SUCKER PUNCH!

'Bittersweet' as it rains on Maro's parade

- FROM ADAM HATHAWAY

ANDY FARRELL'S hope of whitewashing the Wallabies was swept away in a storm in Sydney, as the British & Irish Lions lost their unbeaten record Down Under.

On a dramatic night, play was suspended for nearly 40 minutes just after the break because of lightning strikes nearby.

And bad luck had already struck the tourists three times before that with skipper Maro Itoje (right), wing Tommy Freeman (left) and lock James Ryan all out of the game before the 42-minute mark.

With the carnage and positional reshuffles, the Lions were blown away in the downpour.

Player of the Series Tadhg Beirne said: “It’s a bittersweet moment. It's a class moment we've won the series, but we've lost tonight... we'll get over it.”

The Lions manned up, but were outscored by three tries to two and the Wallabies, so close to winning in Melbourne last week, must now be thinking of what might have been.

The lightning break came with the Australians 8-0 in front. They rained on the Lions parade good and proper after the restart.