Australia head coach Dave Rennie refused to use the Wallabies' lengthy injury list as an excuse for their series defeat to England.
Eddie Jones' side added to their tour triumph in 2016 by making it back-to-back series wins Down Under, beating Australia 21-17 in the deciding Test on Saturday.
The tourists fell behind in the series after going down 30-28 in Perth, but levelled up with a 25-17 win in Brisbane last weekend.
Australia started brightly on Saturday, moving 10-3 ahead after Tom Wright's try. England recovered as Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith went over to turn the contest firmly in their favour at 21-10, and stood firm after Folau Fainga'a powered over later on.
The hosts were without 11 players due to injury or suspension, but Rennie believes his side should still have had enough quality to overcome England.
"We had a good enough side on the field to win tonight," he told reporters. "What it highlights is we're creating really good depth and I think a lot of guys who've got an opportunity have really stood up.
"You've just got to find a way, don't you? Injury is part of the game and we did enough tonight, but you have to be clinical and take opportunities.
"We created a lot of opportunities. I think we went in with the right plan, we just weren't clinical enough.
"If we turn a couple of those opportunities early on in the game, we start applying pressure to them. It's disappointing because at this level you have you got to take your chances and we left a lot out there."
Australia captain Michael Hooper conceded the series loss hurts, and also called on his team-mates to become more clinical.
"Dave's talked about just being clinical in those situations, you want to be a team that can grind out a win," he said.
"They get to your end, they take points, pick up some scraps there, get more points, and then you have to start looking at the line, try to maul, we can't just do 3-6-9 walk on them.
"Their ability to stack points on was a credit to them across the series, and they just keep applying that pressure with their kick game.
"England did really well there. They had injuries too so they grinded out a series win.
"In terms of our learnings there's a heap for us. We've blooded some new players so that's a great thing. With injury comes opportunity.
"We were hurting last week, now we're going to be hurting even more. So it's going to be a long three weeks until we play again."
Alun Wyn Jones could switch sides at St Helen’s
Alun Wyn Jones looks set to clock up a first in his stellar career by featuring for both teams in the same game.
Jones announced his retirement from international rugby earlier this month after making a world record 170 Test match appearances for Wales and the British and Irish Lions.
The former Wales captain skippered the Barbarians to victory against a World XV at Twickenham on Sunday.
And he will again line-up for the Baa-baas on Wednesday in a match to mark Swansea Rugby Club’s 150th anniversary year.
Swansea-born Jones made 35 appearances for his hometown club between 2004 and 2006.
“After 17 years (of Test rugby), he got his first Barbarians call-up and he has got his second one tomorrow,” Barbarians coach John Mulvihill said.
“You will probably see him in an All Whites jersey in the second half. He might lead the Swansea team out at half-time.
“I was still taken aback that he wanted to play. He said ‘it’s in my parish and I want to play against my team’.
“It means a lot to him. I don’t think it’s going to be his sign-off. He has got a few miles to go yet.”
Jones will be joined in the Barbarians team at St Helen’s by the likes of Wales flanker Dan Lydiate and former England centre Billy Twelvetrees.
And Jones’ second-row partner, former Wales forward Bradley Davies, is poised to make his final appearance before retirement.
Davies, 36, won 66 caps for his country and played for Cardiff, Wasps and the Ospreys.
Andy Farrell names four uncapped players in 42-man Ireland training squad
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has named four uncapped players in a 42-man training squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
Munster wing Calvin Nash, Leinster backs Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne and Ulster hooker Tom Stewart have all been included.
Leinster back Jordan Larmour and Munster fly-half Joey Carbery miss out, though, for a first block of training that starts on June 18.
Ireland have World Cup warm-up games against Italy, England and Samoa in August, with their tournament opener coming against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9.
A warm-weather training camp in Portugal is also planned for August before Farrell confirms his 33-player World Cup squad.
“It is exciting to announce our extended training squad for the first phase of Rugby World Cup preparations, and we are looking forward to assembling in Dublin next month to hit the ground running as a group,” Farrell told irishrugby.ie.
“It is pleasing to see that selection has been as tough as ever, as real quality players have initially been unfortunate to have missed out.
“I am sure that camp will be competitive enough as we grow minds and bodies and look to push on with our game from last season.
“In the meantime, it’s important that we freshen up for a busy and exciting summer ahead so we are ready to get to work on June 18.”
Training squad: Backs – B Aki (Connacht), C Blade (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), K Earls (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster), M Hansen (Connacht), R Henshaw (Leinster), H Keenan (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), C Nash (Munster), J O’Brien (Leinster), J Osborne (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).
Forwards – R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), J Conan (Leinster), G Coombes (Munster), C Doris (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), I Henderson (Ulster), R Herring (Ulster), R Kelleher (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), T Stewart (Ulster), K Treadwell (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster).
London Irish look set to be given short deadline extension for takeover attempt
London Irish look set to be granted a short deadline extension by the Rugby Football Union as they try to complete a takeover deal with an American consortium.
Irish had faced the possibility of suspension from the Gallagher Premiership on Wednesday as their hopes of meeting an RFU deadline regarding their finances for next season appeared bleak.
The RFU had set a deadline of close of business on Tuesday for a takeover of the club to be completed and approved by Twickenham chiefs, or the club showing that it will continue to be funded to operate throughout next term.
The RFU said in a statement earlier this month: “If the club fails to meet these conditions, it will be suspended from participating in the Premiership (and other competitions) in season 2023-24 to avoid a scenario where the club enters insolvency mid-season, with the corresponding and substantial impact that has on players, staff and fans, as well as on the remainder of the league.”
The RFU’s club financial viability working group had a meeting scheduled on Tuesday evening before making a recommendation to the RFU board on Wednesday, which would be followed by an official announcement.
It is understood that recommendation is likely to comprise a deadline extension – possibly of a week – although it would be conditional on Irish players’ May salaries being met by the club’s current ownership.
Irish have been in grave danger of becoming the third club after Wasps and Worcester to depart the Premiership this season.
And while that scenario might still unfold, there now appears to be a glimmer of hope for the Exiles, who finished fifth in the Premiership this season under rugby director Declan Kidney.
Wasps must begin rebuilding from the bottom of the league pyramid after the RFU revoked their licence to play in next season’s Championship.
Hopes that new owners HALO22 Limited could relaunch Wasps in the second tier were dashed due to their failure to meet an RFU deadline for proving the club could still operate at the required level.
Wasps entered administration in December because of debts totalling £95million, and as a result were removed from the Premiership.
And ambitions that Worcester could be relaunched in the Championship ended because of a dispute over terms between their new owners Atlas and the RFU.
It has all added up to the most damaging domestic season in English rugby history, with all eyes now on Irish to see if funding can be put in place for next term.
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