What was the best winning Lions tour?
The British and Irish Lions ended a 12-year wait for a Test series win after dramatically defeating Australia 29-26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.Things could get even better for Andy Farrell's side as they aim to win the series 3-0 in Sydney this weekend.They could become the first Lions side since 1927 in Argentina to record a whitewash and the first since the legendary 1974 team to finish a tour unbeaten.In a podcast series on BBC Sounds, former Lions Matt Dawson and Jamie Roberts join BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones to discuss the best tours.Where will the Lions of 2025 rank among the previous five winning tours?
Australia - 2013
The British and Irish Lions ended a 16-year wait for a series win in 2013, with a stunning second-half demolition of Australia to win the deciding third Test 41-16 in Sydney.Warren Gatland's side almost clinched the series in the second Test but were edged out 16-15 in a gripping encounter.Wales centre Roberts missed the first two Tests in Australia but returned for the decider and helped the Lions run in 27 points in a spectacular second-half display.Roberts: "[Before 2025] it was the only tour the Lions have won this century."The deciding Test had all the ingredients for the fan. But we'd have been disappointed to lose that series with the quality that we had."Dawson: "The fans loved that the Lions won that tour, especially the style they did it by thrashing Australia in the third Test."
1989 - Australia
The Lions only lost one game during their 1989 tour of Australia, which was the first Test defeat in Sydney.Victory in the second Test was potentially helped by a punch-up involving scrum-halves Rob Jones and Nick Farr-Jones at the opening scrum, which sparked a mass brawl and put the Wallabies off their game.The Lions sealed the third Test when one of the greats of the game, David Campese, famously threw a wild pass on his own tryline and Ieuan Evans dived on the loose ball for the match-winning try.It was the Lions' first series win since 1974.Dawson: "Australia went on to win the 1991 World Cup. They won the first Test but the Lions came back to win 2-1."The Lions were lost. Growing up, in my single digit years, I don't remember knowing anything about the Lions."When I talk to the guys on that tour, they have amazing memories. They set the standard for midweek rugby and that being a thing within the Lions."It was a generational change to Lions tours. A flag-in-the-ground moment to help resurrect the Lions."The opposition in 1989 were better than 2013."
1971 - New Zealand
Featuring a squad packed with Wales legends including Barry John, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams, the Lions recorded their only series win in New Zealand in 1971.The Lions, captained by another Welshman John Dawes and featuring Ireland lock Willie John McBride, won the third Test to take a crucial 2-1 lead into the final match in Auckland.Williams, who died last year at the age of 74, helped seal the series with a long-range drop-goal that enabled his side to draw the Test 14-14.Roberts: "It is a Test series win in New Zealand and the only one."Those players did incredible things for their countries, but the Lions defined their legacy. Those two tours [1971 and 1974] defined their legacies. That's why those two tours will always be remembered."
1974 - South Africa
McBride captained the famous 'Invincibles' trip to South Africa in 1974, when his side went unbeaten across the entire 22-match tour.The 1974 team are generally regarded as the greatest Lions side in history after winning three Tests and drawing the last one.The current crop in Australia have an opportunity to go one better by winning every game in Australia, if they are victorious in the third Test on Saturday in Sydney, although theirs is only a nine-match tour and they lost to Argentina in a warm-up game in Dublin.Dawson: "When we arrived for our tour in 1997, on most of the television channels in South Africa for hours would be the 'Invincibles' tour."Reruns of all the games. Wherever you looked there was something to do with the 'Invincibles'."Roberts: "The history and aura that surrounds that tour. Yes, they won in New Zealand three years prior but to go unbeaten over that many matches in South Africa is unparalleled."There is something about that tour that will never be forgotten."
1997 - South Africa
Jeremy Guscott nailed a late drop-goal in Durban from in front of the posts to win the second Test against South Africa and clinch the 1997 series.The tour marked the first of the professional era and was the last time before this year that the Lions had clinched a series after two Tests.The legendary Living With Lions documentary in 1997 showed unfiltered behind-the-scenes footage of the tour, with the series ending 2-1.England scrum-half Dawson, who started all three Tests, threw a famous dummy to score a crucial late try in the first Test victory.Dawson: "In 1997, it was a series-winning tour on and off the pitch, as you'd have seen on Living with the Lions."We lost one midweek game against the Bulls and one Test match. Every story from every tour has pretty much involved the fans. The 1997 tour started it, the sea of red and rugby cult that went on forever."Roberts: "It was the first game in the pro era and had public engagement with Living with the Lions. It was the world champions, who they beat in their own backyard."They weren't given a chance. It was against the odds."
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Reuters
44 minutes ago
- Reuters
No let up as Lions put out strongest side for final Australia test
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Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Three Scots in Lions team for third Test but Sione Tuipulotu misses out
Andy Farrell resists temptation to make wholesale changes Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Andy Farrell has named three Scots in his British and Lions team for the third and final Test against Australia in Sydney as the tourists chase a rare series whitewash. Finn Russell and Huw Jones retain their places and they are joined in the backline by Scotland team-mate Blair Kinghorn who replaces James Lowe on the left wing for Saturday's tour finale at Accor Stadium. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It will be Kinghorn's first Test start of the tour after he impressed off the bench in the final 20 minutes of last weekend's nerve-shredding 29-26 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne. Getty Images The Toulouse man's inclusion is one of only two changes made by Farrell, with the head coach opting to stick largely with the players who won the first two Tests. The other alteration is in the second row where Ireland's James Ryan comes in for Ollie Chessum who drops to the bench in a reversal of their second Test roles. It's six-two on the bench In the replacements, Farrell has opted for a six-two split of forwards and backs, with Ben Earl returning as back row cover after being left out for the second Test. The two backs on the bench are England duo Alex Mitchell and Owen Farrell. It means there is no place in the match-day 23 for Sione Tuipulotu who has recovered from the hamstring issue that caused him to miss the second Test. The Scotland centre started in the first Test in Brisbane and scored the Lions' first try in the 27-19 win but Farrell has decided to stick with Bundee Aki at inside centre and the Ireland man will partner Jones. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen had also been cleared to take part after recovering from injuries that forced them to miss the second Test, but neither are involved. Getty Images Prop Tadhg Furlong will start his ninth successive Lions Test, becoming only the seventh player in history to reach that mark. The starting XV is made up of nine players from Ireland, three Scots and three Englishmen with Maro Itoje captaining the side as they bid to become the first Lions team to record an unbeaten record on tour since 1974. A series triumph was sealed by last weekend's win in Melbourne. 'We have put ourselves in a great position to finish this Tour with our best performance to date and create our own piece of history,' Farrell said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The second Test was an incredible spectacle and illustrated how special Lions tours are and what they mean to both the players and the supporters. 'We are expecting another epic battle this weekend against a Wallaby side that showed their quality last week.' British and Irish Lions team for third Test Lions team: H Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); T Freeman (Northampton Saints/England), H Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland), B Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland), B Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland); F Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland), J Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland); A Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), D Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), T Furlong (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), M Itoje (Saracens/England, capt), J Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), T Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland), T Curry (Sale Sharks/England), J Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland).
