Andy Farrell proud of Lions despite missing 3-0 whitewash

British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell has praised his squad for their effort and unity, despite falling short of a historic 3-0 series whitewash following a 22-12 loss to Australia in the third and final Test in Sydney.

The defeat came under challenging conditions at a rain-soaked Accor Stadium, where the match was halted for 35 minutes due to lightning.

The Lions, who had already sealed the series after victories in Brisbane and Melbourne, were aiming for a rare clean sweep, last achieved in 1974 against South Africa.

“We’re disappointed, yes, but we should be unbelievably proud of what we achieved as a group,” Farrell said after the game.

“How we got the job done last week in Melbourne will live with us forever. These lads have been an absolute dream to work with.”

The Lions struggled throughout the final Test, making repeated handling errors and failing to maintain momentum in the slippery conditions. Their set-piece execution, particularly at the lineout, also faltered under pressure from a resurgent Wallabies side.

Dan Sheehan, who took over captaincy duties after Maro Itoje was ruled out with a concussion in the first half, echoed Farrell’s sentiments but admitted the loss was painful.

“Our aim at the start of the tour was a 3-0 victory,” Sheehan said. “Fair play to the Wallabies. They came out firing tonight in extremely physical, tough conditions. What a series. Every game has been close.”

Farrell also acknowledged the turnaround in Australia’s performance after a shaky start to the series.

“Congratulations to Australia, they thoroughly deserved the win,” he said. “They played the conditions better than us and we overplayed at times, giving them that early lead which was hard to recover from.”