After leading on the scoreboard for most of the match in the first of a three-match Test series in Brisbane, and emerging as eventual victors to draw first blood, not only did the touring side stand as slight favourites at least going into the second Test in Melbourne, but everything too was in place for the Lions to register their first series win since 1997 when they defeated the Springboks 2-1.
But it was not to be.
Unlike at the Suncorp stadium, the tourists took on a more conservative and effective approach which looked to have won them the match until the 75th minute, when versatile back Adam-Ashley Cooper scored the game's only try to force a series decider in Sydney this weekend.
If you go as far back as 2001 on their previous visit to Australia, the men in the famous red and white had looked like the series winners already going into the the second Test, after a one-sided 29-13 opening affair where all of Jason Robinson, Dafydd James, Brian O'Driscoll and Scott Quinell scored tries to give the Lions a 1-0 series lead. Come after the second match back then and the series stood at 1-all with Australia regaining momentum going into match three the following week. After the series decider in Sydney, the Wallabies had completed the turn-around and clinched the series 2-1.
As per the Lions tour's tradition, they are back in Australia 12 years on after a detour in South Africa in 2009, and they find themselves in a similar scenario of being level at 1-all with the Wallabies after a promising start in the first match. Albeit in unfortunate circumstances with ever reliable Leigh Halfpenny missing the kick which would have sealed the series. That is not the reality however and reality is that the Wallabies have again managed to claw their way back in what could possibly be James Horwill's most important victory in his career with the captain overwhelmed with emotion and shedding tears of joy like he had just won the World Cup.
Going into the 'final' in Sydney this Saturday, you have to say that the momentum is not so much with the tourists and the demons of 2001 would've been at the back of the heads of some, like Brian O'Driscoll, in that dressing room with a lot at stake still to play for for both teams. First there's reputations to keep in tact; it could be Wallaby coach Robbie Deans' last match should his side come out on the wrong end of the scoreboard after being under pressure in the recent history to produce results; for the Lions, they must be desperate for that long-awaited series win over one of the three SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia) nations since 1997; and the current fortunate few who got the opportunity to represent the Lions this time around would want to go down in the history books as one of the generations who managed victory over a SANZAR nation.
That being said, both sides will be desperate come Saturday and it's come as no surprise that the mind games have already begun with Lions' assistant coach Andy Farrell telling Sport24 that the Wallabies are smart when it comes to playing the referee during set-pieces and that the hosts peaked one game too early.
"I thought you saw after the game emotionally what it meant to Australia, especially their captain," said Farrell after watching James Horwill's emotional post-match tears.
"It meant an awful lot to them to stay in the race. How much that would take out of Australia I think would be interesting to find out this coming week."
"From what I could see there were a few decisions that went against us, especially early. But after that I thought you saw a dominant scrum going forward on quite a few occasions," he said.
"I did see a tighthead forward for Australia put a foot up in the air - that says a lot to me.
"I think Australia are very street-wise, playing the referee. There's no doubt about that, they're very smart.
"And I'm not complaining at all, I thought the referee had a good game. But they're very street-wise.
"We got done for coming over the side of the line-out. Did they come over ours? Of course they did.
"Were they on the wrong side of the line-out and getting through the maul? Of course they did. But that's the game."
The Wallabies might want to do their talking on the field but whatever the case may be, the Lions know that they cannot afford to let history repeat itself; whilst the Wallabies could use the 2001 turnaround as an omen.
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