Murray Mexted, a former All Blacks player, expressed relief that the British and Irish Lions opted for an Australian tour rather than facing New Zealand or South Africa in 2025. Despite clinching the series against the Wallabies with victories in the first two tests, Mexted was far from impressed, critiquing the Lions for their overall performance and dismissing their dominance as a fluke against an initially weak Australian side.
The Lions scraped a win in the second test thanks to a last-minute try by Hugo Keenan, but were denied a clean sweep as Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies rallied to win the third test. Mexted, speaking on the DSPN podcast, highlighted the mediocrity of the Lions, stating,
"Would you put any of those Lions players in a World XV? I’m saying no. Not one."
He argued that none of the Lions' players would qualify for a hypothetical World XV, pointing out their lack of standout talent.Mexted continued to criticize the quality of the Australian team at the start of the series but acknowledged their improvement,
"If you’re playing hard teams, really hard teams, competitively every week and they’re beating you, you either front up or you bugger off. And they fronted up big time."
According to Mexted, had the Lions toured New Zealand or South Africa, the outcome would have been drastically different, foreseeing a "bloody hiding" for the Lions. He scorned the notion of this Lions squad being one of the greatest, provoked by their narrow escape in Australia. His final thoughts reflected a broader satisfaction with the resurgence of the Wallabies, which he believes is crucial for the competitive balance in Southern Hemisphere rugby.
Mexted’s stark comments underscore a sentiment that the Lions were fortunate in their tour selection, avoiding the formidable rugby powers of New Zealand and South Africa, where their limitations would have been starkly exposed. His remarks not only challenge the Lions’ perceived superiority but also celebrate the spirited comeback of Australian rugby, setting the stage for more intense Southern Hemisphere contests.