British & Irish Lions player ratings: The Lions have won their Test series with Australia after a 29-26 win in Melbourne gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead, and it went right to the wire in front of 90,300 fans.

Here’s how we rated the British & Irish Lions at the MCG:

1. Andrew Porter – 7

Started in place of the more mobile Ellis Genge to improve the set-piece and wasted little time getting into Allan Alaalatoa. Wasn’t as busy as he has traditionally been around the pitch and somewhat at fault for Jake Gordon’s try.

2. Dan Sheehan – 8

Got away with leaping over a defender in the act of diving over for a try, which the officials were happy with. Was the Lions’ most effective forward carrier in the first half by a country mile.

3. Tadhg Furlong – 7

A few fumbles and got sniped by Gordon on pillar duty in the 28th minute. Against that, he was one of the few Lions who gave a decent account of himself in contact.

British & Irish Lions win +3

Time in lead

21%

Possession Last 10 min

79%

4. Maro Itoje – 8.5

Gave away an early penalty with an attempted rip on Will Skelton, who he was constantly getting into it with. His extremely high pest factor must have been absolutely draining for a tired Wallabies pack to deal with. Fought tooth and nail for everything.

5. Ollie Chessum – 6

In for the injured Joe McCarthy, the 6’7 Leicester Tiger looked decent in the tight while struggling to make a dent in the loose. More workmanlike than anything, but stuck to the task in hand.

6. Tadhg Beirne – 7

A slow start for the blindside, who got manhandled by a fierce Wallaby defence on more than one occasion. Proved a nuisance to the Wallabies once again at ruck-time, pilfering ball to keep the visitors in the contest.

7. Tom Curry – 7.5

Burst into life for his try in the 34th minute against the run of play. A menace at the breakdown and popped up everywhere, his trademark spoiling paying dividends for the Lions before being replaced on 56 minutes.

8. Jack Conan – 6.5

Fumbled the ball on the line and looked a beat off in contact on occasion, even getting bounced by Tate McDermott once. Just looked a beat off but never gave up the fight and was a reliable presence.

9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 7

His control from the base was erratic and his kicking game left a little to be desired. At his best he’s a real game-changer, but it was more his calm head here that was telling.

10. Finn Russell – 6

Caught the Wallabies napping with a quick restart but fluffed a pass a few phases later, and it wasn’t to be his last error in the slippery conditions. His first-half goal-kicking radar was way off, although few of his conversions were gimmes. Just looked a little off all night.

11. James Lowe – 6

Was on a mission to redeem himself after a poor display in Brisbane and a mediocre tour to date. Kept his nose clean in the first half. The errors under the high ball, which have dogged him all series, returned in the second half, though, and he fell off a few too many tackles. His top-drawer fend on Len Ikitau and subsequent offload for Beirne’s try clawed back some ratings points.

334m

Post Contact Metres

262m

12. Bundee Aki – 6.5

In for the injured Sione Tuipulotu, Aki proved typically difficult to stop on the front foot. Against that, he was done by Joseph Suaalii in the lead-up to Tom Wright’s try. Part of an untested midfield combination that looked a little unsure of itself at times in defence.

13. Huw Jones – 7

Gifted the Wallabies a penalty for handling on the deck, which directly led to the Wallabies’ first try. A beautiful line saw him crash over just before halftime to give the Lions a lifeline they desperately needed.

14. Tommy Freeman – 6.5

Caused some problems for the Wallabies with ball in hand but picked up a yellow card in the lead-up to the Wallabies’ first try. Faded in and out of the game but was always effective in contact.

15. Hugo Keenan – 8

Had a bit of a nightmare in the first Test but started the second with more authority. His 45th-minute punt fetch and recovery to save a lineout was the type of world-class moment he’s capable of, and his finish in the 79th minute spoke to the class he still possesses.

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Ronan Kelleher – 6

Helped shore up the set-piece and made an immediate impact around the park.

17. Ellis Genge – 7

His carrying brought a momentum otherwise lacking, but a costly fumble in the Wallabies’ 22 was a lowlight for the Bristolian.

18. Will Stuart – 7

Continued the slight edge the Lions had at scrum time and even went on one extremely effective trundle upfield.

19. James Ryan – 6

The next second-row taxi off the rank, Ryan put himself about but was penalised for holding on with the Wallabies’ line beckoning in the 63rd minute.

20. Jac Morgan – 5

Got a huge roar from a hungry Welsh contingent when he came on. Extremely lucky to get away with a dodgy clearout on Carlo Tizzano.

21. Alex Mitchell – NA

Not used.

22. Owen Farrell – 5

In to cover fly-half and centre due to the enforced changes in the midfield, Farrell Jnr’s first act was to get bounced by Harry Wilson in contact. Did very little else.

23. Blair Kinghorn – 7

Reduced to one rousing line-break in the last quarter and was defensively sound. Brought real energy.

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