Andy Farrell will have been left “fuming” with the British and Irish Lions’ performance but delighted with the result after they seized control of the Test series against Australia, according to Ronan O’Gara.

Billed as strong favourites heading into the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, the Lions dismantled the Wallabies in a 27-19 victory.

Despite fireworks early on, the Lions’ play became increasingly ragged in the final half-hour, allowing Australia to make the scoreline more respectable – and, perhaps crucially, to salvage some hope ahead of next Saturday’s decisive second Test in Melbourne.

With the Lions now just one win away from clinching the series with a game to spare, O’Gara believes head coach Farrell will be pleased to have clear areas for improvement.

“The greatest mystery for me was that there was eight points between the teams,” three-time Lions fly-half O’Gara told Sky Sports. “There was fight in the dog of Australia, but with a little more accuracy, the Lions put away the tries to kill the game.

“Secretly, Andy Farrell will be fuming with the performance but delighted with the result. It’s a fantastic situation for him to be in.

“After a performance like that, you can go hard at the players because you’ve got what you want with the big win, but you can also highlight where the team needs to grow.

“The word that will be plastered around Lions team rooms will be ‘ruthlessness’. As a coach, you bore players with that on a Monday – how to be ruthless, how to keep your foot on their throat, what to do in pressure moments.”

‘Gulf in class’

O’Gara believes the Lions could even threaten to surpass their record Test victory – 46-0 against Argentina in 1927 – if they fully exploit the disparity in quality between the two squads.

“The big difference between the teams is the strength of the spine – hooker, No 8, scrum-half, fly-half, full-back,” O’Gara added. “That spine for the Lions is far superior to what the Wallabies have.

“The strength of James Lowe, the passing range of Finn Russell, the performance of the back row – there’s a real gulf in class between the two sides.

“I’m not stretching the imagination, but it could easily be a 40-point difference at the MCG. That’s not to disrespect the Australian team – the Lions are blessed with some unbelievably good rugby players.”

‘Situation Lions have never seen in 125 years’

Will Greenwood says he and fellow former Lions are still processing the nature of the opening-Test win in Brisbane – a result and performance that defied historical norms.

“I was just talking to Martin Johnson and Jamie Roberts,” the three-time Lions tourist said. “There’s a strange feeling because we’re not used to winning Lions Test matches comfortably.

“They were like: ‘did we just win that comfortably, without playing our best?’

“The players will be elated but it left a slightly flat feeling. The players know they can get better, yet they are already 1-0 up. It’s not a situation Lions are used to.

“We’ve won 1-0 and we’ve got loads more to go. The Lions have never been in that situation in 125 years.”

The British and Irish Lions’ Test series against Australia is off and running – and you can every game exclusively live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the series with victory in Brisbane, the Lions travel to Melbourne next Saturday where they can clinch the series with successive victories over the Wallabies, live on Sky Sports The Lions & Main Event from 9.30am (kick-off 11am).

Before that, the tourists face a First Nations & Pasifika XV in Melbourne in their final tour game, live on Sky Sports Action & Main Event on Tuesday from 10am (kick-off 11am).