Australia vs British & Irish Lions LIVE SCORE: Match SUSPENDED due to lightning after Ryan suffers horrific injury
But shortly before that, James Ryan had to be stretchered off after suffering a horrific knee to the head.
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Wallabies XI:
Wright, Jorgensen, Suaalii, Ikitau, Pietsch, Lynagh, White; Slipper, Porecki, Tupou, Frost, Skelton, Hooper, McReight, Wilson
Lions XI:
Keenan, Freeman, Jones, Aki, Kinghorn, Russell, Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong, Itoje, Ryan, Beirne, Curry, Conan
Follow ALL of the latest updates from Down Under below...
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Stoppage in play - Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
44. The doctors get the stretcher and mini-kart out to drive Ryan away from the field.
All of the have now left the field due to adverse weather that is expected to commence soon.
Fans in the lower tiers have been told to go to the concourse.
We will update you with any information we get when play will resume.
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Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
43. More handbags from both sets of players who aren't happy about that last ruck.
A stoppage in play as Ryan gets his tackle all wrong with his head underneath the ball carrier.
He goes crashing down and stays on the floor with physios on straight away.
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Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
42. Finn Russell kicks us off for the second half.
He boots the ball deep left with red shirts flying forward.
After multiple kicks back and forth, the Wallabies manage to get the ball out of play by the halfway line for a Lions lineout.
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Lions will have to dig deep
It's been confirmed that both Maro Itoje and Tommy Freeman failed their HIA and won't return to the field in the second half.
This means Farrell and Chessum will keep things going for the men in red.
Without their captain makes it a tough ask, but it's far from impossible for the Lions.
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Halftime -
Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
40. Another turnover on the Lions' lineout and White kicks it out for half-time.
It's been a rough and rugged first 40 minutes for the Lions who've been up against it.
They've had some great opportunites but havent capitalised them.
Australia will be happy with their results so far and they'll be hoping for a similar second half.
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Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
39. The Lions can't make anything of it and their hard work is wasted.
Great tackle from the Wallaby prop, and they force a turnover.
Tommy Freeman comes off with a bloody nose, and on comes Owen Farrell.
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Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
37. Another loose lineout somehow stays with england who have a scrum.
Russell chips wide to Freeman, but the ball is short and Freeman can't make much of it.
The ball goes back into the middle for the Lions, who make some great ground up.
They're able to get great ground on each collision.
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Australia 8 – 0 British and Irish Lions
35. The correct decision there from Australia, with Lynagh kick coverted for three points.
It's the Wallabies who've played the territory game, and they're doing it well.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
34. Wallabies on their ninth phase here and are getting pushed out by this turgid Lions defence.
An advantage to Australia, but they can't use their free play.
They decide to kick for the posts.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
31. The Lions hold out strong and get the penalty!
However, the scrum is out and the Lions try and ruck over, but another unforced error leads to a knock on.
Australia is just 5 metres out with a scrum.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
28. Australia get a penalty and get another chance to spread the play with the advantage.
Lions do well to defend, and the advantage is over.
Wallabies go aggressive instead of taking the three points, they kick it to the corner.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
26. Sloppy mistake from Finn Russell, who makes a meal of a simple catch, and it leads to a knock on.
The slippery ball played a part there, but you wouldn't expect Russell to do that.
The Wallabies scrum is out quickly, and they charge forward, making good ground.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
23. Another scrum enfolds, and it's a penalty to Australia after the Lions fail to compete.
Lyangh kicks it far and long near the Lions' try line for some great territory gain.
A little bit of handbags from the players, as White and Sheehan get into a tussle.
The referee de-escalates the situation.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
20. Lions get the ball out easily, and Gibson-Park feeds it to Russell.
He then kicks it flat and straight to try and throw off the Wallabies' back line.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
19. Another turnover from a lineout.
This time it's the lions.
Itoje isn't quite able to wrap his hands around the ball and bounces to the Wallabies side.
Again, though, Australia struggle to use it, and it's a scrum to the Lions.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
16. It's absolute carnage out there with the rain!
A huge downpour has just broken and you can see how it's affecting the play.
Australia fail to use their lineout effectively, and it goes straight back to the Lions.
The ball is going all over the place and is seemingly even harder to read for the players.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
13. After some great phases from the Lions, Australia hold out strong and win a penalty.
They boot it far and clear away from their line, and the wallabies can reset.
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Australia 5 – 0 British and Irish Lions
11. Great response from the Lions!
Finn Russell with an excellent kick, which sets Freeman off chasing.
The Lions then get a lineout on the Wallabies' 10 metre line.
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Try! Australia 5 - 0 British and Irish Lions
8. Australia were creeping closer to the try line, and after winning an advantage, they had a free play.
They stretch it to the wing, and Pietsch has an open lane and plants the ball down.
Lynagh misses the conversion.
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Australia 0 - 0 British and Irish Lions
6. A clever kick and chase from Australia gets them just five metres away from the try line.
Bodies everywhere as the scrum twists to the right and the referee calls for a reset.
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Australia 0 - 0 British and Irish Lions
4. Australia immediately give the ball away and the Lions get their running game going.
An unfortunate slip from Curry leads to the Wallabies swarming over the ruck and forcing a turnover.
The rain is getting heavy again.
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Kickoff - Australia 0 - 0 British and Irish Lions
1. Nika Amashukeli blows his whistle, and it's the Wallabies who get the game going.
Lynagh kicks it deep, and it lands in Gibson-Park's hands.
He then boots it away for an Australian lineout.
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Almost time
The rain has eased slightly in Sydney, setting the stage for a great contest between the two fired-up sides.
It's buzzing in Sydney, with fans filling up the seats and flags in full force.
The Lions have a chance to seal a history-making series sweep, but the Wallabies won't roll over easily, they'll be fueled by pride and desperate to dodge a clean 3-0 defeat.
Kick-off up next!
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15 minutes to go
Kick-off is fast approaching in Sydney, with players going through their final preparations.
Lions captain Maro Itoje will be aiming to lead his side to the finish line and complete a memorable 3-0 series whitewash.
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Tadhg Furlong
After starting every test match in his first two tours [2017 & 2021], he makes his ninth consecutive test start in this game, which levels him with Alun Wyn Jones' professional-era record.
The Leinster and Ireland tighthead has long been a cornerstone of the scrum and a consistent presence throughout his career, fully deserving this accolade.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Lions End of Tour Wrap: Keenen Tour winning try, Beirne's off the charts performances and Ringrose selflessness
The rain that fell relentlessly for five days in Sydney finally abated on Monday. As blue skies return to city's skyline, the mass exodus of British & Irish Lions supporters continued and hotels emptied as quickly as the lower tier of Accor Stadium on Saturday night during the lightning delay that interrupted the final Test with Australia. It was a flat, and soggy, ending to the 2025 tour for Andy Farrell's squad as the Wallabies finally got the victory they felt their play had deserved for at least three halves of Test rugby across as many weeks. Yet the Lions have departed Australian shores with heads held high after securing a 2-1 series victory and while the naysayers, mostly from afar, will argue it has been an underwhelming tour, the scale of their achievement in delivering that success for the first time in a dozen years and only the third time in the professional era should be celebrated, particularly by Irish rugby supporters. Led by Ireland's head coach and the bulk of his national team coaches and performance staff, this has been the most green-tinged of Lions tours, with a record number of Ireland players who delivered some excellent individual performances as the backbone of a winning side. Lions board chair and tour manager Ieuan Evans, a series-winning player himself in that historic 1997 victory over South Africa, underlined just how difficult one of these tours is to get right. Read More Lightning doesn't strike thrice for the Lions as Australia lay down a marker 'These tours are not designed to be easy to win and compete in,' the former Wales wing said on Sunday before the 90-strong touring party of players, coaches and staff members were scattered to the four winds. 'Winning Lions teams are supposed to be really challenging, really exceptionally challenging. You have to have the right culture in order to succeed as well as the talent and the hard work. 'You expect that talent and hard work to come to the fore because the players of this sort of quality do not get to where they are without it,' Evans added. But you need the culture to allow that to come to the fore and Andy Farrell is exceptional at that.' Evans' view of Farrell's ability to create that winning environment for a group of athletes from four different nations over such a short period of time has been endorsed, tellingly, by many of the non-Irish players selected by the head coach. England back-rower Ben Earl has raved about his experience every time has faced the media here, saying earlier on the tour he had learned more in five weeks with the Lions than he had in the previous four years. That may say as much about the English national set-up as it does about his Lions tour but his take on Farrell had not diminished by the end of the series, in which the Saracens forward came off the bench during the first and third Tests. INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE: England back-rower Ben Earl has raved about his experience every time has faced the media here, saying earlier on the tour he had learned more in five weeks with the Lions than he had in the previous four years. 'He has made me fully believe in how good I am,' Earl said of the Lions boss on Saturday night. 'Every time he talks to the group, I'm like, I'll do anything for that man - I'm ready to play. 'Even when I'm not playing. Like, obviously, how many times am I not playing, maybe four or five times. Like, every time he spoke to the group, I'm like, God, when the time comes, I'm ready to play for this bloke. "I still feel like if there was any circumstance where I would end up wearing that jersey, I know he'd back me 100% and he'd make me feel like I fully deserve that. And I think that's just testament to him, testament to the environment created, along with the other coaches." Was this a great Lions team and tour? It may not be in the pantheon of the giants of 1974 and 1997 and others of much older stock but it was a winning outfit that overcame a Wallabies side which grew into the series after a poor start and belied the gloomy predictions of Joe Schmidt's side being whitewashed by cricket scores. That it was a competitive series, in which the Lions only outscored their hosts in two of the four halves, validates the battling and competitive qualities which Farrell's players possess and value of their series victory. That deserves credit. Read More Bundee Aki reveals wife gave birth in car hours before first Lions test TOUR HIGHLIGHT: Nothing will be the ingredients that went into making the Second Test so memorable. A crowd of 90,307 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, a stirring return to form from the Wallabies to take a 23-5 lead inside 30 minutes, and an epic fightback from the Lions sealed courtesy of Hugo Keenan try in the last minute that was controversial in its making. It sealed a first series win for the Lions since 2013, was the first 2-0 lead created by the Lions since 1997 and was a wonderful, wonderful occasion. PLAYER OF THE SERIES: To think Tadhg Beirne's selection at blindside flanker was considered a risk, the Munster and Ireland star's performance levels were off the charts and he fully deserved the honour. WALLABY TO WATCH: Max Jorgensen, the Waratahs wing is just 20 years old but he impressed in the number 11 jersey throughout the series, scoring in the first and third Tests, his try on Saturday as he pounced a loose ball on halfway showcasing his power and pace. WALALBY TO WATCH: 20-year-old Maz Jorgensen was impressive on the win for the Wallabies. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher TOUR HERO: Garry Ringrose's selfless decision to remove himself from the side for the second Test due to concussion symptoms two days out from the MCG match, thereby allowing Huw Jones time to prepare as his midfield replacement. TOUR COMEBACK: Hugo Keenan's tour got off to a nightmarish start, denied his Lions debut, initially by a minor injury and then a virus that by his own admission. 'I was sick for about 12 days. I couldn't stop, yeah… getting off the jacks was an issue. Yeah, I lost about five or six kilos. It was a rough few weeks,' the full-back said memorably having made just two appearances ahead of starting all three Tests and becoming the player who secured the series win in Melbourne. ON-FIELD MOMENT: The Lions secured that series having led the second Test only by a matter of seconds, thanks to Keenan's excellent finish as the men in red, prompted by Finn Russell, kept their cool, stuck to the plan and managed the game better than the Wallabies. It needed a much-debated ruck clear-out by Jac Morgan on opposing replacement back-rower Carlo Tizzano to get the job done, which only added to the drama before referee Andrea Piardi concluded there was no foul play and wild celebrations ensued. OFF-FIELD LIONS MOMENT: Andy Farrell and captain Maro Itoje's media conference after the second Test being drowned out the by a dressing-room sing-song conducted by a squad of roaring Lions. TOUR LOWPOINT: The Sydney rain which did its best to ruin the spectacle for 80,000-plus supporters at Accor Stadium on Saturday night, including a near 40-minute lightning delay. It coincided with the poorest Lions performance of the tour and the Wallabies' best, a 22-12 defeat of the tourists that hopefully restores faith in the green and gold among supporters in a challenging sports market dominated by Aussie Rules and Rugby League. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: That Josh van der Flier, so dependable for Farrell as a near-permanent selection in the Ireland back-row at openside flanker, was overlooked for the series and did not play a minute of rugby as a Test Lion despite putting in some impressive performances on tour. A crying shame for the 2022 World Rugby men's player of the year. BEST QUOTE: 'Our Wives Think We're At Coldplay' – Lions supporters' banner at the First Nations & Pasifika game in Melbourne. BEST QUOTE: British & Irish Lions supporters before the second test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile BEST INVOCATION OF SCIENCE TO MAKE A POINT: Joe Schmidt reverting to schoolteacher mode to explain Jac Morgan's clearout on Australia's Carlo Tizzano: "We are all aware of Newton's third law (of motion) - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When that force hits him and the speed of his head collapsing down, he recoiled out the back of the ruck. "I don't think he wanted to recoil like that but that's the nature of force. That there is an equal and opposite reaction.' BEST NICKNAME: A tie between Jamie Osborne's 'Showbiz' and Ollie Chessum's 'Bin Chicken', the colloquial name given in these parts to the Australian White Ibis, a long-nosed bird seen wandering around city centres pecking at food thrown on the floor or left on outdoor tables. LIONS IN AUSTRALIA BY THE NUMBERS Played: 9, Won: 8, Lost: 1 Test series v Wallabies: Won 2-1 Players used: 49 Most appearances: Ronan Kelleher, Alex Mitchell – 8 each Tadhg Beirne, Ben Earl, Tadhg Furlong, Ellis Genge, Huw Jones, Jac Morgan, Will Stuart – 7 each Bundee Aki, Ollie Chessum, Jack Conan, Tom Curry, Tommy Freeman, Jamison Gibson-Park, Maro Itoje, Andrew Porter, Finn Russell, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan – 6 each. Most minutes: Tadhg Beirne – 507 Huw Jones – 455 Tommy Freeman – 428 Maro Itoje – 419 Finn Russell – 419 Jack Conan – 414 Most tries: Duhan van der Merwe – 5 Huw Jones – 4 Dan Sheehan – 3 Garry Ringrose - 3 Most points:
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
Who were the Lions players Andy Farrell leaned on most?
AFTER THE LIONS seemed to run out of steam in their bid for a series clean sweep against the Wallabies, Andy Farrell was asked if he reckons too much is being asked of these players with the season running into August. Farrell nodded to Tadhg Beirne beside him as he answered. 'I think you ask the player here,' said Farrell. 'Some were saying he shouldn't have played in the first Test, and then he gets player of the series. 'He seemed fresh enough to me. That's what the shirt does for you. 'In regards to the minutes played, I suppose everyone is always looking at that kind of scenario. I'm sure World Rugby are going to be all over that.' The next question to Farrell was about whether he, as Ireland's head coach, will be making sure that the Irish players who were involved in this tour will be getting plenty of rest in the months ahead. 'We look after our boys pretty well,' said Farrell, 'and rightly so.' Irish rugby is well-known for the effective management of its players. The top players appreciate this and it's one of the reasons they tend not to move abroad. There's no doubt that most of the Irish Lions will be very lightly raced in the early stages of the 2025/26 season. We're unlikely to see much of them before Ireland launch into a four-game autumn campaign that starts with a trip to Chicago to face the All Blacks on 2 November. Dan Sheehan featured prominently for the Lions. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Leinster had 14 players involved in the Lions tour, Connacht had three of their biggest stars on tour, and Munster captain Beirne played more minutes than anyone during the Lions' campaign. Beirne played a whopping 507 minutes of a possible 800, with Tommy Freeman [428], Maro Itoje [420], Finn Russell [419], and Jack Conan [414] the only others to go beyond the 400-minute mark. So how did the Irish players' workloads compare to other Lions in their positions? One thing to note is that Leinster, Bath, and Leicester players weren't involved in the opening defeat against Argentina – Rónan Kelleher aside – given that their clubs played in the URC and Premiership finals the weekend before. Each player's involvements are listed as minutes / appearances Hooker Dan Sheehan – 348 / 6 Rónan Kelleher – 209 / 8 Luke Cowan-Dickie – 165 / 4 Jamie George – 74 / 1 Ewan Ashman – 6 / 1 Ireland hooker Sheehan started all three of the Tests, with Kelleher coming off the bench in all three. Kelleher's main role was as a replacement hooker, with just one start for the Lions during this campaign. England's Cowan-Dickie suffered a head injury in the final pre-Tests warm-up game against the AUNZ XZ and didn't feature again, with Jamie George and Ewan Ashman called in as cover. Advertisement Loosehead prop Ellis Genge - 278 /7 Pierre Schoeman - 274 / 5 Andrew Porter - 242 / 7 Rory Sutherland – 6 /1 Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Ireland's Porter and England's Genge fairly evenly split the workload in the three Tests, having clearly earned status as the frontline loosehead duo. Scotland's Pierre Schoeman was heavily used in the non-Test games, while his compatriot Rory Sutherland briefly joined the squad for the final midweek game against the First Nations & Pasifika XV. Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong - 328 / 7 Finlay Bealham – 223 / 5 Will Stuart – 221 / 7 Thomas Clarkson - 29 / 1 Remarkably, Ireland tighthead Furlong played nearly as many minutes in this Lions campaign as he did across the course of the entire season with Leinster and Ireland. Due to his hamstring and calf troubles, Furlong managed just 373 minutes this season for province and country, but he put those issues behind him to rack up 328 minutes for the Lions. Fellow Irishman Bealham wasn't involved in the Tests but had a busy time during the warm-up games, while England's Stuart backed Furlong up in all three Tests and Ireland's Clarkson made one midweek appearance after being drafted in as cover. Second row Maro Itoje - 420 / 6 Ollie Chessum – 313 / 6 James Ryan - 264 / 6 Scott Cummings - 239 / 5 Joe McCarthy - 209 / 4 Gregor Brown - 26 / 1 Itoje would likely have played every minute of the three Tests but for his first-half head injury last weekend. He was missed by the Lions after departing. James Ryan worked his way back from injury to feature in the Tests. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Ireland's McCarthy would also have had a much higher tally of minutes but for his foot injury in the opening Test, which he started. McCarthy's injury opened the door for Chessum to feature more prominently, while Ireland's Ryan recovered from injury to rack up the minutes later in the tour before he too was injured in the final Test. Scotland's Scott Cummings didn't make a Test appearance, while Brown had a short stint with the squad for the FNP XV game. Back row Tadhg Beirne - 507 / 7 Jack Conan – 414 / 6 Tom Curry - 392 / 6 Jac Morgan – 342 / 7 Ben Earl - 304 / 7 Henry Pollock – 285 / 5 Josh van der Flier – 268 / 5 Having already had a relatively hefty workload with Munster and Ireland this season, the relentless Beirne played more minutes than any other Lions player across this 2025 campaign. He featured in the second row before playing at blindside in the Tests. Beirne and Hugo Keenan were the only two players to play every minute of the three Wallabies Tests. Having been the clear Test favourite at number eight, Ireland's Conan was always likely to have a busy tour, while England's Curry started all three clashes with the Wallabies too. Jac Morgan featured prominently across the warm-up games and forced his way into the Test 23, but Ireland's van der Flier would have been hoping for a busier tour. Like England's Pollock, van der Flier didn't feature in the Tests. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park - 347 / 5 Alex Mitchell - 211 / 8 Ben White - 169 / 3 Tomos Williams - 79 / 2 Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Ireland's Gibson-Park is another player who was always going to be important to Farrell's Test plans and he played all but 15 minutes of the three games against the Wallabies. England's Mitchell was involved in all 10 matchday squads but didn't come off the bench in two games, something Farrell admitted he was a bit disappointed about, given the possible achievement of playing in every fixture. Williams of Wales was unfortunate to get injured two games into the campaign, with Scotland's White impressing after replacing him. Out-half Finn Russell - 419 / 6 Fin Smith – 291 / 5 Marcus Smith - 225 / 7 Scotland's Russell was a crucial figure in the Lions' series success and completed the full game in both the second and third Tests, coming off in the first with cramp. The Bath out-half will surely need a good rest after a heavy season. With Owen Farrell arriving during the tour to provide 10/12 cover, Marcus Smith only got one Test appearance off the bench while also playing at fullback on several occasions. Meanwhile, England's Fin Smith didn't get a Test look-in but featured extensively during the warm-up matches. Centre Huw Jones – 455 / 7 Bundee Aki – 388 / 6 Sione Tuipulotu – 378 / 5 Garry Ringrose - 213 / 4 Owen Farrell - 172 / 4 Ireland's Ringrose would have been higher up this list but for concussion ruling him out of all three Tests. Ringrose was very unlucky on tour. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO In his stead, Scotland's Jones started the three Tests at outside centre, moving to the wing during the third Wallabies clash. Ireland's Aki featured in the three Tests too, coming off the bench in the first before taking Tuipulotu's place at inside centre for the second and third. England's Farrell came in as an injury replacement for Elliot Daly and played off the bench in two Tests. Back three Tommy Freeman - 428 / 6 Hugo Keenan - 365 / 5 Duhan van der Merwe - 329 / 5 Blair Kinghorn - 284 / 5 James Lowe - 284 / 4 Mack Hansen - 277 / 5 Elliot Daly - 166 / 3 Jamie Osborne - 80 / 1 Darcy Graham - 16 / 1 When Ireland's Keenan finally got up and running after injury and illness, he quickly became the big influence Farrell would have expected. Keenan and Beirne were the only two players to start and finish all three Tests. England's Freeman also started the three Wallabies clashes and while Scotland's van der Merwe didn't feature in the Tests, he was busy during the wider campaign. Kinghorn was the late arrival on tour after the Top 14 final and then he was injured, but he ended with a Test start, replacing Lowe in the starting XV after the Ireland wing started the first two. Hansen was unlucky to be injured for the Tests and England's Daly was forced home early after starting strongly. Osborne joined while Kinghorn was sidelined and stayed on tour, while Graham joined briefly and was injured after an early debut try.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Funny story' – Bundee Aki reveals chaotic circumstances around wife giving birth before Lions played Australia
Bundee Aki also admitted to having a poor performance in the final Test match BUNDEE Aki revealed he missed the birth of his fifth child as he prepared to face Australia in the Lions first Test match. In the lead up to the Lions 27-19 opening Test victory over the Wallabies, there was a new addition to the Aki family. 2 The Lions won their first series in 12 years when they defeated the Wallabies in the first two Test matches 2 The conditions were deplorable for the Lions third Test match against Australia Bundee's wife Kayla was in New Zealand with family when she got in touch to say she was ready to give birth. Ireland's 2024 players' player of the year's fifth child Aine Aki was born in a car on the way to the hospital, the day of her dad's second ever Lions Test appearance. Bundee told the 'funny story' after the Lions final Test match against Australia saying: "If you only knew the story of what happened, it's a funny story in itself. "I was in the hotel. I knew we were overdue. The missus calls me and she's like, 'Water hasn't broke but I'm going to the hospital, I'm feeling contractions.' "She goes to the hospital, we're getting ready for the team meeting pre-match, and then she calls me and says she's on the way to the hospital, so I said, 'Fine, be safe.' "Five minutes later, she sends a photo, her water broke. I was like, 'Cool, OK, are you almost there?' "This is like 30 or 40 minutes away from the hospital, so I said, 'You'll be alright, Mum is there.' "Ten minutes later, she video calls me and I was like, 'Shit, what's going on?'. "I saw a baby on the video call, so she had it in the car on the way to the hospital." The Connacht centre has credited his wife for taking the whole ordeal in her stride despite the difficulty of it all. Australia and Lions rugby stars are forced off the pitch mid-game due to threat of lightning The Ireland star added: "Credit to my wife. She's a powerful woman, a strong woman." Bundee believed the birth of his fifth child brought good luck to the Lions who went on to win the series in the second Test. The 35-year-old added: "I knew it was good Juju, I knew it was good Juju. So I knew we were going to have a good day. "All my kids start with A. So my wife loved the name Aine. That's five As in the family. Armani, Adrianna, Andronicus, Ailbhe, Aine." Andy Farrell's side did however fail to complete the clean sweep as they lost the final Test match 22-12. A poor Lions performance has not disheartened the Auckland-born star, as he has the chance now to meet his newest daughter Aine. 'I wasn't great. It was a poor game but you have those days and you have to live with it. We won the series and that's all we came for. 'Now, I want to enjoy my break. I haven't seen my family for eight weeks. I have a newborn child I haven't met yet.'
