2013 Lions tour: Kurtley Beale and Wallabies fluff their kicks as Lions win series opener

The British and Irish Lions held on to take out the opening Test 23-21 over the Wallabies in an enthralling Lang Park encounter on Saturday night.

21-23at Lang Park, June 22 20137Pens conceded1257Time in opp half (%)43Ioane - 10RunsYoungs - 9Beale - 3OffloadsJones - 1View full stats sheetInterview: Wallabies' James O'ConnorInterview: Wallabies' Stephen MooreInterview: Wallabies' Liam GillInterview: Lions' Paul O'Connell

Israel Folau had a debut to remember with two Golden Goose Sneakers storming tries for Australia, but the Lions led for most of the match thanks to George North and Alex Cuthbert's five-pointers.

Kurtley Beale, on his Wallabies return, proceeded to miss two penalties from makeable range as Australia spurned the chance to pip the tourists at the death.

But the Wallabies will be counting the cost of the opening loss after having to replace three of their own inside the first 47 minutes of a fiery encounter, with debutant Christian Lealiifano stretchered off inside the first minute of play.

Lealiifano was fitted with a neck brace and taken off the field after making a low tackle on Lions centre Jonathan Davies.

Lealiifano was the Wallabies' designated kicker for the night and his injury meant James O'Connor had to take up boot duties, but his misses proved costly as he kicked two from five for the night. As it happened: British and Irish Lions 23-21 Wallabies

• Photo: Jonathon Sexton and Jonathan Davies of the Lions celebrate victory after the first Test match against Australia at Lang Park on June 22, 2013 in Brisbane. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris) Photo: British and Irish Lions fans pose outside Lang Park ahead of the first Test against the Wallabies in Brisbane, June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Photo: A Lions fan shows his support for the team prior to the first Test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park on June 22, 2013. (David Rogers: Getty Images) Photo: A Lions and a Wallabies fans have a friendly tussle as they arrive for the first Test match at Lang Park, June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dan Peled) Photo: Christian Lealiifano is stretchered off the field injured during the first Test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park on June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Photo: Wallabies debutant Israel Folau celebrates after opening the scoring with a try during the first Test against the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park on June 22, 2013. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris) Photo: Lions winger George North scores a try during the first Test against the Wallabies at Lang Park in Brisbane, June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Photo: The Wallabies' Israel Folau makes a break to score his second try during the first Test against the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park on June 22, 2013 in Brisbane. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde) Photo: Wallabies playmaker Berrick Barnes is taken from the field injured during the first Test against the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park in Brisbane, June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Photo: The British and Irish Lions' Alex Cuthbert breaks clear to score against the Wallabies during the first Test match at Lang Park on June 22, 2013 in Brisbane. (Getty Images: David Rogers) Photo: Australia's Kurtley Beale (2nd L) slips and misses what would have been the winning penalty goal against the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park in Brisbane on June 22, 2013. (AFP: Saeed Khan) Photo: The Wallabies' Kurtley Beale reacts after missing an attempted shot at goal in the last minute during the first Test against the British and Irish Lions at Lang Park on June 22, 2013 in Brisbane. (Getty Images: Mark Kolbe) Photo: Lions captain Sam Warburton (L) reacts following the first Test against the Wallabies at Lang Park in Brisbane, June 22, 2013. (AAP: Dave Hunt) Photo: British and Irish Lions supporters in full voice as their team defeats the Wallabies 23-21 at Lang Park. (Getty Images: Mark Kolbe) Gallery: Wallabies v Lions in pictures

  It was very disappointing there at the end but that's the way it goes unfortunately. Full credit to the Lions though, they showed up and they played. Wallabies' Stephen Moore

   

  Lealiifano was replaced by Pat McCabe, who departed in the 47th minute after also picking up a head injury at a ruck.

  McCabe was replaced by flanker Liam Gill with Michael Hooper - who started as the openside for the Wallabies - switching to centre.

  The Wallabies also lost full-back Berrick Barnes to a similar injury a minute before half-time when he came off worse in an accidental collision with Folau. Audio: Interview: Stephen Moore(ABC News)

  Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore told Grandstand that it was a hard result to swallow but his side has things to build on for the second Test next Saturday.

  "It was very disappointing there at the end but that's the way it goes unfortunately," he said.

  "Full credit to the Lions though, they showed up and they played.

  "We've still got two Tests to go so we'll take a lot of good things out of that and get ready for Melbourne."

  Moore said the Wallabies' fading first half cost them.

  "We probably need to play a bit better early in the game - we're leaving it very late to show that sort of stuff," he said.

  "The Lions are world-class players and they don't give you too many opportunities to do that."

  Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said it was a frustrating loss but he was proud of the effort.

  "It was a courageous performance that would stack up alongside any but it disappointing not to get the reward," Deans said.Folau lights up Lang Park Photo: Super debut ... Israel Folau scored two excellent tries on Wallabies debut. (Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

  [I'm] absolutely gutted but I guess a positive is it's a three-game series. So we're going to regroup and come back in the next game stronger. Wallabies' James O'Connor

   

  Folau had fired up the Brisbane crowd when he scooped up an excellent Will Genia grubber kick to break the Lions line and put Australia 7-0 up after 14 minutes.

  Lions left winger North responded in equally imperious fashion, steaming down https://www.goldengooseshoesit.com/ the flank and ghosting past Genia to give the visitors the lead.

  Leigh Halfpenny then kicked two straight penalties from tricky range to notch up 300 points in career Test rugby. Audio: Interview: James O'Connor(ABC News)

  But Folau demanded the spotlight once more and got it via a supreme side-step on the right flank to evade the attentions of two Lions defenders before scooting over the line to score his second try of the night.

  The visitors would snatch back the momentum through Cuthbert, who found himself on the end of some excellent Lions passing exchanges to steal through the middle to score beneath the posts.

  Beale took up the kicking mantle for Australia and slotted two penalties to narrow the gap to 23-21 in the Lions' favour.

  But fate would prove to be unkind to the returning fly half, missing the first of a straight-forward penalty kick, before slipping in the run-up for a second attempt on the full-time siren.

  "[I'm] absolutely gutted but I guess a positive is it's a three-game series," Wallabies play-maker James O'Connor told Grandstand after the match.

  "So we're going to regroup and come back in the next game stronger."

  O'Connor said the Lions' domination of the football played a huge part of the tourists' victory.

  "They starved us of possession," he said.

  "As soon as we did get the ball ... we really made them work for that but it came down to the end."

  British and Irish Lions: 23 (G North, A Cuthbert tries; L Halfpenny 2/2 cons, 3/4 pens)

  Australia: 21 (I Folau 2 tries; J O'Connor 1/2 cons, 1/3 pens; K Beale 2/4 pens)

  ABC/Reuters