𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Corey Toole turns on the jets and in the wing flies!

The Brumbies maul earns advantage, granting them the licence to go wide. Ben O’Donnell inserts himself off the blindside wing and throws a lovely looping pass out to speedster Toole, who is much too quick to be stopped from there. Marcus Smith was perhaps too far inside, however, as the covering man sweeping underneath – the Lions were numbered up well inside him.

And the Lions can’t escape! Jack Conan just about corrals a bouncing ball having again been the target beyond the tail, but the Brumbies’ ruck efforts are rewarded with a penalty. A great chance for a second score as they hit the corner.

Russell employs the left boot to clear his lines having been pushed back by a field-flipping punt by the Brumbies. Andy Muirhead gathers but loses himself in a thicket of Lions as he attempts to counter.

That’s terrific, mind, from scrum half Ryan Lonergan, a perfectly judged box kick trapping the Lions six metres from their own line. A pressure lineout for Dan Sheehan to throw…

Perhaps for the first time all tour, Finn Russell forces something, a cross-kick not quite right for Tommy Freeman. The fly half has played very, very solidly since arriving in Australia, though we know there is more creativity to come if required.

There’s no denying James Lowe this time!

Perhaps guilty of being a touch tentative with the finish earlier, this time the Lions wing is forceful in powering to the corner and planting firmly. It was again lively interplay inside him, Finn Russell connecting with Bundee Aki and then Garry Ringrose’s transfer sharp and swift. Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan, having started the passage by combining at the lineout, are the requisite connecting hands to send Lowe in untouched.

Russell is on the money from the tee.

Variation at the lineout, Dan Sheehan tossing over the tail to Jack Conan as some smart training ground sketching gets the Lions on the move.

The breakdown is becoming a brutal battleground here. Pierre Brousset is happy enough to allow a strong contest and the Lions get their hands in on halfway after David Feliuai is isolated over on the left.

Oh dear! This could be a real blow both for the British and Irish Lions and, particularly, Blair Kinghorn – having hobbled on for 20 minutes or so since that early injury, the full-back is hooked, ending his chance of really seizing that No 15 shirt. One hopes it isn’t an issue of the tour-ending type, but with Hugo Keenan far from his best against the Waratahs and Elliot Daly already off the tour, full-back is becoming a bit of a problem position.

Enter, then, Marcus Smith, with 55 minutes to perhaps stake his own claim.

That had been a really nice bit of attacking play from the Lions to create the space, too, Finn Russell orchestrating out of the back.

Their return to the 22 is scuppered by Ryan Longergan, the little Brumbies scrum half jackalling like a broad-backed flanker.

He has! That’s butchery of the highest order from the British and Irish Lions, so much space as they moved it away to the left but Kinghorn failing to fully draw Muirhead and Lowe then a touch passive in attempting to force his way through the full-back to the line. Very, very strange from two characters who are usually so sharp in that situation – and full credit to Muirhead for an outstanding last-ditch effort.