The pinnacle for any professional rugby player from Britain and Ireland is to play for the British and Irish Lions, as Sir Ian McGeechan once said: “you are the here because you are the best of the best.” In fact, only eight players have had nine or more test caps for the Lions. It just shows how hard it is to be not just become a Lion but a test Lion. That is not to mention how hard it is to win a test series. Since 1980 they have won 3 series, lost 7 and tied once but as we all know stats don’t always show the full picture. Countless amounts of series have been won or lost by the smallest of margins but the one in my opinion that got away and had the opportunity to go down in rugby history books as one of the Lion's greatest achievements was in 2001 against the current Tri Nations champions Australia.
Test 1 Australia 13-29 Lions
Simply brilliant! The Lions delivered on every front, a young 21 year old Johnny Wilkinson controlled the game like a matured 30 year old and the outside backs delivered moments of sheer individual brilliance to take the game away from Australia. This game was end to end and a great rugby spectacle that had everything. Try 1- Jason Robinson provided fast feet to score on the outside, probably the only player in the world at that current time who could have done that. Try 2- Brian O’Driscoll provided a brilliant outside break to put Dafydd James in the corner Try 3- Again from Brian O’Driscoll and the most iconic of the lot, as he breaks the line and steps the full back to run in from 50m to the commentator's voice “Brian O’Driscoll….., oh you beauty” Try 4- A pick and go from the man-mountain who is Scott Quinnell, huge power shown by someone who epitomised who this Lions team where.
Man of the Match went to Keith Wood and rightly so, this game even included a Keith Wood drop kick from 40m out, name another hooker who would try this? It wasn’t a bad strike either. Keith Wood was everywhere and like Quinnell and the talented backs showed Australia exactly who this Lions team where.
Brain Moore said this was one of the greatest team performances he had ever seen from a Test side and I don’t disagree they battered the best team in the world then. However did this performance come too early? Would the Lions have benefited from a tougher first test to not take this great Australian side for granted?
Test 2 Australia 35-14 Lions
What a response from Australia, the test series was well and truly back on. However, the score did not reflect the game. A big change was the goal kicker for this test with Burke taking over the duties from Walker who missed a countless number of kicks in the first test. A golden call from Australia.
The Lions once again came out of the blocks fast, again Brian O’Driscoll being at his best, chipping and regathering before a try from the resulting line out. They were on fire, a Scott Quinnell line break, followed by Keith Wood streaking clear- however, mistakes cost them adding to the scoreline. In my opinion, the series was lost in this period of play as you must take these chances on the biggest stage. 11-3 up at HT the next score was vital.
Wilkinson looked to go wide early in the second half and then…..INTERCEPT! Joe Roff scored. This was when the momentum in the series swung Australia’s way as they got their confidence back and quickly Joe Roff was in for another. Once this team is playing with confidence the Lions where always up against it and as the turning point came so did the points as Burke ran in another.
Momentum with Australia for the final test and importantly the goal kicking was now on point.
Test 3 Australia 29-23 Lions
The final test went as predicted, tight and tense. The first two test matches went back and forth but this was an even contest. A few early Australian goals from Burke but this was responded with Keith Wood supplying great hands for Jason Robinson to score the first try in the corner. However, the seesaw went back Australia’s way with Walker supplying a great offload to Burke who fed Herbert to score. The rugby on display was simply breathtaking, and to such a high standard as the fans deserved on this stage. A huge moment came just came before half time as a Rob Henderson break resulted in a 2v1 but he couldn’t put Robinson away. A try on half time might have been a massive psychological blow for Australia. The second try did come from Wilkinson eventually showing good awareness to go over but again Australia responded with another Herbert try in the 49th minute. Then came the crunch moments on 51 minutes a yellow card came for a high shot on O’Driscoll to level the scored from the penalty at 23-23 and a man advantage. However, the Lions couldn’t take advantage and sadly Australia held their nerve even with the man down to hit two more successful penalties, poor from the Lions as it was all set up for them to snatch the win with the man advantage at such as key time. The game wasn’t over till the last seconds of the last test match- the way a classic Lions series should end. Walker ran it out as the ball was spilled and Australia won.
A brilliant test series won on very small margins, Australia couldn’t live with the Lions until one poor decision by Wilkinson who gifted them back into a series which was looking like it was moving further and further from their grasp. Although two years later Wilkinson showed he has learnt how to deal with big game moments. The past is then forgotten as Wilkinson is remembered to be the man of the clutch moments. I beat though he admits how crucial that mistake was not just in that series but his career.
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