Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel each hauled in a touchdown from Brock Purdy as San Francisco rolled past Los Angeles 27‑7 in the NFL’s inaugural Australian regular‑season game.
Purdy tossed for 205 yards against a sputtering Rams defense at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, witnessed by 100,021 spectators – the seventh‑largest regular‑season crowd ever.
Melbourne’s sports hub got its first real taste of American football, and the 49ers delivered a dominant win, having arrived a week earlier than the Rams, who only touched down on Thursday morning.
A party vibe lingered despite the early Friday kickoff aimed at U.S. prime‑time viewers. Fans enjoyed another NFC West showdown as San Francisco outplayed the preseason Super Bowl favorite Rams on both offense and defense.
“We stick to our style, run our plays and respect the opponent,” Purdy said. “We know what they can do and we’ll meet them again later this year, and it’ll be a good game.” In my view, Purdy’s poise was the difference.
Kyren Williams scored the NFL’s first Australian touchdown with a five‑yard run to start the second quarter, while the Rams floundered; Los Angeles hadn’t lost by more than seven points since November 2024.
Purdy’s offense delivered enough big plays to secure the win, and the 49ers’ defense limited MVP Matthew Stafford to 15‑of‑25 for 155 yards, holding last season’s top offense to a single score and stopping a fourth‑down sneak in the third quarter.
Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was virtually invisible in his Rams debut, missing much of camp with aches and posting zero tackles.
Pregame chatter focused on contrasting prep methods: the 49ers acclimated to local fans and shifted their body clocks, while the Rams stayed in California until less than two days before kickoff, keeping their internal clocks on home time.
“They outplayed us in every way. I didn’t do enough, and today humbled us,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Excuses won’t help; whether it was travel or anything else, we simply weren’t good enough.”
Both squads showed early sluggishness after the 10:35 a.m. start, but Williams’ touchdown run ignited the crowd. The QBs exchanged picks before Purdy recovered, connecting with former Ram Robinson on a 39‑yard post route.
San Francisco surged after halftime, with Deebo Samuel’s 45‑yard kickoff return setting up Mike Evans’ touchdown catch over new Rams corner Jaylen Watson.
The Rams penetrated the red zone, yet after Puka Nacua was stopped inches short of the goal line, the 49ers swatted away Stafford’s attempt. Can San Francisco keep this momentum into their next West clash?