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Duncan Casey: Wallabies restore some pride but they were too late to Lions party

Joe Schmidt made sure Australia got their act together for the second test in Melbourne.

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025 - 07:44

I’m fond of nailing my colours to the mast with a strong opinion but equally, I’m happy to hold my hands up and accept defeat when I have been proven wrong. I had to do a bit of the latter on Saturday, as it became clear my prediction of another armchair ride for the Lions was way off the mark. I was actually sending WhatsApp messages to people prior to kick-off, bemoaning what I thought was an over-the-top effort from Sky’s pundits to hype up a contest that had been such a dud seven days earlier.

If anything, the pre-match hype didn’t do the ensuing 80 minutes justice at all. We were treated to a proper test match between two well-drilled, organised sides, each with its own version of talent and physicality. From Australia’s perspective, it turns out welcoming the likes of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini – weighing 150kg and 117kg respectively – back to the fray does, in fact, add a very destructive dimension to your game. Both men got the Wallabies enough front-foot ball in the first half to keep the Lions on their heels, struggling to impose themselves defensively.

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