MELBOURNE -- That was an incredible Test match, one finished with another dagger blow to the hearts of Australian rugby by Irishman Hugo Keenan.
The British and Irish Lions on Saturday night wrapped up their first series victory since 2013, which came on their last visit to Australia, storming back from a 23-5 first-half deficit to sink the Wallabies 29-26 in front of 90,307 fans at the MCG.
This will not be a night any of those supporters forget in a hurry. The pain will linger for Australian rugby fans, likely for another 12 years at least, while for those in red it was complete ecstasy as Keenan finished off what was a gripping final Lions surge, one that rolled through 12 phases, by skipping outside Len Ikitau and over the line for the game's defining score with only 50 seconds to play.
But drama soon ensued, as the officials checked for illegal head contact on Wallabies replacement Carlo Tizzano. However, Italian referee Andrea Piardi held his nerve and came to the decision with his fellow officials that replacement Jac Morgan's clean-out was okay and that no foul play had taken place.
29-26, series over.
For Australia, this was a finish even more heartbreaking than the infamous time-wasting Bledisloe Cup call from 2022 across town at Marvel Stadium. On that occasion it was French referee Mathieu Raynal who awarded a free kick to the All Blacks after Bernard Foley had failed to take a penalty kick for touch within the Frenchman's desired timeframe.
Then Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was gobsmacked at the decision that night, and it's fair to say the man now at the helm of Australia, Joe Schmidt, was at the MCG on Saturday, too.
"You cannot hit someone above the level of the shoulders and there's no bind with the left arm, the hand's on the ground, so that's what we've seen and we've watched a number of replays from different angles," Schmidt said of the incident post-match. "And so it is what it is, we've just have to accept it."
Despite the late drama, this was a Test match befitting the occasion and the huge crowd that filled the greatest arena in Australian sport, and surely one of the best in the world.
Supporters in red and gold strolled down from the city throughout the evening, having filled Melbourne's pubs and clubs for the past few days. And they were treated to an exhilarating contest that was the rival of any of the countless iconic sporting events that have taken place inside the 'G.
There will have been few finishes like the one on Saturday night, the end result a brutal pill that will take some time for the Wallabies to swallow. When the outrage over the Morgan clean-out subsides, Australia's fans will reflect on the fact their team had worked their way into a winning position at 23-5, but simply couldn't finish the job.
Australia could add only three further points from the 29th minute onwards, with two missed conversions from Tom Lynagh coming back to bite the Wallabies.
In just his second run-on Test, the Wallabies No. 10 endured another difficult night that was highlighted by his knock-on that invited the Lions back into the contest just after the half-hour. Australia had enjoyed almost all the first-half play up until that point, save for another dubious try from Lions hooker Dan Sheehan, and played some of the best rugby of the Schmidt era full-stop.
But you couldn't fault the Lions' determination and execution, particularly at the death, as they outscored the Wallabies five tries to three and generally looked then more threatening team in attack for much of the match.
Lions skipper Maro Itoje, a worthy man-of-the-match, was heroic defensively, making 20 tackles and winning a vital second-half breakdown penalty. He was ably supported once more again by Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan, while the front-row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong all emptied the tank before they were replaced.
And the Lions got a great shift off the bench from their replacement front-row, the visitors dominating the second-half scrum contest completely. Andy Farrell's side became more dominant as the match went on, with their backline opening up the Wallabies with increasing regularity.
Each of Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Tommy Freeman, and Keenan all had moments when they threatened, while the Wallabies' Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and the usually-reliable Len Ikitau were exposed defensively.
Ikitau's miss on James Lowe, who was then able to put Beirne over for the Lions' fourth try on the hour mark, was particularly telling. The Australian will not enjoy the sight of his missed tackle at Monday's review.
Earlier, a huge crowd witnessed an exhilarating first half when it looked like Australia might kick out to an unassailable lead. The Wallabies started strongly, their go-forward in stark contrast to last week, which allowed Lynagh to kick them out to a 6-0 advantage.
But the Lions struck back, using their first bit of field position to ping the corner, and then work away through their forwards for the game's first try. That came from hooker Sheehan through slightly bizarre circumstances, the Irishman squeezing above, beneath and around Wallabies James Slipper and Dave Porecki to score the simplest of tries from a quick tap.
It didn't take long for the Wallabies to reassert their early dominance however, as they rolled through the phases inside the Lions' half. At the heart of their momentum were Rob Valetini and Will Skelton, both hugely missed in Brisbane, while Slipper and skipper Harry Wilson were also repeat ball carriers.
The pressure eventually told when Slipper dotted down from close range, the Lions suffering a double-blow with winger Tommy Freeman paying the price for his side's repeated infringements. That try came on 23 minutes, but the Wallabies would have two more with only a further eight minutes on the clock, Jake Gordon's darting effort coming after a sustained 17-phase build-up, the scrum-half cleverly using referee Piardi as an obstruction.
Then, from the kick-off, the Wallabies were in again. Knowing the Lions were stretched out wide, Australia moved the ball immediately after the restart, Suaalii making his biggest involvement of the series yet as he skipped back inside Aki on halfway and then found Tom Wright on his shoulder for an untouched run to the line.
At that point, the Wallabies fans inside the MCG were ecstatic. They may have, in fact, even thought the game was done. But it didn't take long for the mood to change, and the red army to be brought into the contest, as Lynagh spilled what was a regulation high ball and the Lions went onto the attack.
First it was Tom Curry who narrowed the margin to 13 points, the back-rower stepping back inside Gordon to score out wide, after some powerful carries in tight and the smart marshalling of Jamison Gibson-Park. While Russell's conversion was wide, the Lions were in again only three minutes later when they again rolled inside Australia's 22, and then saw Huw Jones slip between Tate McDermott and Jorgensen to snatch back the momentum entirely.
And things didn't really shift thereafter, with the Lions scoring two second-half tries through Beirne and then Keenan's match-winner, while all Australia could manage was a further Lynagh penalty.
And so the series moves to Sydney, where there is nothing for Australia to play for but pride, so too some badly-needed momentum ahead of the Rugby Championship. The Lions will enjoy themselves over the next few days, no doubt, but they will be motivated to complete a sweep of their Australian tour -- and heap further pain on the Wallabies and rugby Down Under.
Crestfallen at fulltime, the Wallabies reflected the mood of everyone in gold inside the MCG. They had done enough to win this game in a three-try, eight-minute first half blast while Freeman was in the bin. This should have been a lead they would never relinquish, just as it was for the Lions at 24-5 in Brisbane last week.
But they fell in a gigantic hole after the opening half hour and you always had the feeling the Lions were going to swallow them up. The fact they did in such late and dramatic fashion was salt into the wound of the Wallabies and a long-suffering Australian rugby public.
That won't worry the Lions fans one iota. Many of those who have travelled from the other side of the world hung around long after halftime, saluting their heroes before wandering back up to Flinders Street where the party will undoubtedly continue.
A party that will roll into Sydney next week without the stress of knowing that the series is still up for grabs. Itoje, Farrell and the rest of the touring Lions horde have written themselves into rugby history.