The Wallabies will have to overcome the odds in Melbourne and Sydney after falling to the British & Irish Lions in Brisbane in Saturday's opening Test.
Australia never caught the fast-starting Lions at Suncorp Stadium with Maro Itoje's side racing out to a 17-5 halftime lead and holding on for a 27-19 victory.
Here's what we learned from the First Test:
The Lions’ backrow selections were put under the pump ahead of Saturday’s opening Test but boy, did Tadgh Beirne, Tom Curry and Jack Conan deliver.
The much-maligned Beirne (23 tackles, seven carries) was outstanding and a deserving best on ground after his flying start at Suncorp Stadium.
The Irishman also earned three turnovers and two lineout steals while Curry (one try, one assist) and Conan (11 carries for 64m) performed strongly all night.
Aussie flankers Fraser McReight (12 carries, 16 tackles, two turnovers) and Nick Champion de Crespigny (19 tackles without a miss) were all heart with skipper Harry Wilson giving it his all but the Lions were relentless at the breakdown.
Beirne will be the first man picked in Andy Farrell's side for Melbourne and leaves the Lions spoilt for choice across their impressive second and back rows.
The Lions could have – and should have – been further ahead than their 17-5 buffer at oranges.
Huw Jones looked to have scored a certain try in the 19th minute after scrambling his way over but had his five-pointer overruled when the TMO ruled the Scotsman failed to release the ball before playing on.
Joe McCarthy was similarly within a whisker of his own Lions try after the big lock missed the grounding on a Finn Russell cross-kick by a fingertip in goal.
The Wallabies also had their fair share of near misses and will rue them dearly.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii should feel hard done by after a no-arms tackle from Ben Earl in the lead-up to his disallowed 60th minute try while a pair of kicks in-goal from Wilson and Harry Potter in the 63rd and 65th minutes almost found their mark.
There’s no doubt Max Jorgensen is a long-term Wallaby winger after his try-scoring turn on rugby’s biggest stage.
The 20-year-old sent Suncorp Stadium into a frenzy by soaring high above Lions fullback Hugo Keenan and racing away to score untouched in the 28th minute.
Jorgensen finished as Australia's second-highest carrier - and best post-contact (30m gained) - with two line breaks and two tackle busts to boot.
Crucially, Jorgensen was error-free with ball in hand, solid in defence and the young gun should be lining up once more in Melbourne for the Second Test next week.
However, more will be required of wing partner Harry Potter after a mixed night - he could come under pressure from the likes of Andrew Kellaway, Dylan Pietsch and Filipo Daugunu.
The contrast couldn't be clearer between Finn Russell and Tom Lynagh.
Lynagh fought tooth and nail on his starting debut - he kicked well, carried tough and even shook a few defenders for a linebreak.
However, the young Queensland was put under immense pressure all night with the Lions regularly shooting up and laying hits - one particular tackle in the air before halftime could've come under greater scrutiny.
Conversely, Russell was given more latitude by the Wallabies and made every inch a mile with seven sharp runs speckled around a slick passing game that yielded assists for four line breaks and a try.
Whether Lynagh is retained or Joe Schmidt looks to Ben Donaldson or James O'Connor will be a fascinating tale heading into Melbourne's must-win clash.
"Lions, Lions, Lions, Lions, Lions" - it's a echo you just can't shake.
Tens of thousands of red-clad Lions fans swept through Brisbane and into Suncorp Stadium for what turned out a very vocal 52,229-strong crowd.
Wallabies fans fought hard to cut through the noise and made a few inroads after Jorgensen's try but the sound - like the score - was largely Lions-centric.
Just like 2001, 2013 and every other Brisbane Test before it, 2025 has gone the Lions way both on and off the field.
Now, it's time for Australians to stand up and show their voice and colours in Melbourne and Sydney.
