The 1966 British & Irish Lions Tour was a mammoth five-month affair spanning three countries and two continents.
The Lions took part in seven international matches between the first week of May and mid-September, beating Australia twice before falling to four defeats at the hands of New Zealand.
However, while those six Tests against the Wallabies and the All Blacks have become an integral part of Lions folklore, less is known about the seventh and final international the Lions contested in 1966.
Just a week on from their gruelling 24-11 defeat at Eden Park, John Robins’ side were in action again, but this time under very different circumstances.
The Lions traded summer in the southern hemisphere for autumn in Toronto as they took on Canada for the first time ever.
And on the 57th anniversary of the one-off clash, let’s look back at how the Lions faired in North America.
The Backdrop
The 1966 British & Irish Lions had contested 33 matches before stepping foot on Canadian soil.
The Tourists went unbeaten in Australia, coming out on top in all but one of their eight clashes including both Tests against the Wallabies.
Australia were coming off the back of a first-ever series win over South Africa a year earlier, but that did not stop the Lions storming to an 11-8 victory in Sydney and a 31-0 triumph in Brisbane.
Unfortunately, things would not run so smoothly in New Zealand.
The Lions lost all four Tests against the All Blacks having also fallen to defeats against Southland, Otago, Wellington and Wanganui-King Country.
By the time the full-time whistle was blown in the fourth and final Test at Eden Park, the Lions had played 33 matches, winning 22, drawing 3 and losing eight.
However, the journey did not end there.
The Lions travelled 7053 miles between Auckland and Vancouver to take on the Canadian province of British Columbia just four days on from their last match in New Zealand.
Robins’ side fell to an 8-3 defeat, leaving the Lions with one final chance to end the Tour on a high.
The Match
They bounced back from defeat three days later by beating Canada 19-8 in a closely fought encounter in Toronto.
The rules were slightly different at the time, with tries and penalty kicks counting for three points and conversions counting for two.
The players weren’t paid, they travelled the globe for five months simply out of a love for the game.
So spare a thought for the 11 players who started against the All Blacks and Canada in the space of seven days, many of whom played a crucial role in the victory in Toronto.
Colin McFadyean, who started both matches at outside centre, even managed to get on the scoresheet in both fixtures.
Flanker Noel Murphy came into the side and crossed the whitewash twice that day, while England winger Keith Savage also touched down for the Lions.
However, Canada made a fine account for themselves despite heading into the match as underdogs.
Mike Chambers was one of their stars, etching his name into Canadian rugby folklore alongside Tony Steel by becoming the only Canadian players to score tries against the Lions.
That brought the marathon of a tour to an end, and the Lions returned home having contested 35 gruelling matches against some of the best sides in the world.
The Legacy
The Rugby Union of Canada was re-formed just a year before the match, and the Lions gave rugby in the region a much-needed shot in the arm.
Over the coming years and decades, Canada established themselves as the strongest side in North America.
From a Lions perspective, the 1966 Tour was revolutionary.
Manager Des O’Brien knew a thing or two about elite sport having represented Ireland at rugby and squash while also playing hockey and tennis for Wales, and he did not hold back in his end-of-tour report.
The 12-page dossier would change The British & Irish Lions forever.
From 1968 onwards, the Lions would only contest a series against one team per tour, reducing the number of matches significantly.
Almost all of O’Brien’s recommendations were implemented, and the continent-spanning end-of-tour match against Canada was never repeated.
Lessons had been learned, and within five years, the Lions enjoyed one of their greatest-ever tours in New Zealand in 1971.
The British & Irish Lions starting XV against Canada
15. Stewart Wilson, 14. Keith Savage, 13. Colin McFadyean, 12. Barry Bresnihan, 11. Dewi Bebb, 10. Mike Gibson, 9. Allan Lewis; 1. Denzel Williams, 2. Ken Kennedy, 3. Ray McLoughlin, 4. Brian Price, 5. Mike Campbell-Lamerton (c), 6. Jim Telfer, 7. Noel Murphy, 8. Willie-John McBride
Canada starting XV against The British & Irish Lions
15. Barrie Burnham, 14. Brian McKee, 13. Jerry Lorenz, 12. Tim Cummings, 11. Jim Ryan, 10. Ted Hunt (c), 9. Ross McDonald; 1. Brian Barker, 2. Geoff Robinson, 3. Peter Grantham, 4. Don Steen, 5. Dave Milne, 6. Al Bianco, 7. Mike Chambers, 8. Ray Wickland
