Christian Lealiifano kicked a pressure conversion to give the Wallabies a fighting 16-15 win to level the Test series against the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne on Saturday.
A combination of errors and resilient Lions defence frustrated the Wallabies for most of the second half until James O’Connor sent Adam Ashley-Cooper through for the only try of the match.
Lealiifano, who lasted just 40 seconds in his debut Test the previous week when he was knocked out in a tackle, kicked the conversion from wide out to put the Wallabies ahead into the final dramatic minutes.
The Wallabies conceded a penalty to give the Lions another crack but Leigh Halfpenny, who had only missed one kick in his previous six attempts, left it just short from halfway to Australia’s jubilation, sending the epic series into a decider in Sydney next weekend.
“We made it very hard for ourselves tonight, you know, in the end we had the guts to get out,” Wallabies’ skipper James Horwill said.
“It was certainly a big battle. Both teams had their moments. We’ve got to be better again next week.”
Halfpenny kicked five penalty goals from seven attempts, while the Wallabies got home on the back of Ashley-Cooper’s try and Lealiifano’s conversion and three penalties.
The Lions must now regroup from their bitter disappointment of not finishing off the Wallabies in Melbourne to win their first series since 1997.
“We have a very determined bunch of players,” Lions captain Sam Warburton said.
“It goes down to the last match now. There’s still a Test series up for grabs. By no means this is over.”
The Lions put the Wallabies under immediate pressure from the kick-off with dominant forward play and got an early long-range penalty but Halfpenny’s attempt hit the crossbar and bounced back into the field of play.
But he made no mistake in the 10th minute to give the Lions the early lead.
The Australians put the Lions scrum under pressure and after several re-sets, Mako Vunipola was penalised for collapsing the scrum, giving Lealiifano an easy penalty conversion after 16 minutes.
Vunipola was then penalised again for collapsing the scrum, giving Lealiifano his second penalty goal to put the Wallabies in front.
Vunipola lost the ball as the Lions fans groaned, but Halfpenny levelled the scores at 6-6 before Vunipola redeemed himself by forcing opposing loose head Ben Alexander to concede a penalty.
Halfpenny put it over to retrieve the lead for the Lions.
The England prop was in the thick of the action and he appeared to elbow Ashley-Cooper off the ball which could have further ramifications after the match.
Ashley-Cooper crashed to the ground but resumed after treatment as the Wallabies hit back five minutes before half-time when Dan Lydiate was penalised for offside, giving Lealiifano his third penalty.
But right on half-time Ben Mowen was penalised in the ruck giving Halfpenny his fourth penalty and a 12-9 lead.
The Wallabies conceded their fifth penalty while on attack as the home side dominated territory early in the second half.
The immensely strong George North carried Israel Folau on his back in a run only to be brought to ground on his head in a dramatic moment.
Replacement prop James Slipper was penalised as the Lions scrum drove through for Halfpenny to kick a 48-metre penalty and push the Lions out to a six-point lead with 18 minutes left.
The Lions lost their inspirational skipper Sam Warburton with a hamstring injury with 13 minutes left making way as the Wallabies fumbled yet another ball inside the tourists’ half.
The Lions won a lineout on the Wallabies’ throw as yet another mistake cost the Australians a chance to keep the pressure on.
But the breakthrough came after more Australian pressure and O’Connor, enjoying a better match at flyhalf this week, cleverly put Ashley-Cooper spearing through on the fringe for the only try of the Test.
Lealiifano nervelessly guided the conversion over to a massive roar from the home side.
Wallabies beat Lions 16-15 to level Test series
