The British and Irish Lions will look to complete a clean sweep of their 2025 tour when they face Australia in the third and final Test in Sydney on Saturday.
With the series already secured following dramatic wins in Brisbane and Melbourne, Andy Farrell’s side now have the chance to etch their names into the history books.
A victory at Accor Stadium would seal a 3-0 whitewash, a feat not achieved by a Lions team in nearly a century.
The comeback in Melbourne, where Hugo Keenan’s late try capped a stunning rally from 23-5 down, showcased the Lions’ resilience and hunger, even with the series on the line.
Despite the job technically being done, Farrell has kept changes to a minimum, with James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn the only new faces in the starting XV.
Ahead of the match, Charlie Elliott goes through some of the key talking points and where the match could be won or lost.
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Key talking points – Lions want Sweep
The Lions have an opportunity to put their name into the history books with a win in this third Test.
If they were to secure a 3-0 series sweep, they would become the first Lions team since 1927 to win every Test that they’ve played in, last achieving the feat against Argentina.
Even the historic 1974 ‘Invincibles’ team didn’t manage to win each of their Tests against South Africa, after being held to a draw in their 22nd and final game on tour in controversial circumstances.
That 1974 tour was the last time that the Lions finished unbeaten on tour, giving Andy Farrell’s side a chance to make a bit of history for the touring squad.
Potentially some extra needle
There may be an extra bit of bite in the game, given the end to last week. Hugo Keenan’s try was heavily disputed after Jac Morgan cleared out Carlo Tizzano at the breakdown, which split opinion as to whether it was legal or not.
The Australian media were not happy with the referee’s decision to not chalk off the try, and Tizzano himself is unavailable to play after an injury was sustained in the action, alongside having a generally tough week after suffering online abuse following the incident.
All of this could mean that the Wallabies will be fired up for the last game and will not only be motivated to prevent a sweep, but will want to avenge their controversial defeat.
Weakened Wallabies
The Wallabies will be without two key loose forwards, with star flanker Rob Valetini and reserve openside Carlo Tizzano both ruled out.
Their absence leaves a noticeable gap in a forward pack already pushed to its limits after a bruising battle against the British and Irish Lions.
Valetini, who was outstanding during his 40-minute performance at the MCG, brought trademark physicality and power to his carries before being forced off.
His injury isn’t considered serious, but the Wallabies are taking a cautious approach given the demanding Test schedule ahead.
As mentioned, Tizzano, who was included as an extra back-row option last week, has had a difficult lead-up after a controversial cleanout in the second Test sparked intense public scrutiny.
While physically recovering, the emotional toll has also been significant.
History Made
Tadhg Furlong is set to make history this weekend as he earns his ninth consecutive Test cap for the British and Irish Lions, an extraordinary achievement matched by only four players in the history of the storied team.
The tighthead will form an all-Leinster front row with Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter in Sydney, which is unchanged from last week.
Furlong’s durability, consistency, and world-class scrummaging have made him a cornerstone of the Lions pack across three tours, cementing his place among the greats.
Key battles – Motivation
Being a Lion should be enough motivation as it is. But the series is wrapped up, and complacency could creep into the side if they are not careful, without even thinking about it.
The opening two Tests have shown that the tourists are the far superior side, and their best is far better than the Wallabies’ best on the field.
In reality, if the hosts are to get anything out of this game, then they need to hope that the Lions are not up to par. One of the key reasons that it may happen would be if they get complacent after winning the series.
With the ability to make history, as mentioned above, Andy Farrell’s side will more than likely be up to the task; however, there is a small chance they underperform.
Start of the Game
Another reason that the Lions may lose is if they get off to a slow start, as they did in the second Test.
They were 18 points down heading towards the end of the half and managed to claw the game back before Hugo Keenan’s 79th-minute winner.
The Wallabies came quickly out of the blocks but faded away, so they will need to start the same this weekend if they are to put any sort of pressure on the visitors.
The strength in depth of the tourists is far superior to the Wallabies, which makes the start very important from both teams’ perspectives.
The Bench
As mentioned, there is a big disparity in terms of depth, so the bench is arguably the most important battle in terms of deciding the game.
The Lions have opted for a 6-2 bench split, so are targeting physicality in the forwards off the bench, which might mean that they are more expansive to start and then shift over to a power game as the minutes tick on.
Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies have gone 5-3 to combat this, which will bring a bit more speed late on in the game thanks to Andrew Kellaway and Ben Donaldson.
Given that the momentum shifted significantly after the replacements, it is likely that this weekend will see the same, one way or another.
By Charlie Elliott
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