Twelve years in the making and it took all of 12 seconds for the most obvious clue as to which way the first Test was going to pan out. From the moment Tom Curry thundered into James Slipper – the only surviving Wallaby from the 2013 tour – with a bone-crunching tackle, Australia were on notice. The Lions had picked the most powerful pack they could, and no one typified that more than Curry.
Curry's selection at openside had meant no place for Jac Morgan, the only Welsh member of the squad, prompting criticism that his twin brother Ben described as “gobsmacking”. Here, however, was a performance of ferocious intensity, a two-fingered salute to the critics, and a reminder that class is permanent. Alongside him, Tadhg Beirne finished as the match's top tackler, made trademark turnovers, pinched lineouts and justified his selection. It was Beirne who made the turnover after Curry had rattled Slipper so soon after the opening whistle.
If Beirne was using all his street smarts, Curry was simply smashing things. He walloped into Max Jorgensen after 16 minutes, Fraser McReight two minutes later, and scored a try from close range in typically abrasive style in the 36th minute. Just before half-time he blasted into Lynagh, tackling him in the air and conceding a penalty – lucky to avoid a yellow card but further evidence of how suffocating he was for the Wallabies. A beaming grin at half-time said it all.
Curry has endured a trying time in recent years, speaking at the start of the season about a debilitating hip injury that nearly forced early retirement. He knows he will need surgery again on his hip and is also carrying a wrist injury that requires surgery, but he is evidently determined to seize every moment. His influence was clear: 16 of Australia's points came after he had been replaced by Ben Earl in the 57th minute.
Andy Farrell said: “I read all that, it was interesting, wasn't it? Immense, absolutely immense, big-game players. Tom Curry put in the shot defensively and Tadhg Beirne got the turnover. It set the tone and I don't think it stopped there.” Sione Tuipulotu added: “I just thought that Tom and Tadhg Beirne, those players, as a group we know what they're about. In big games they perform when it counts. I thought Tom was amazing today, he's a joy to play with. He always looks so sore when he's running around, he always looks in pain but he just keeps going. Testament to him. The same with Tadhg Beirne, they're two warriors of the game and they were a big reason why we won.”
