Waratahs vs Lions RECAP: 'Stunning turnaround' - NSW lose to star-studded tourists but win back pride

That wraps our live coverage from Allianz Stadium after the Lions were pushed hard by the Waratahs in a 21-10 win.

Stay tuned to Wide World of Sports and Stan Sport for all the fallout.

And we'll do it all again tomorrow for the Wallabies vs Fiji clash in Newcastle.

The British and Irish Lions are 3-0 in Australia after beating the NSW Waratahs 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night.

And NSW captain Hugh Sinclair was claiming a victory of sorts after playing his final game as a professional.

"Super proud. The Aussie media had a crack at us, thinking we were going to get beat by 90 or 50 or 60 and we showed them," Sinclair told Stan Sport's Matt Burke.

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The British and Irish Lions had their toughest win of the Australian tour so far, holding off the NSW Waratahs 21-10 on Saturday in their third game in eight days.

Big back-to-back wins over the Western Force and Queensland Reds followed a similar patterns where the Lions surged in the second half after arm wrestles early with the Super Rugby teams.

It was a different rhythm in Sydney, with a third different captain for the Lions and another rearranged lineup with a view on the three Test tour.

Centre Huw Jones scored close range tries in the 12th and 35th minutes to give the Lions a 14-0 lead, although the Waratahs had a try overturned by the TMO for a lineout obstruction in between.

The Waratahs scored from the second kick restart, sending the ball to the short side where winger Darby Lancaster beat some forward defenders, was knocked off balance by Hugo Keenan's attempted covering tackle before scrambling the last five metres to score in the left corner. That made it 14-5 at halftime.

The Lions hadn't conceded a point in the second half of their opening two wins but that run ended less than two minutes after the break, when Waratahs hooker Ethan Dobbins crashed over after a driving maul from a lineout, with two backs joining the maul.

Jack Bowen's conversion attempt hit the near upright, leaving the score at 14-10.

The Lions were denied an almost immediate try in response by some desperate cover defence before scrumhalf Alex Mitchell scored in the 55th, darting to the shortside from a ruck after sustained pressure from a scrum penalty and a stream of Waratahs errors.

Fin Smith converted to make it 21-10 and it appeared the Lions were starting to get on a roll again, particularly when Mitchell kicked a 50-22 to give the Lions another ideal attacking opportunity.

He then threw the last pass for replacement prop Ellis Genge to drive over on the hour, but the ball was lost in the tackle and the Waratahs held firm.

The Lions barged over again in the 76th minute but had a try disallowed for a lineout obstruction in the buildup, and weren't able to cross again in a scrappy, error-strewn encounter.

The Lions are now 3-0 since a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup in Dublin before the traveling to Australia for a nine game tour, which includes three tests against the Wallabies.

The British and Irish squad will next play the Brumbies on Wednesday.

The Lions are 3-0 in Australia after beating the Waratahs 21-10 in Sydney.

But that was by far their toughest contest of the tour so far, after they piled 50 points on both the Force and Reds.

The Waratahs finished eighth in Super Rugby.

"The Waratahs won't win but they'll celebrate like they have," Sean Maloney says on Stan Sport.

"They have won back plenty of fans in Sydney."

The Lions' next fixture is against the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday while the Wallabies take on Fiji in Newcastle tomorrow.

Lions 21 (Huw Jones 2, Alex Mitchell tries; Fin Smith 3 conversions) Waratahs 10 (Darby Lancaster, Ethan Dobbins tries). HT: 14-5

The Lions have now had another try scrubbed out after the officials find No.8 Ben Earl guilty of maul obstruction.

The Lions lead 21-10 after 76 minutes.

"It has been a stunning turnaround," Sean Maloney says of NSW's performance tonight.

Charlie Gamble is having a blinder for the Tahs tonight.

His try was disallowed but he has won four steals.

Not bad for a bloke playing subbies a few years ago.

The Lions lead 21-10 after 75 minutes.

The crowd tonight is 40,568 at Sydney's Allianz Stadium, which looks a picture.

John Howard and Phil Waugh have just been shown on the big screen - and got a much better reception than Owen Farrell.

The Lions lead 21-10 after 65 minutes.

Now it is the Lions' turn to feel the wrath of eagle eyed TMO Richard Kelly.

Prop Ellis Genge thought he had scored but replays showed he lost the ball over the line thanks to some desperate Waratahs defence.

Coach Dan McKellar has to be pleased with the efforts of a side that finished eighth of 11 teams in Super Rugby.

The Lions lead 21-10 after an hour and the Waratahs still have a faint sniff.

That's a touch of class as Alex Mitchell dances through some soft Waratahs defence to score and ease the Lions fans' nerves.

The halfback took the ball from the back of the maul and was afforded far too much time and space as his sharp footwork did the rest.

NSW opposite Teddy Wilson won't want to see the replay of that one.

Taniela Tupou has just been subbed after a decent shift - which included a rather comical kick to touch.

The Lions lead 21-10 after 55 minutes.

Ethan Dobbins brings the Sydney crowd alive!

The hooker barges over early in the second half and the Waratahs are right in this.

The Lions lead 14-10 after 44 minutes now as NSW prop Tom Lambert makes a brilliant try-saving tackle on Josh van der Flier in the corner.

Where has this Waratahs team been all season?!

Just need a big crowd to get them going, it would seem.

The Lions are very clunky.