A resurgent Australia put to bed the ghosts of Brisbane a week earlier by dominating the Lions in the second Test in Melbourne, claiming a powerful and well deserved 35-14 win as Joe Roff touched down two tries.
The third Test in Sydney is now the series decider after Rod Macqueen's Wallabies battled back from an 6-11 half-time deficit, Roff's score immediately after the break cancelling out Neil Back's first-half try.
Roff added another five minutes later, and when Matt Burke went over for Australia's third on 64 minutes, the result was beyond all doubt.
Burke was equally potent with the boot after his recall at fullback, kicking six penalties and a conversion under the Colonial Stadium roof.
There were only brief early signs of the Lions' penetration in the backs, with Rob Henderson in particular failing to summon up the sort of composure and pace which typified their first Test win seven days previously.
In truth, the Lions weren't given half the room to play that they had last time out, with the Wallaby back-row a constant threat, Toutai Kefu and George Smith first to the breakdown more often than not, and George Gregan marshalling the whole team with superb poise throughout.
Ominous signs for the Lions were the departures through injury of Jonny Wilkinson and Rob Howley in the second-half, with Richard Hill also leaving the field with a facial injury as a result of Nathan Grey's clumsy high challenge just before the interval. Andrew Walker went off looking groggy for the Wallabies after a clattering Jason Robinson tackle.
For all the Australian Rugby Union's free handouts of flags, scraves and baseball caps, it was clear from the start that the vast legions of Lions' fans would not be easily silenced -- even tinkering with the traditional Australian pre-match rugby anthem in their own rendition of Waltzing O'Driscoll, but their volume was only to last 40 minutes as the Wallabies fought back.
Just as in Brisbane last week, the early momentum was with the Lions, but with both sides showing signs of nerves, a one-dimensional start to the match saw the Lions take a 6-0 lead via two Jonny Wilkinson penalties.
There was no Wallaby defensive capitulation though, with George Smith finally living up to at least some of the hype, spoiling Lions' ball in the ruck in tandem with Toutai Kefu.
Matt Burke -- shipped in for goal-kicking duties after last week -- missed his first ambitious shot from the halfway line, but got the Wallabies back in the game with an elementary penalty on 20 minutes after a needless offside at the base of the scrum from Lions scrum-half Rob Howley, showing his impatience as Kefu kept the ball at his feet.
The Wallaby scrum also showed added steel after their abysmal performance last week, and held their own in the set piece, although in the loose, it was the constant battering-ram running of Scott Quinnell early on which punctured the defensive line time after time.
The Lions put their foot on the pedal after 25 minutes, and the result sent the vast Lions' contingent in to delirium, when Brian O'Driscoll's breath taking chip-and-chase down the right wing saw the ball worked back to Jonny Wilkinson on the Australia 22.
Wilkinson fired a precision crossfield kick right on top of right wing Andrew Walker near the try line, and Richard Hill's pressure on the Brumbies star forced a close lineout on the left flank for the Lions.
A typically Leicester-esque rolling maul saw the ball worked first left then right, and as the heap of bodies crossed the line, it was recalled openside Neil Back who emerged with the ball, excellent referee Jonathan Kaplan awarding the try, with Wilkinson slicing the wide conversion attempt.
George Gregan continued to test the Lions' defence around the fringes, and Australia narrowed the tourists' lead two minutes before the half-time whistle after a clothes-line tackle by Martin Johnson on Steve Larkham in midfield -- not a malicious stiff-arm, but still round the neck as Richard Hill clattered in to Larkham's ribs.
Wilkinson dropped a 45 metre penalty effort from way out on the left just short of the posts, before the hooter went for half-time with the Lions in front at 11-6.
The lead was instantly diminished as the game restarted, a careless miss pass by Wilkinson in the loose, snapped up by Joe Roff on the 22, with Roff beating Howley for pace and evading the challenge of O'Driscoll for the touchdown.
It took a video-referee decision to confirm the score, but after the brief wait, Burke had the chance to give the Wallabies the lead for the first time with the conversion attempt. He missed though, leaving the game on a knife edge at 11-11.
For the first time in the Test series, the Wallabies took the lead as Burke nailed a long penalty. Andrew Walker left the field looking groggy after a massive, but legal tackle from Robinson, with Chris Latham coming on for the former League flyer.
The Wallabies turned the screw as the Lions' gameplan went up in smoke, their discipline and cohesion seemingly evaporating as Kefu and Smith in the scrum conspired to wheel the Lions' put-in.
From the turnover, Gregan picked the ball up in midfield, shipping it to Larkham at pace on the left. With an overlap at their disposal, Larkham put in Roff. The Brumbies wing ran through the tackle of Dafydd James on the 22, stepping inside O'Driscoll for the try, converted by Burke as the Australian crowd finally made some noise.
A penalty miss from Wilkinson failed to reel-in the 21-11 deficit as Iain Balshaw replaced Perry at fullback for the Lions as they looked desperately for some kind of spark.
Owen Finegan gave the Lions a chance of points when once again he was on the wrong side of a ruck on the floor, presenting a penalty for Wilkinson outside the 22 which the Newcastle man made no mistake with, the Lions finally finding some forward momentum as the Wallaby lineout started to dominate, Giffin and skipper Eales both taking clean ball to set the platform.
Now at full tilt in both the forwards and backs, the Wallabies' quick recycling had the Lions on the ropes, with the knockout blow coming on 65 minutes, with phase after phase of swift ruck ball.
It was the break of Owen Finegan down the left wing near the 22 which did the damage, Henderson standing him up in the tackle, but giving him sufficient space to sneak out a basketball pass to Burke on the flank, with the fullback wriggling over the line for a try, but failing to hit the tough conversion attempt from the touchline.
A further Burke penalty put the game beyond the reach of the Lions, with Jonny Wilkinson's early exit through injury not cheering up their already miserable day, Neil Jenkins replacing him for the last five minutes.
Burke kicked two injury-time penalties to end proceedings, setting up a fitting climax to a dramatic series when the two sides clash at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Not a great evening for the Lions, in a game which saw Australia reveal their true colours with a physical and dominant 80 minutes, and demonstrated the tourists' failings under adversity.
The best of Britain and Ireland now have to draw on the positives, but after such a brutal dismantling, all the momentum lies with the impressive Wallabies.
Roll on Sydney.
Man of the match: Joe Roff. Harsh to deny contenders such as George Gregan, Owen Finegan and the sole standout for the Lions Scott Quinnell, but Roff finished the opportunities which came his way with pacy ruthlessness, burning off Dafydd James for the first, and showing brilliant support play for the second. Biarritz fans must be raising a glass of the finest chablis to his imminent arrival.
Moment of the match: Joe Roff's first try. It came immediately after the half-time break, and obliterated the Lions' lead. A foolish, misjudged lob pass from Wilkinson was sniffed out by Roff on the intercept, leaving Rob Howley for dead down the left flank for the touch down. From then on it was all Wallaby.
Villain of the match: Nathan Grey. Not a dirty game by any stretch, but Grey's challenge on Richard Hill in the first-half saw the Waratahs' centre catch Hill in the face, forcing the flanker to leave the field after an initial blood-bin period. Arguably a sin-binning offence, but more clumsy than brutal in the heat of battle. Steve Larkham took two uncalled for late challenges from Rob Henderson and Scott Quinnell, but neither had the effect of Grey's, drawing blood and leaving the Lions without one of their most effective back-row weapons.
The teams:
Australia: 1 Rod Moore, 2 Michael Foley, 3 Nic Stiles, 4 John Eales (c), 5 David Giffin, 6 Owen Finegan, 7 George Smith, 8 Toutai Kefu, 9 George Gregan, 10 Steve Larkham, 11 Joe Roff, 12 Nathan Grey, 13 Dan Herbert, 14 Andrew Walker, 15 Matthew Burke
Reserves: Brendan Cannon, Matt Cockbain, Elton Flatley, Chris Latham
Unused: Chris Whitaker, Ben Darwin, David Lyons
British Isles: 1 Phil Vickery, 2 Keith Wood, 3 Tom Smith, 4 Danny Grewcock, 5 Martin Johnson (c), 6 Neil Back, 7 Richard Hill, 8 Scott Quinnell, 9 Rob Howley, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 11 Jason Robinson, 12 Rob Henderson, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 14 Dafydd James, 15 Matt Perry
Reserves: Martin Corry, Matt Dawson, Jason Leonard, Iain Balshaw, Neil Jenkins
Unused: Dorian West, Martyn Williams
Referee: Kaplan j.
Points Scorers:
Australia
Tries: Burke M.C. 1, Roff J.W.C. 2
Conv: Burke M.C. 1
Pen K.: Burke M.C. 6
British Isles
Tries: Back N.A. 1
Pen K.: Wilkinson J.P. 3
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