Andy Farrell pleased with the Lions after win but warns Australia will respond

Andy Farrell braced his British and Irish Lions for the backlash coming from Australia following a 27-19 triumph that has placed them on the brink of a series victory.

The Lions head to Melbourne for the second Test knowing they have the beating of the Wallabies after dominating the Suncorp Stadium opener for 50 minutes with Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Curry and Dan Sheehan touching down.

But Australia were far more competitive in the final half-hour to give them hope of levelling the series and Farrell evoked memories of 2013 to guard against any complacency from his players.

Twelve years ago Warren Gatland’s team took a 1-0 lead in the series by winning in Brisbane only to lose the second Test in Melbourne. They then clinched the Sydney decider.

“We do take encouragement from the display, but at the same time we know what is coming,” head coach Farrell said.

“We know what happened in the second half here and we roll into the second game knowing full well what happened in 2013.

“When an Australia team becomes desperate, it is difficult to handle, so we expect a different game next weekend.

“Not only was this Australia’s second game and they’ll be much better because of that, but also because of what it means to them and how proud they are. It’ll mean the world to them.

“We need to make sure we are ready for them to be at their best. It will take a better performance than what we’ve shown here to make sure we get a win next week.”

At the heart of the Lions’ forward dominance stood flankers Curry and Tadhg Beirne, who were forces of nature at the breakdown and in contact.

Neither player had excelled during the previous tour fixtures and were picked for the first Test because of their big-game temperaments, resulting in criticism