British & Irish Lions news: Last-gasp Hugo Keenan try secures series victory over Wallabies at MCG
The British & Irish Lions secured a 29-26 victory over Australia in Melbourne on Saturday to seal a series victory, with an enthralling Test match witnessing a moment that will be etched in the history of one of the most iconic teams in world sport.
Hugo Keenan’s 79th-minute winner will be spoken about in the same breath as Jeremy Guscott’s 1997 drop goal and even Owen Farrell’s equalising penalty kick in 2017 to pull off a very impressive series result against one of the best teams ever assembled.
With that said, the 78 minutes preceding that try featured a much-improved Australia team that looked to be on top throughout.
Here, Sports News Blitz rugby union writer Jacob Garrett gives his assessment of the game.
Returning Wallabies show class
There was a lot of discussion pre-match regarding the return of two of Australia’s best players – Will Skelton and Rob Valentini – with the two forwards offering great ability and aggression in the carry.
During the Test, it was clear that they were being used for a shorter period of time; over the referee microphone, you could hear a lot of encouragement for Skelton in particular to get up and go again, putting everything out on the pitch before getting taken off around the 60th minute.
So how did just two players make such a big impact?
It comes down to their capacity for creating quick ball speed.
Last week, we saw a young Tom Lynagh targeted by the Lions’ back row, a game plan made easier by the Wallabies’ slow ruck speed.
That meant that the Lions’ defensive lines had extra seconds to fully set and time their run to melt Australia’s options, further removing the hosts’ momentum and forcing them into kicking away or conceding a penalty.
The return of Skelton and Valentini, however, meant that the Lions could not stop Aussie momentum as quickly, resulting in quick, front-foot ball for Lynagh, who was able to bring his options into space without such an aggressive line speed from the opposing back row.
This also resulted in the danger men on the outside having better quality ball with more space to run into and to cause havoc – look at the Tom Wright try for a clear case study here.
Penalty controversy overshadows win
What would an iconic game of rugby be without controversy?
The phase prior to the all-important try saw Western Force star Carlo Tizzano come in for a jackal on his own 22-metre line, where he was met by opposing back rower and sole Welshman Jac Morgan, who cleaned out the Aussie’s steal attempt.
Tizzano subsequently and rather dramatically went down claiming foul play.
The situation sparked two interesting conversations, one regarding the penalty and one around how ‘play-acting’ and simulation are creeping their way into rugby.
So, was it a penalty?
This quickly becomes quite a nuanced debate, especially given the heightened care around head knocks in the modern game.
Yes, Tizzano was probably hit in the head, but I fail to see how it constitutes foul play rather than a simple rugby incident where the Wallaby was unlucky with timing.
As the Aussie clamps onto the ball, Morgan is arriving at the ruck and therefore, due to the fact that Tizzano was in such a low position, he is hit on the back of the neck and head.
But this poses the question of how Morgan was meant to clear him out.
The only alternative was to ‘croc roll’ the defender, which would be an instant penalty and probably blow out Tizzano’s knee.
Really, this whole argument is underpinned by the fact that a jackal position is possibly the most vulnerable within the game of rugby as you provide such a wide target whilst being stationary.
As a result, these kinds of incidents may occur, and I personally thought the refereeing was excellent in taking into account the context of the timing from Morgan as well as understanding that this was not foul play but rather an unlucky incident.
Additionally, a lot has been made of Tizzano’s reaction to the hit.
Much like the claims from Australian media that the incident was illegal, I believe the accusation of Tizzano ‘play-acting’ has been blown out of proportion.
If you look at the incident, of course an initial reaction is expected – he has, after all, been hit by such an athlete as Morgan in the 80th minute of a brutal Lions Test match.
And regardless of whether or not the reaction resulted in the action being checked or not, the right decision was made in the end given the context of the situation.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: British & Irish Lions news: A guide to the history and cultural significance of the Lions
Hugo Keenan’s big moment
One of the best aspects of a Lions tour is the stories that are created
One example is now-captain Maro Itoje fighting his way onto the 2017 tour of New Zealand as the youngest player in the squad.
However, Keenan’s tale may become the most iconic of all, with the Irishman going from being riddled with injuries all year and losing around seven kilograms due to illness on tour to struggling in the opening Test and now scoring the try to win the series.
But how did the moment come to be?
The most impressive part of the move came from the underlying mindset of Andy Farrell’s team, led ably by Finn Russell, as they looked to continue to play wide rather than try to eke out a penalty under the sticks or set up a chance for the drop goal.
Instead, the Lions looked to play, starting with an excellent carry from Tadhg Beirne who cut out five defenders and generated quick ball to Russell, who in turn kept the ball alive for James Ryan to carry well.
That opened up space on the blindside, where Jamison Gibson-Park played a delightful pass to Hugo Keenan, who got on the outside of Joseph Sua'ali'i to score on the left flank.
It was truly an excellent try and finish, played with the brilliant positive mindset that encapsulates the iconic nature of the Lions.
MORE FROM JACOB GARRETT: British & Irish Lions news: Andy Farrell’s side clinches first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane
