BREAKING: British & Irish Lions match suspended moments after star gets knocked out

The British & Irish Lions' clash with Australia was briefly suspended due to huge storms in Sydney on Saturday. The game initially got underway in sodden conditions but was suspended just after the 40-minute mark.

A statement from the British & Irish Lions read: "PLAY SUSPENDED due to a lightning warning in the area." A further statement on Twitter read: "Latest update: play has been suspended for 30 minutes here in Sydney due to a lightning strike within 10km of the stadium."

Meanwhile, a statement in the stadium read: "Bad weather is approaching. Patrons seated in rows 1-19 of the lower seating bowl head to the concourse where it is undercover. Follow instructions of stadium staff. All other patrons must remain seated."

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Meanwhile, both sets of players headed back into the changing rooms of the Accor Stadium. A ten-minute warm up was scheduled before the resumption of play, so long as there were no further lightning strikes near the stadium.

The suspension followed a pause as James Ryan was stretchered off the pitch following a concerning injury. The Wallabies were 8-0 up at the time of the suspension following a penalty from Tom Lynagh and Dylan Pietsch's try.

The Lions have enjoyed a fantastic tour of down under so far despite beginningg the series with a defeat against Argentina. They secured comprehensive wins against Force, Reds and Waratahs before overcoming Brumbies and a AUNZ Invitational team.

The Lions defeated Australia 27-19 in their first meeting and then beat the Wallabies 29-26 in their second clash. The British and Irish Lions have not won a series with a 3-0 whitewash since 1927.

There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.

Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story.

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