It was heartbreak for the Wallabies at the MCG after bombing a 23-5 lead to suffer a last-minute 29-26 defeat on Saturday night.

Australia’s players stood up but couldn’t hold on at the death as the Lions celebrated a series win before a bumper crowd.

Here’s how the players rated.

1. James Slipper: Missed the tackle to stop a diving Dan Sheehan close to the line, but made up for it with his try in the 23rd minute. A great moment for the big prop in his second Lions series. A solid 40-minute shift in what could be one of his last Tests on Australian soil. 7.5/10

2. Dave Porecki: Threw a clever short lineout to start the night and was on song with five on the money in the opening 10 minutes. A welcome inclusion to the starting XV after Australia’s lineout woes last week in Brisbane. Also beat a couple of defenders. 7

3. Allan Alaalatoa: A quieter night, but did his job around the park with no major issues. Like Slipper, it was an early interchange at half-time. Rolled his sleeves up and was a physical presence in the middle of the field. 6.5

Jake Gordon scores for the Wallabies.

4. Nick Frost: Got through a mountain of work and did the stuff that often goes unnoticed. Hit rucks hard and was in the right places on the field when needed. Did his job at the lineout and put in a gutsy 80-minute performance. 7

5. Will Skelton: Was a huge physical presence early and didn’t take a backward step. Made eight first-half carries and was equally damaging in the second half. Joe Schmidt said before the match, Australia would feel more confident with Skelton. That was certainly the case. 47 minutes of tough rugby. 8

6. Rob Valetini: Made an immediate impact with a couple of big carries in his comeback game from injury. Nine carries for 28 metres in a busy 40-minute stint before coming off at half-time. Looms as a critical figure in game three, but unfortunately, the series is already done. 8

7. Fraser McReight: Superb once again. Made his tackles and provided great link play with the backs. Can’t fault his effort. 7

8. Harry Wilson: Was fired up from the outset and made a great captain’s call to kick for the corner in the lead-up to Slipper’s try. Bent the line often and gave it his all. 7.5

9. Jake Gordon: Excellent service and sold a perfect dummy to dive over for a 28th-minute try. Had to play the full 80 minutes given Potter’s injury and put in one of his best games in gold. His box-kicking was once again on point. 8

10. Tom Lynagh: Kicked two early penalties to settle the nerves and controlled the game well. It doesn’t get much tougher than two debut starts against the Lions, but Lynagh showed he is a player with real promise. 6.5

11. Harry Potter: Came off in the 20th minute with a hamstring injury and didn’t return. Barely got a touch before that. N/A

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii takes on the Lions defence.

12. Len Ikitau: Thought he’d scored Australia’s first try but linked up well in the midfield with Suaalii. Missed a crucial tackle on James Lowe that led to Tadhg Beirne’s try. 6.5

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: Set up Tom Wright’s brilliant try, but gave away the penalty that led to a Lions try just before the break. Was pulled down when a pass left could have set up a try in the 55th minute. Tried his best to get into the game, but the Lions again did well to nullify his involvement. Missed three of his 11 tackles. 7

14. Max Jorgensen: Played a role in Wright’s try and beat three defenders in the first half. Has been one of Australia’s best across both Tests. 7.5

15. Tom Wright: Launched a monster 50-22 after 26 minutes, just when his side needed it before bagging a five-pointer in the 31st minute to give the Wallabies a 23-5 lead. Made the most metres of any Wallabies player. 8.5

Jake Gordon of the Wallabies celebrates scoring a try with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii

Bench players

16. Billy Pollard: Came on in the 57th minute and worked hard at scrum time against a more experienced pack. 6

17. Angus Bell: Had limited involvement but was steady at the scrum with the pressure right on. 6

18. Tom Robertson: Conceded a penalty against Ellis Genge late in the match at scrum-time. 5

19. Jeremy Williams: Came on in the 48th minute and did his job without anything spectacular. 6

20. Langi Gleeson: Made an early impact with a great break that could have set up a 55th-minute try. Made eight carries in a workhorse performance. Had great footwork, beating five defenders. 7.5

21. Carlo Tizzano: Made a critical turnover in the 64th minute with Australia hanging onto a two-point lead, but threw a forward pass just when Australia got into the Lions’ 22-metre area. Put his head in a dark place right at the death to try and win a turnover but didn’t earn a penalty in a controversial moment. 7.5

22. Tate McDermott: Came on early and started in the unfamiliar position of wing but found his groove quickly. Almost scored a try in the second half down the left edge and was difficult to pin down. Excellent adaptability. 7

23. Ben Donaldson: Didn’t get on the field. N/A

All matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.

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