If you are looking for reasons to pick a winner in tomorrow night’s winner-takes-all clash between the Qantas Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions, then what about a good old dose of co-incidence.
As the ‘Sea of Red’ searches for each and every omen to try to give their side the edge tomorrow, then how about this. The last time the Lions had 10 Welshmen in their side they beat Australia.
Not only that, they were captained by a Welshman and had a full back from Gorseinon. Not only that, the five non-Welsh players were on the right wing, outside half, loose head prop, lock and openside.
Does all that sound familiar – Bowe, Sexton, Corbisiero, Parling and O’Brien – and all the goalkicking was done by the Welsh wonder-boy of the day, Lewis Jones. Wales had won the Grand Slam in 1950 and the teenage full back was one of only two players left behind.
He eventually went out as a replacement and played in the fourth and final Test in New Zealand and both Tests in Australia. The clubhouse at Gorseinon RFC is called the ‘Lewis Jones’ in honour of their greatest son and the new dressing rooms were recently opened and dedicated to Leigh Halfpenny.
19 August, 1950, First Test – Brisbane
Australia 6 British & Irish Lions 19
HT: 3-11 Att: 20,000
Australia: W Gardiner; P Thompson, A Walker, J Blomley, N Hills; J Solomon, C Burke; K Gordon, N Cottrell (capt), F McCarthy, R Mossop, N Shehadie, D MacMillan, D Brockhoff, K Cross
Scorers: Pens: W Gardiner 2
British & Irish Lions: Lewis Jones; Doug Smith, Jack Matthews, Bleddyn Williams (capt), Malcolm Thomas; Jack Kyle, Rex Willis; Tom Clifford, Dai Davies, John Robins, Jimmy Nelson, Rees Stephens, Bill McKay, Bob Evans, Roy John
Scorers: Tries: L Jones, B Williams; Cons: L Jones 2; Pens: L Jones 2; DG: L Jones
Referee: Lewis Tomalin (Australia)
Even though there are 10 Welsh players in the Lions’ starting XV this weekend, with an 11th on the bench, the players involved don’t see it as s single-nation team – it is still a true Lions side.
“The Welsh team hasn't beaten Australia for a long time, but this team beat the Wallabies two weeks ago. This is the British & Irish Lions – this is a different team,” explained Jonathan Davies.
England had 12 players in the Lions side in the second Test victory, 3-0, in South Africa in 1891, which remains the record for one country in the 125 year history of the Lions. The Lions won 3-0 in Kimberley, thanks to a drop goal from the Cambridge University and Richmond full back William Mitchell, and took that first series 3-0.
29 August 1891, Second Test – Kimberley
South Africa 0 British & Irish Lions 3
HT: 0-3 Att: 3,000
South Africa: B Duff; A de Kock, C Vigne, H Boyes, J Powell; A Richards, M Versfeld; F Alexander, B Snedden (capt), B Shand, W Trenery, D Smith, B Heatlie, T Smith, J Louw
British & Irish Lions: William Mitchell; Paul Clauss, Randolph Aston, Bill MacLagan (capt), Arthur Rotherham; Howard Marshall, William Bromet; Edward Bromet, Johnny Hammond, Froude Hancock, Rob MacMillan, Edwin Mayfield, Aubone Surtees, Robert Thompson, Tom Whittaker
Scorer: DG: Mitchell
Referee: Percy Ross-Frames (South Africa)
England created a post-war record in 1993 in New Zealand when they provided 11 players to the second and third Test teams that faced the All Blacks. They won the second test, but the lost the decisive third Test in Auckland.
26 June, 1993, Second Test – Wellington
New Zealand 7 British & Irish Lions 20
HT: 7-9 Att: 39,000
New Zealand: J Timu; J Kirwan, F Bunce, E Clarke, I Tuigamala; G Fox, J Preston; C Dowd, S Fitzpatrick (capt), O Brown, R Brooke, M Cooksley (I Jones 40), J Joseph, M Jones, Z Brooke
Scorers: Try: E Clarke; Con: G Fox
British & Irish Lions: Gavin Hastings (capt); Ieuan Evans, Jeremy Guscott, Scott Gibbs, Rory Underwood; Rob Andrew, Dewi Morris; Nick Popplewell, Brian Moore, Jason Leonard, Martin Johnson, Martin Bayfield, Ben Clarke, Pete Winterbottom, Dean Richards
Scorers: Try: R Underwood; Pens: G Hastings 4; DG: R Andrew
Referee: Patrick Robin (France)
3 July, 1993, Third Test – Auckland
New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 13
HT: 14-10 Att: 47,000
New Zealand: J Timu; J Kirwan, F Bunce, L Stensness, I Tuigamala; G Fox, J Preston; C Dowd, S Fitzpatrick (capt), O Brown, R Brooke, I Jones (M Cooksley 20), J Joseph, M Jones (Z Brooke 73), A Pene
Scorers: Tries: J Preston, S Fitzpatrick, F Bunce; Cons: G Fox 3; Pens: G Fox 3
British & Irish Lions: Gavin Hastings (capt); Ieuan Evans, Jeremy Guscott, Scott Gibbs, Rory Underwood; Rob Andrew, Dewi Morris; Nick Popplewell, Brian Moore, Jason Leonard, Martin Johnson, Martin Bayfield, Ben Clarke, Pete Winterbottom, Dean Richards
Scorers: Try: S Gibbs; Con: G Hastings; Pens: G Hastings 2
Referee: Patrick Robin (France)
The biggest representation from Scotland was in the second Test 87 years ago when they provided eight players to a team that went down 17-0 to the Springboks in Johannesburg.
23 August, 1924, Second Test – Johannesburg
South Africa 17 British & Irish Lions 0
HT: 3-0 Att: 15,000
South Africa: N Bosman; K Starke, P Albertyn (capt), J Bester, H Aucamp; B Osler, P Truter; P Mostert, T Kruger, F Mellish, B Payn, N du Plessis, A Walker, M Ellis, J van Druten
Scorers: Tries: P Mostert, K Starke, P Albertyn, J van Druten; Con: B Osler; Pen: B Osler
British & Irish Lions: Dan Drysdale; Rowe Harding, Harold Davies, Roy Kinnear, Iain Smith; Herbet Waddell, Arthur Young; Ron Cove-Smith (capt), Arthur Blakiston, Neil MacPherson, Doug Davies, Robert Howie, Norman Brand, Kevin Hendrie, Douglas Marsden-Jones
Referee: Boet Neser (South Africa)
The highest number of Irish players in a Lions Test team to date is eight in one of the most remarkable games ever played by the tourists. In what was to be the last game the Lions wore blue shirts, and the last game involving teams from the northern and southern hemispheres until after World War 2, the Lions overcame their two earlier defeats in the series to beat the Boks in Cape Town.
Not only did they beat them, they hammered them. The South Africans led 13-3 at half-time after using the strong wind to their advantage, but they were eventually beaten 21-16.
It was the first Lions Test win in South Africa since 1910, nine games previously, and the Irish-inspired victory ended a run of six successive Test defeats for the Lions (3 v New Zealand 1930,1 v Australia 1930 and 2 v South Africa 1938).
The 21 points scored by the Lions were the most scored in the 36 Test history by the Lions, beating 17 in South Africa in 2nd Test in 1896 and Australia in 1st and 2nd Tests in 1904, and the Lions scored more points in the second half that they had previously done in a full Test match, 18.
The Lions scored four tries in a Test for only second time, repeating feat of the third Test in Australia in 1904, and their 21 points equalled the record of Australia in 1933 as most ever scored against Springboks in a Test.
10 September, 1938, Third Test – Cape Town
South Africa 16 British & Irish Lions 21
HT: 13-3 Att: 18,000
South Africa: G Smith; D Williams, P de Wet, F Turner, J Bester; T Harris, D Craven (capt); F Louw, J Lotz, B Louw, R Sherriff, B du Toit, F Bergh, L Strachan, E Bastard
Scorers: Tries: F Turner, J Lotz, J Bester; Cons: F Turner 2; Pen: F Turner
British & Irish Lions: Charles Grieve; Elvet Jones, Jimmy Giles, Harry McKibbin, Vesey Boyle; George Cromey, George Morgan; Bob Graves, Bunner Travers, George Dancer, Sam Walker (capt), Blair Mayne, Laurie Duff, Jock Waters, Robert Alexander
Scorers: Tries: L Duff, E Jones, R Alexander, G Dancer; Con: H McKibbin; Pen: H McKibbin; DG: C Grieve
Referee: Nic Pretorius (South Africa)
Anything is possible in a British & Irish Lions jersey – the rich heritage and history prove that. Will we see another performance like in 1938? Let's hope so.
