The British & Irish Lions are hoping to wrap up a first Test series win in 12 years against the Wallabies in Melbourne.

A week on from their 27-19 win in Brisbane, Andy Farrell has made three changes to his squad for a potentially decisive second Test, with Andrew Porter, Ollie Chessum and Bundee Aki all claiming starting spots.

Ahead of kick-off at the MCG on Saturday, Rugby World have taken a closer look at the last time the Lions reigned supreme in a Test series.

Read more: Here are the three changes to the British & Irish Lions ahead of the 2nd Test against Australia

12 years ago in Oz

It was 12 years ago in Australia that the world’s most famous tourists last secured Test series success.

Back in 2013, it was Warren Gatland’s first stint in charge of the Lions and the likes of George North, Leigh Halfpenny and Sam Warburton were the heroes of the day.

In the years since things have been a lot harder going for the men in red.

Eight years ago in New Zealand the side battled to a series draw agains the All Blacks, with a 15-all draw in the final Test meaning that captains Warburton and Kieran Read lifted the trophy together.

Four years later in South Africa there was no silverware in sight. In a Covid-19 cleansed South Africa, the Lions did beat the Springboks 22-17 in the first Test thanks to a Luke Cowan-Dickie try and volley of penalties from Dan Biggar and Owen Farrell.

That win was the last high point of the tour as Rassie Erasmus’ world champions put the pedal to the metal and secured a Test Series win at a canter.

Leaving it late

Just like in 2025 the Lions stormed to a win the first Test against Australia.

It was that day that George North wrote his name into folklore when he flung Israel Folau over his shoulder and was among the try scorers in the 23-21 win at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

The following weekend, after a 35-0 midweek win over the Melbourne Rebels, it was the Wallabies who rallied to pick up a 16-15 win as Christian Leali’ifano’s conversion of Adam Ashley-Cooper’s late score proved to be the difference between the two teams.

In many ways it could not have been written better. With everything on the line, there was a palpable sense of anticipation for a decisive Test in Sydney.

It was in the run-in to that clash that Andy Farrell made his now-famous ‘hurt arena’ speech and inspired the Lions to a first Test series win since 1997.

“Last weekend, it was a good effort,” he said. “A good effort as far as defence is concerned. A lot of pressure coming on us, especially on our own lines and they kept pounding away and pounding away and it was a gallant effort boys

“That’s what I would say to you if I was your club coach or your international coach. But I’m not. We’re your Lions coaches and a gallant effort, good defence and good spirit isn’t good enough at this level.

“On defence we cannot afford our emotional energy to dip whatsoever. You know why?

“Because there is no tomorrow. There is no tomorrow.

“We are taking them boys to the hurt arena this weekend, because our mentality is going to be a different mentality than what The British & Irish Lions teams have had over the last 16 years.

“A different mentality. Because over the last 16 years it has been about failure.”

From the first minute of that decisive Test the Lions were ravenous.

The lead-up to the game was dramatic in itself, with Gatland having made the decision to drop talismanic centre Brian O’Driscoll in favour of Jonathan Davies and restored Mike Phillips to a starting role.

Alex Corbisiero crossed the whitewash with scarcely a minute players, while the kicking of Halfpenny kept the tourists on top in the first half.

Read more: How to watch the British & Irish Lions from anywhere in the world

To wrap up a first series win in nearly two decades and get the Lions roaring again, Johnny Sexton, North and Jamie Roberts all dotted down to lock up a 41-16 victory in front of nearly 84,000 supporters in Sydney.

As occasions go the series victory was all the way up there with England’s Rugby World Cup win a decade prior.

The squad visited Downing Street, and aside from Manu Tuilagi’s bunny ears faux pas, the achievement was celebrated across all corners of Britain and Ireland.

Now 12 years on from that day, just how Farrell chooses to motivate his side this time around remains to be seen. But, if it is anything like the last time, then the 50-year-old is on the path to success yet again.

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