The British and Irish Lions’ final midweek game ended on a high note as they proved too strong for the Melbourne Rebels at Aami Park.
The tourists ran in five tries to win 0-35 and record their second shutout of the tour, following their 0-64 victory over the Combined Country XV two weeks ago.
With the second Test match against Australia on Saturday, for many involved this was their last chance to impress coach Warren Gatland and be selected in the yet unnamed match day squad of 23.
The desire to be chosen for Saturday’s second Test was clear, as the Lions took control from the start.
A clever spin from scrum-half Conor Murray saw the visitors take the lead in the first-half.
Fly-half Owen Farrell kicked the conversion to make the score 0-7.
Soon after winger Sean Maitland then finished off a well-worked try, which the meticulous Farrell converted to give the tourists a 0-14 lead at the interval.
The Lions should have added to their tally early in the second-half, but Maitland arrowed a long pass straight into touch rather than into the arms of the waiting Sean O’Brien, who looked suitably unimpressed.
However, the Irish flanker did not have long to wait for his try, powering over from captain Dan Lydiate’s short pass after Toby Faletau had won a line-out close to the Rebels’ line.
Farrell’s hat trick of conversions made it a personal 18 out of 19 place kicks on tour for the Lions, before he was removed from the fray with Saturday’s second Test in mind.
Referee Chris Pollock, who was the official in the opening Test, awarded the tourists a penalty try on 63 minutes after the hosts pulled down a maul.
To make matters worse for the Rebels, replacement forward Jordy Reid was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for his efforts in disrupting the attack.
Farrell’s replacement Stuart Hogg duly slotted home the conversion.
Ben Youngs, in place of Murray, scored the Lions’ fifth try of the match as he sprinted onto fellow replacement Tom Croft’s line-out tap-down to dart through a tiring hosts defence to score.
Youngs then converted his own effort and the Lions held out for the remaining minutes of the match to record their seventh win out of eight down under so far.
The second Test between Australia and the Lions will be held at Melbourne’s Etihad stadium, where the visitors have the opportunity to close out the three Test series.
The tourists currently lead the series 1-0 after their 21-23 points opening win on Saturday.
Line Ups
Melbourne Rebels: Jason Woodward, Tom English, Mitch Inmar, Rory Sidey, Lachlan Mitchell, Bryce Hegarty, Luke Burgess; Nic Henderson, Ged Robinson, Laurie Weeks, Cadeyrn Neville, Hugh Pyle, Jarrod Saffy, Scott Fuglistaller, Gareth Delve (capt).
Replacements: Pat Leafa (for Robinson, 61) Cruze Ah-Nau (for Henderson, 61) Paul Alo-Emilie (for Weeks, 61), Luke Jones (for Pyle, 41), Jordy Reid (for Delve, 56), Nic Stirzaker (for Burgess, 56), Angus Roberts (for Hegarty, 72), Cooper Vuna (for Inman, 50).
Yellow card: Reid (63)
British and Irish Lions: Rob Kearney; Sean Maitland, Manu Tuilagi, Brad Barritt, Simon Zebo; Owen Farrell, Conor Murray; Ryan Grant, Richard Hibbard, Dan Cole, Richie Gray, Ian Evans, Dan Lydiate (capt), Sean O’Brien, Toby Faletau.
Replacements: Rory Best (for Hibbard, 55), Tom Court (for Grant, 55), Matt Stevens (for Cole, 55), Tom Croft (for Lydiate, 64), Justin Tipuric (for O’Brien, 55), Ben Youngs (for Murray, 62), Owen Farrell, Billy Twelvetrees (blood, for Barritt, 32-40, for Kearney, 62), Stuart Hogg (for Farrell, 52).
Attendance: 28,648
Referee: Glenn Jackson (NZ)
By Luke Augustus