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12:57: So close after game, its hard to contextualize it withing the series. The lions played well and got breaks they are not accustomed to in series. The simple fact of the matter is though; had Australia a capable goal kicker they would have won despite being riddled with injuries behind the scrum. They will be very forceful next week with Beale back in the fold and an acutal inside centre. They need to address their goal-kicking woes though. Full-time: Australia 21-23 British and Irish Lions.
Man of the match: Will Genia. Lions man of the match: Jonny Sexton.
12:55: Beale steps up....this is it, to win or lose it.... he slips!!!!! THE LIONS WIN! Bloody hell!
12:54: The Lions lose a penalty on a scrum in which they had the feed. Beale has a long shot to give Australia the lead.
12:51: 4 minutes left, the Lions have a scrum in the middle of the field. If the Lions can hang on here, the Australian woes at goal kicking will have decided this test.
12:49: He misses it! Lions still lead!
12:48: Australia have a very kickable penalty to go one up with 6 minutes left. Beale steps up....
12:46: The Lions lose the scrum against the head! Australia clear and now have the ball in the Lions half.
12:45: Lions have a scrum deep inside the Australian 22 after a pinpoint kick from Jonny Sexton. Sexton has had an excellent second half.
12:40: An incredible break from Kurtley Beale sees Australia storm into the Lions 22 and win a penalty, Beale takes it and knocks it over. 21-23 Lions. It's in the melting pot now.
12:39: Leigh Halfpenny bangs over another penalty, right through the middle. 23-18 Lions, 15 minutes left.
12:36: It cannot be said enough just how majestic Will Genia has been today. Paul O'Connell is starting to have a real influence for the Lions now.
12:35: Kurtley Beale belts over a long range penalty to make it 18-20 Lions. Mike Phillips has been replaced by Ben Youngs.
12:32: Here is that Alex Cuthbert try:
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12:28: Fair point?
North. Or Armitage. pic.twitter.com/K0emx07HTH
— Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh (@Ciaran_O) June 22, 2013
12:25: James O'Connor finally slots home a penalty to make it 15-20 Lions. The Aussies continue to rule the breakdown though a trend that will continue now they have two opensides on the pitch.
12:21: Alex Cuthbert cuts through Australia. TRY! After all the talk of the wingers defensive woes his finishing was never in doubt and it was glorious here. 20-12 Lions.
12:19: Pat McCabe now taken off with a suspected dislocated shoulder. Liam Gill is on for Australia, Hooper the #7 is playing at inside centre for the Aussies.
12:13: And here for your viewing pleasure is Isreal Folau's quite brilliant try:
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]12:11: Here's a GIF of that sickening collision between Berrick Barnes and Isreal Folau:
12:07 From a Lions point of view this has been the story of the first half:
12:01: The Sky studio are debating Chris Pollack the referee whose interpretation of the breakdown seems strictly Southern Hemisphere.
11:55: A break from Alex Corbisero (eh?) and some great support play from Tom Croft and Brian O'Driscoll gives Leigh Halfpenny the chance to stretch the Lions lead. He misses. Half-time - Australia 12-13 Lions.
11:54: Kurtley Beale is on for Berrick Barnes after a clash of heads.
11:50: James O'Connor misses the Folau conversion and that's 3 missed by O'Connor for 8 points. Shades of South Africa in '97.
11:49: Paulie has been in the thick of it, and at times making captain calls.
11:48: Isreal Folau has answered George North and then some, he skips around Jonny Sexton and finishes in the corner. Amazing try. This game has lived up to it and then some.
11:44:Leigh Halfpenny kicks the penalty, 13-7 Lions. Its been an amazing turnaround from the Lions led by the freakish North.
11:43: George North is an inch away from another try, Lions have a penalty in the 22.
11:40: Ladies and gentlemen the George North try. Lomu-esque:
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]11:37: George North just scythed through Australia for one of the greatest Lions test tries of all time. North took a kick in his own half before sidestepping two Australian defenders and touching down. Absolute genius. Halfpenny converts 10-7 Lions.
11:36: Leigh Halfpenny puts the Lions on the board 7-3 Lions.
11:33: A throw to the tail of the lineout finds Paul O'Connell and the Lions have a kickable penalty.
11:27: That amazing break from Genia and try from Folau is here:
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]11:23: James O'Connor score the conversion. 7-0 Australia. That really was sensational from Will Genia. A dummy pass, an electrifying turn of pace and a brilliant little grubber. The Lions need to somehow shut him down.
11:21: Some sustained Lions pressure comes to nothing, an amazing break from Will Genia sees Australia break and Folau scores. 5-0 Australia.
11:19: Massive scrum for Lions as they push Australia back and win their first penalty. Lions on the Aussies 22.
11:17: Brian O'Driscoll pinged again at the breakdown for something that would seem legal in NH rugby. O'Connor misses again though. Could be crucial for Australia.
11:14: The flag game might have a winner via Stephen McCarty/SPORTSFILE:
11:12: Brian O'Driscoll pinged at the breakdown but James O'Connor misses the penalty.
11:08: Jonathan Davies takes the ball in midfield and runs straight at Christian Leali'ifano. The Australian centre is badly injured and has to be stretched off. Pat McCabe is coming on.
11:05: Jonny Sexton has kicked us off. The time for talk is over, the time to er, type is here.
1055: It's almost here, Geech is talking in the Sky studio, Paul O'Connell is stalking the dressing room. Lets f******* do this.
1048: Worth having a gander at the teams, as if you didn't know them back to front, inside out and disagreed with the six selection:
Australia: Barnes, Folau, Ashley-Cooper, Leali'ifano, Ioane, O'Connor, Genia; Robinson, Moore, Alexander, Douglas, Horwell, Mowen, Hooper, Palu
Replacements: Faing'a, Slipper, Kepu, Simmons, Gill, Phipps, McCabe, Beale
British and Irish Lions: Halfpenny, Cuthbert, O'Driscoll, Davies, North, Sexton, Phillips; Corbisiero, Youngs, Jkones, Wyn Jones, O'Connell, Croft, Warburton, Heaslip
Replacements: Hibbard, Vunipola, Cole, Parling, Lydiate, Youngs, Farrell, Maitland
Ref: C Pollock (NZ)
1036:No doubting Drico will not fear for his own safety today is there?
1030: Sky have upped the ante in the inspirational video stakes to kick off, lots of Willie John and Jim Telfer staring into the camera getting you pumped up. Be careful in you're making a fry or something.
1023: From an Irish point of view, it's an all or nothing series for Paul O'Connell and Brian O'Driscoll. Two of our greatest players in the professional or perhaps any other era have one last shot at a Lions series win. O'Driscoll on his fourth tour has come full circle from the bewitching youngster in '01 to genuine world class talent in '05 to an Indian summer in '09 to wise old sage here. O'Connell is looking to banish the memory of captaining the Lions to losing the test series in perhaps the most physically brutal teat series of all time in South Africa four years ago.
1020: It's here, finally. After four years of talk, after a year of ridiculous test team predictions and after a month or so of fawning Sky coverage, the Lions finally take on Australia in Brisbane this morning in the first test. What can we expect from them? How will the Davies-O'Driscoll axis work in midfield? Do the Lions have fresh lineout calls to flummox the Wallabies and will Australia fly out of the blocks early on? So many questions. Keep it here for the latest highlights in video and GIF form and my own astute observations based on what Stuart Barnes says. Lets start with a stat:
This Lions starting XV has a combined 796 Test matches under its belt, setting a record for most experienced Lions starting XV ever (Test).
— Infostrada Rugby (@InfostradaRugby) June 22, 2013
