominance became increasingly evident as their scrum took control. Australia's defence held firm to force a handling error with five minutes left, but they couldn't withstand the final assault.
Keenan's moment of glory arrived in the dying seconds as the Lions launched their final offensive into the Australian 22.
The fullback found a gap in the exhausted home defence to secure a famous victory that will be remembered alongside the great Lions triumphs.
The Wallabies had defended valiantly throughout the closing stages, desperately trying to preserve their slender advantage and force a series decider.
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|The British and Irish Lions were jubilant after edging a thrilling clash against Australia
Their forwards had repelled multiple Lions attacks and appeared to have done enough when they forced a knock-on with five minutes remaining.
However, the tourists summoned one last surge, and Keenan's decisive intervention ensured the series trophy would be theirs before next Saturday's dead rubber in Sydney.