Boisterous Red Army drowns in a sea of gold

By WYNNE GRAY in Sydney

Wallabies 29 Lions 23

About 84,000 people packed Stadium Australia and a similar number clogged Sydney's inner-city pubs hollering at large television screens as the Wallabies and Lions went to battle.

It was an occasion unmatched in New Zealand rugby history as Sydney churned over the significance of the series.

While barbs flew between the protagonists, the Australian economy soaked up an estimated $A200 million ($249 million) put through the tills by the hoards of tourists who have followed the great trek.

In the last few days, queues at David Campese's clothing shop in the Rocks area waited for hours as the former Wallaby tended the till and signed autographs.

Along with their money, they brought their passion, their singing and their own form of tribalism as they went to square off with the Wallaby supporters on Saturday night.

Clad in their red tour jerseys and draped in flags, hats and scarves, they were a monstrous mobile billboard.

Dotted through the visitors were Lions legends such as Fran Cotton and Bill Beaumont, who had come to cheer on their men to what they hoped would be a series win.

The boisterous revelry matched the atmosphere of the last World Cup final in Cardiff. Indeed, it often seemed we were in that city as lilting accents from Camarthen and Porthcawl broke the Australian banter.

The Welsh accents were matched by those of the kilted Scots, sturdy English and irrepressible Irish as the Red Army raged against the Colonials.

It was the clash of the "know what I mean" culture and the "no worries, mate" way of life of the laconic Ockers.

It was the climax of the tour, the game to decide the series and the Tom Richards Cup, named in memory of the First World War hero who played for the Wallabies and Lions.

In the end all that glistened was gold ... again ... for the Wallabies.

Before the kickoff the acrid smell of gunpowder swirled through the stadium, after an opening Ring of Flame performance to match the orchestrated Ring of Gold seating.

Showers of gold flakes descended from the stadium roofs whenever the Wallabies scored - silencing the vociferous Barmy Army housed at either end of the stadium.

For the first time in their history, the Lions would leave Australia as the vanquished.

The Wallabies had toughed it out to win 29-23 in a gargantuan, grind-it-out slugfest - a brutal match played often on the margins, but without spite.

It was not always rugby of the highest quality, but it was sport played under the most extreme pressure, and once more the Wallabies had been the most composed side.

Rod Macqueen's four-year tenure was over.

Since he took over in 1997, the Wallabies have won 34 and drawn one of their 43 tests.

"It's bloody good to be an Australian," Macqueen said in a brief farewell public speech.

After being badly beaten in Brisbane, the Wallabies had fought back to beat the Lions and add the Tom Richards Cup to a trophy room bulging with every other significant piece of silverware in world rugby.

On balance, the Wallabies deserved to win and could thumb their noses at the sort of indecent personal attacks the belatedly unfit Austin Healey delivered on the eve of the decider.

As one of his targets, debut lock Justin Harrison, said: "Austin Healey, what a great competitor he is. He couldn't even make it on the field. What a big hero. I got the points tonight and he didn't. He can come back in 12 years and try again.

"I can think about the game I played and he can think about the game he should have played."