Gregan's blow for the little big men

A classic it was not, but for drama and nail-biting tension, Stadium Australia was the place to be on Saturday evening. The nerve-endings were almost visibly exposed during the untidy opening exchanges, and understandably so in the deciding Test match of a series which has meant so much to both teams.

Line-out turnovers were the norm, only exceeded by the loss of possession in the tackle area. Even the goal- kicking of Matt Burke and Jonny Wilkinson was found wanting, both missing what normally would have been sitters for them.

Wilkinson, to his credit, led the home charge, skipping over for a sharp try. It was remarkable that he made the match in the first place, recuperating in Lazarus-like fashion following his serious-looking injury at Melbourne. It was a good job he made it, as he was pivotal in the Lions effort, which seemed to rely on individuality rather than cohesive team play. The only group effort emanated from the driving maul and the line-out, which could not be relied upon, as Justin Harrison played havoc with the Lions throw-in.

In contrast, Australia developed phases of play, moving four times or more across the field and proving they are kings of the art of ball retention. To achieve this they rely on the powerful thrusts and upper-body strength of both forwards and backs, committing tacklers and ensuring the controlled lay-back of the ball.

Each of the Aussies is more than proficient in this skill, but the only gold-jerseyed player who was hardly ever caught in a tackle was their magical scrum-half and future captain, George Gregan. He has taken the role of scrum-half to new heights, being fiercely and sternly competitive and calling all the shots. His generalship is unique in modern-day rugby, as he directs the line of attack, continually rifling or easing passes off both hands to charging colleagues who are better placed than himself. He has proved himself as the world's leading half-back, and will be ready to assume the captaincy mantle when the great second-row John Eales retires, probably later this year.

Pint-size in stature but colossal in his impact and influence on a game, Gregan orchestrated this series win for the Wallabies, by cajoling and coaxing his support runners, creating a forward momentum that ultimately proved just too demanding for the Lions.

Gregan is not a scintillating line-breaker, and in fact he has run very little in this series – apart from the show, that is. There was no need for him to make breaks, as that would have taken him out of the game when tackled. Instead he was content to supply the ammunition for the Aussie cavalry to use, and to wear down the Lions defence and claim the decisive infringements that led to Burke's late strikes.

In a game bereft of true genius yesterday, Gregan approached those heights on occasions, and it was his reverse ball, followed by a flat outside pass, which opened the way for Daniel Herbert's opening try.

A great end to what was a tumultuous series. The physicality of the contests was there to see, but how reassuring to note that the diminutive half-back George Gregan swayed the final outcome.