Defeat throws Deans to the Lions

The Lions have won their first series since 1997 with an emphatic 41-16 win over the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium.

Coach Robbie Deana and Wallabies players look on after the loss. Picture: Philip Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones and injured skipper Sam Warburton celebrate with the Tom Richards Cup. Picture: Philip Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

Jonny Sexton jumps for joy after scoring a try for the British & Irish Lions at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Philip Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

James O'Connor chareges through to score a try for the Wallabies against the British & Irish Lions at ANZ Stadium. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph

Leigh Halfpenny kicks a penalty for the British & Irish Lions during the third Test at ANZ Stadium. Source: Getty Images

A DEFLATED Robbie Deans conceded his future is out of his hands despite being contracted as Wallabies coach to the end of the year, following the humiliating 41-16 loss to the Lions.

Deans has now presided over Lions series, World Cup and Bledisloe Cup failure in his six-year tenure, with speculation mounting that either Ewen McKenzie or Jake White could take over within days.

Asked if he expected to remain in the job for next month's Rugby Championship, Deans solemnly replied: "You don't presume anything in this industry, those decisions are made by others, who knows?

"I'm not excited, obviously, by what we've been through.

"But that doesn't change the possibilities and potential of the group."

Emotional captain James Horwill batted away questions about Deans' future following the ANZ Stadium massacre in front of 83,702 fans.

"Robbie is the coach, he is contracted, he is a great coach," Horwill said.

"Now is not the time to talk about it. We will review everything at the end, after this.

MATCH CENTRE: Wallabies v British and Irish Lions

"Five minutes after a Test match is not the time to talk about the coaching position."

The Wallabies revealed they spent the week talking about starting strongly, yet dropped the ball from the first kick-off, conceded a first-minute try and never recovered.

Asked if he remained confident the playing group could respond to his requests, Deans said: "No one goes out there to drop the first kick-off."

GALLERY: Wallabies v Lions in pictures

The four-tries-to-one hammering by a raging Lions side exposed the Wallabies' scrum and backline defence.

The Lions smashed their own record for most points in a Test match.

In losing the Tom Richards Cup, Australia also ensured they have only beaten the Lions once in their 125-year history, 12 years ago.

Three points had separated them in the first two Tests but there was daylight between the sides Saturday night.

Australia's scrum was bullied and bashed, and the worst fears leading into the series were finally realised, after both packs had shared honours in the first two games.

The powerhouse Lions scrum and counter-attacking masterclass from Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who set up two tries and kicked eight goals from nine attempts, left the Wallabies helpless.

From trailing 19-3 in the 40th minute, the Wallabies had clawed back to 19-16 by the 46th, with James O'Connor scoring a try after the half-time siren and Christian Leali'ifano kicking two penalties in the first five minutes of the second half.

But by the 69th the Lions had run away with the game, with tries from Jonathan Sexton, George North and Jamie Roberts rewarding their forwards' dominance and stamping authority on the result.

The three-try hit took the score to 41-16, and under-fire Lions coach Warren Gatland was celebrating in the coaches' box while Deans remained ashen-faced.

After Australia had cut the Lions' lead to three, Gatland's team suddenly looked vulnerable for the first time.

But soon afterward the Wallabies gave away yet another scrum penalty after unwillingly being moonwalked five metres by the rampant Lions pack.

Halfpenny struck the three points, and then Sexton scored a brilliantly worked try from a wide spread.

The ball went from Sexton to Jonathan Davies and Halfpenny, whose inside pass was collected and planted under the posts by the highest-paid player in the world.

The Wallabies were soon attacking at the other end of the field, and earned a penalty from close range but instead took a quick tap, a gamble that misfired when prop Benn Robinson knocked on.

Moments later, Halfpenny stepped around Will Genia on the counter, lured fullback Jesse Mogg and sent North to the corner.

Returning centre Roberts powered through a yawning hole in the 69th minute and with Halfpenny's conversion the Lions had cracked 40 points.

The Lions led 19-10 at the break in a disastrous opening half that saw the Wallabies scrummaged off the park.

Had it not been for James O'Connor's bloody-minded determination to score a try beating four defenders after the half-time siren, the result would have been sealed by the break.

Key weapon Israel Folau suffered a serious hamstring injury and was taken off in the 27th minute, two minutes after prop Ben Alexander was sin-binned for repeated scrum infringements.

The Lions roared furiously into the decider, scoring in the opening minute after Will Genia had knocked on from the kick-off.

Prop Alex Corbisero took a short ball from halfback Mike Phillips, beat the tackle of rival Benn Robinson and rolled over the line to score his maiden Test try.

The criticised getaway to Noosa early this week was just what the doctor ordered, with the tourists smashing the Wallabies at the contest, breakdown and scrum.

The Lions players celebrated wildly while the Wallabies wore hollow expressions.

As Oasis rang out of the stadium Saturday night, and Lions fans rapturously sang along; "Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me", Deans would have wondered if anybody could save him.

LIONS 41 (Alex Corbisiero, George North, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Sexton tries Leigh Halfpenny 3 cons 5 pens) bt AUSTRALIA 16 (James O'Connor try Christian Leali'ifano con 3 pens) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Romain Poite. Crowd: 83,702.

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