If those organising this year’s Lions tour to Australia had sat down and sketched out their dream second Test, it would not have been too far off what we saw at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The Lions have landed in the middle of the season for Australian Rules (AFL) and rugby league (NRL), both of which have a huge pull on Aussie hearts and minds, and there were a couple of thousand tickets left to sell in the last few days before Saturday’s first Lions Test at the 52,000-capacity Suncorp Stadium.

Lions tour - Reaction to the second test between the British and Irish Lions and Australia in Melbourne

Australia's Kaden Groves has won a stage at each of the grand tours after showing his skills in the wet to take the penultimate ride at the Tour de France.

Tadej Pogačar has closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely finishing the penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Kaden Groves won a rain-soaked stage 20 of the 2025 Tour de France on Saturday, attacking from the break with 17 kilometres remaining and soloing to victory in Pontarlier. It completes a Grand Tour trilogy for the Australian, who adds today’s stage win to seven in the Vuelta a Espana and two in the Giro d’Italia.