British and Irish Lions series player ratings: Who starred for tourists?

The British and Irish Lions tour of Australia this summer is done and dusted, with the tourists sealing a 2-1 series victory.

Despite a somewhat deflating third Test defeat in Sydney, Andy Farrell’s charges were utterly dominant in a first Test success in Brisbane and then fought from 18 points behind in the second Test to win an all-time Lions classic in Melbourne.

Here’s how we rated the Lions players following a gripping three-Test series…

Full-backs: Hugo Keenan (8), Blair Kinghorn (6)

The last line of defence for the Lions this summer proved something of a poison chalice for a long period.

Ireland’s Hugo Keenan arrived on tour injured and then became violently ill, losing almost a stone in weight while missing the first three games.

He returned to face the Waratahs where he performed far below his best, but slowly regained form to play a stunning role as the hero in second Test victory, scoring the last-gasp winning try in what will go down as a classic moment. He was one of few players who performed well in third-Test defeat too. 8/10

Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn was arguably the favourite to start at full-back before this tour, but he arrived late due to playing for Toulouse on their run to Top 14 victory, struggled in his first start on the wing, and then injured his knee early into his first start at full-back, ruling himself out of the first Test.

He battled back to earn a bench spot in the second Test, coming on to good effect on the wing, and then started the third Test on the wing also with Keenan in situ, struggling to perform. A strange tour for the 28-year-old individually. 6/10

One last man worthy of comment at full-back – though he was back in England by the time of the Tests – is Elliot Daly. With Keenan and Kinghorn missing, Daly was one the standout Lions players on tour before dreadful luck in suffering a broken forearm. The fact he got injured in a game he was not even originally included in – Keenan pulled out ill – is all the more unfortunate.

Wings: Tommy Freeman (6), James Lowe (6), Blair Kinghorn (6)

The area of weakest performance for the Lions on this tour in the Tests came at wing, despite Farrell deploying two extremely talented players in Tommy Freeman and James Lowe.

Neither scored tries or played to anywhere near their maximum, with Lowe dropped entirely for the third Test for Kinghorn, and Freeman departing in the first half of that game injured. 6/10

Lowe picked up a nice assist at the MCG for Tadhg Beirne’s try, while Freeman’s carry in the same game – after returning from a sin-bin due to repeat team offences – was pivotal ahead of Tom Curry’s score, but there were few highlights really.

If Mack Hansen had been fit and Duhan van der Merwe had performed better defensively and in terms of his ball skills in the tour games, Farrell likely would have made further changes.

Centres: Huw Jones (7), Bundee Aki (6), Sione Tuipulotu (7), Garry Ringrose (5), Owen Farrell (5)

The only centre to start all three Tests was Scotland’s Huw Jones, despite being dropped internally for the second Test before Garry Ringrose ruled himself out.

Jones scored a crucial try in second Test victory, and was then forced to do a job out on the wing in the third Test when Freeman went off. He can be proud of his efforts. 7/10

Bundee Aki came off the bench to provide impact in the first Test and played well in the second despite one defensive lapse, but he had one of the worst performances of his career in the third Test, which knocks him down a point over the series. 6/10

Sione Tuipulotu may well come away from this tour a frustrated man. He started the first Test alongside Jones and performed very well, scoring a try off a wonder Finn Russell pass, but was then dropped by Farrell for Aki in Tests two and three, failing to make either squad. Couldn’t have done much more than he did. 7/10

Is there a more unlucky Lion than Garry Ringrose? He played well enough in the tour games to be the form outside-centre, but missed the opening Test due to concussion. He returned to face First Nations & Pasifika, was picked by Farrell for the second Test, but then bravely withdrew himself due to a recurrence of concussive symptoms, which in turn caused him to miss the third Test too. Cursed. 5/10

Owen Farrell didn’t play a minute of the series at fly-half, so we’re regarding him as a centre. He wasn’t in the first Test squad, came off the bench in the second Test to provide a decent if limited impact, and came on at centre in the third where he did not play well. 5/10

Half-backs: Finn Russell (9), Jamison Gibson-Park (8), Marcus Smith (6), Alex Mitchell (5)

One of the Lions’ key men this summer was fly-half Finn Russell, who was utterly brilliant at times in the 10 shirt. So much so the Lions front-of-shirt sponsor Howden named him their Player of the Series.

With the Lions coasting to first Test victory – in large part due to his magic with the ball – Russell was subbed off and protected in the second half. He then played until the end in both the second and third Tests. The best Lions back on tour and one of the best in his position in the world. 9/10

Beside Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park clearly established himself as the No 1 scrum-half. The nine’s speed of service and intelligence was a major reason behind the Lions’ record 18-point comeback victory in the second Test in Melbourne. A superb operator. 8/10

Elsewhere, Alex Mitchell saw virtually no Test action with Gibson-Park firmly in control, while Marcus Smith came on to kick a penalty in the first Test with Russell off, but failed to make either second or third Test squads.

Front-row: Andrew Porter (6.5), Ellis Genge (8), Dan Sheehan (8), Ronan Kelleher (6), Tadhg Furlong (7.5), Will Stuart (7).

Andrew Porter arrived in Australia as one of Ireland’s premier players, but the loosehead departs the tour second-best in terms of performance to England’s Ellis Genge.

Porter lost out on a starting place in the first Test, and though he swapped roles with Genge to start the second and third Tests to favour the Englishman’s bench impact, he was whipped off during the lightning delay of the third Test after being dominated in the scrum by Taniela Tupou. 6.5/10

Ellis Genge enjoyed a fantastic tour for the Lions. The best player on the park against Argentina in Dublin before they set off, he maintained that standard, carrying magnificently well and scrummaging brilliantly too. Stood out in the first Test as the Lions dominated, emerged off the bench to contribute to a record comeback win in the second, and came on early in the third to shore up the scrum. 8/10

Another of the Lions’ leading lights this summer was hooker Dan Sheehan, who has now firmly placed himself in the conversation for one of the best rugby players in the world.

Sheehan carries with the power of a forward but pace of a back, his set-piece lineout delivery is spot on and he is a try-scoring machine. He scored in both victorious Tests. 8/10

Ronan Kelleher very much played second fiddle to Sheehan in the Test series, and was fortunate to maintain his place in the second Test squad after a poor lineout performance off the bench in the opener. Were Luke Cowan-Dickie fit, he would likely have been dropped. 6/10

At tighthead, Tadhg Furlong put recent injury struggles behind him to return to somewhere near his best, if just shy of it.

The big prop remains a fantastic rugby player, blessed with soft hands, tough carries and rock-solid scrummaging. Having started in all three Tests against the Wallabies, Furlong has now started nine successive Lions Tests at No 3 since 2017. Remarkable. 7.5/10

England’s Will Stuart won the battle against Finlay Bealham to make the bench for each of the three Tests, coming on for solid showings behind Furlong. The Bath man looked to have lost the game with a silly penalty in the Australia 22 during the second Test, but then made the key carry to put the Lions back there before last-minute glory. Scored a consolation try in third Test. 7/10

Locks: Maro Itoje (8), Joe McCarthy (7), Ollie Chessum (6), James Ryan (7).

The only constant at lock for the series was Lions captain Maro Itoje, who ended up partnering three different players. The skipper can be proud of his performances and the way he led the side, calling the lineout very well too. His absence in the third Test after failing a first-half HIA was significant. 8/10

Joe McCarthy was one of the form players on tour, earning a first-Test start. Though his physicality shone through, a plantar fascia foot injury robbed him of further action in Tests two and three. 7/10

Ollie Chessum began the first Test on the bench, showing physicality and dynamism when coming on, and started the second with McCarthy out. James Ryan then outshone him off the bench at the MCG to steal the starting place. 6/10

James Ryan struggled for form and big moments on tour, missing out on the first Test squad entirely. McCarthy’s injury paved the way for him to earn a replacements spot in Melbourne, and he was fantastic off the bench in that stunning victory. He was so good he was promoted to start the third Test, but only lasted 43 minutes due to a sickening blow to his head. 7/10

Back-row: Tadhg Beirne (9), Tom Curry (9), Jack Conan (7.5), Jac Morgan (7), Ben Earl (6).

The official Player of the Series went to Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne, who answered his critics and then some.

The 33-year-old had failed to light up Australia in the tour games despite captaining the Lions twice, but Farrell backed him to start the first Test and Beirne responded in spades. Player of the match in the first Test, he was electric again in the second, scoring a magnificent try in the corner up against three defenders. A constant breakdown and lineout nuisance for Australia, Beirne is a big moments player. 9/10

If there were question marks about Beirne’s selection in the first Test, there were perhaps louder protests regarding Tom Curry‘s inclusion over the likes of Jac Morgan, Josh van der Flier and Henry Pollock. The openside shut them up quickly with a pair of stunning performances in Tests one and two, scoring tries in both. A “machine” as Farrell says, and one of the best players on tour. 9/10

Alongside Beirne and Curry in the back-row for all three Tests was No 8 Jack Conan, who may have stood out less but provided a ball-carrying consistency of excellence from behind the scrum. Brilliant player. 7.5/10

The two back-row bench spots during the series were filled by Wales’ Jac Morgan and England’s Ben Earl. Morgan was sensationally left out of the first squad as the Lions named a Test group without a single Welshman for the first time since 1896, but then earned his place on the bench in the second at the MCG.

In Melbourne, he came on to make a superb impact which included that vital – and highly talked about – breakdown clear-out of Carlo Tizzano prior to Keenan’s winner. He came off the bench to score a try in third Test. 7/10

Ben Earl‘s bench impact during the tour games saw him wrestle a Test squad place to himself for the opener in Brisbane, but he was then cut for Melbourne. He returned as a replacement alongside Morgan in Sydney, but his impact was fairly muted. 6/10

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