So much for the Lions turning into Wales. Tries by an Englishman, born in the United States, and an Irishman set the tourists on course for their first series victory since 1997, a 16-year itch scratched emphatically.
What had been a close series turned into something of a rout. Australia's old failing at the scrum came back to plague them – they conceded seven free-kicks/penalties at the set piece, which cost them 19 points and a prop to the sin-bin.
Leigh Halfpenny was named man of the match, not so much for his 21 points but for his attacking flair, which set up two tries in the second half, and for his defence, which denied Australia two tries at the point just after the interval when they were threatening to take the lead.
Will Genia kept Australia in the first Test and helped win the second, but he will not have made a more egregious mistake in his career than he did five seconds in. The Lions have not wasted time on elaborate restarts this tour and Jonathan Sexton's kick-off landed five metres inside the Wallabies' 22 with no danger of a chaser inconveniencing the catcher.
Genia seemed bemused at the ordinariness of the kick, dithering whether to go for it. He decided not to, changed his mind and knocked on to give the Lions an attacking scrum. They would have prayed to the rugby gods all week for such an opportunity with the Frenchman Romain Poite holding the whistle.
The first scrum is a litmus test in a match refereed by the former policeman. If he awards a free-kick or a penalty at it, and he invariably does, the pack on the wrong side of his law had better watch out. It became a long opening half for the Wallaby front row: rarely has a knock-on been so expensive.
They conceded a free-kick for early engagement and the Lions took it quickly, getting their big ball-carriers into the game immediately. Alun Wyn Jones led by example, charging for the line and, when he was held up, Alex Corbisiero, who had missed the second Test through injury, stepped out of Benn Robinson's tackle and touched down under the posts to give Halfpenny his least taxing kick of the series.
Genia was tackled by Sean O'Brien and Alun Wyn Jones as he looked to make up for his howler. Australia were reeling, but not as much as their recalled flanker George Smith after he was stopped by a head-first challenge by Richard Hibbard, who got up immediately.
Smith left the field wobbly-legged, his return after nearly four years seemingly destined to last four minutes as he headed for a concussion inspection, but he was back on within five minutes. The Wallabies were by then 10 points down, Halfpenny kicking a penalty from the range he missed in the final minute in Melbourne when Joe Tomane held on after being tackled by Dan Lydiate.
It was a decision that showed how referees have a material influence: two week ago, Chris Pollock would have penalised Lydiate for not releasing the ball immediately, but it was at the scrum where Australia were suffering. They conceded two free-kicks and three penalties at the set-piece, costing them nine points and the right-head Ben Alexander, who was sent to the sin-bin after 25 minutes for bringing down a scrum for the second time.
The Lions' supporters, for the first time this series, were vastly outnumbered in the 83,702 crowd but made themselves heard as the Lions went 19-3 up after 25 minutes, Christian Leali'ifano's penalty the Wallabies' only response. Their inability in the scrum cost them position as well as possession and points and they struggled to muster an attack.
Jonathan Davies, controversially selected ahead of Brian O'Driscoll, justified his place in defence and attack, showing the Lions were not all about brawn and muscle, not that the tourists were averse to the direct route: one move lasted 27 phases and earned them a few metres, but they were sucking the energy out of the Wallabies by forcing them to make tackles: Mike Phillips was quiet on his recall, but Toby Faletau, O'Brien and Jamie Roberts made dent after dent.
Australia, as they do, kept going and were rewarded at the end of the half with a try – from a scrum! James O'Connor is not a popular choice here at fly-half but he jinked away from Sexton and out of O'Brien's challenge, giving him a momentum Phillips could not halt.
The 19-10 interval score flattered the Wallabies but within five minutes of the restart they were three points away from the Lions with Leali'ifano punishing two breakdown offences. Australian players were urging Poite to reach for his yellow card; had he, there might have been a comeback but the Lions went back on the attack, won a penalty, as a scrum used to be called, after Robinson bucked under pressure from Adam Jones and it was 22-16 with 30 minutes to go.
It was the period when Australia were confident they would prevail if they were still in contention. They had their moment, Kurtley Beale denied after a chip[ and chase by Halfpenny, but when the Wallabies recovered the ball in the tourists' 22, Faletau forced a turnover, Sexton chipped upfield and O'Connor's tackle on North was poor.
Davies was tackled into touch, but the Lions were soon back in possession. Halfpenny has been muted as an attacking force this tour, as he has for Wales in the past couple of seasons, but he sealed the series with two breaks in eight minutes, the first freeing Sexton and the second sending in North.
Roberts added a fourth try through weak tackling to complete what was a rout, the furore over the omission of O'Driscoll lost in the roar of the crowd.
Australia Beale, Folau (Mogg 28), Ashley-Cooper, Leali'ifano, Tomane, O'Connor, Genia (Phipps 70), Robinson (Slipper 67), Moore (Fainga'a 73), Alexander (Kepu 35), Douglas (Simmons 63), Horwill, Mowen, Smith (Hooper 67), Palu (McCalman 61). Tries O'Connor. Cons: Lealiifano.Pens Lealiifano 3. Sin-bin Alexander (25).
British & Irish Lions: Halfpenny, Bowe, Davies, Roberts (Tuilagi 70), North, Sexton (Farrell 64), Phillips (Murray 53), Corbisiero (Vunipola 68), Hibbard (T Youngs 48), Adam Jones (Cole 56), Alun Wyn Jones, Parling (Gray 68), Lydiate, O'Brien (Tipuric 61), Faletau. Tries Corbisiero, Sexton, North, Roberts. Cons Halfpenny 3. Pens Halfpenny 5.
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