The History of the British & Irish Lions’ Fixtures Against Australia
British and Irish Lions tours are always one of the highlights of the modern rugby calendar, and their test matches against Australia stand out above all else for their competitiveness. But how has the rivalry between the Lions and the Wallabies developed over their almost 150-year-long history?
The origins of the British and Irish Lions
The connection between the British and Irish Lions and Australia can be traced all the way back to the very first Lions tour in 1888. The Lions predated the Wallabies, so they exclusively competed against club and county sides, completing that leg of the tour with 14 wins and two draws in their 16 matches Down Under. The Lions even took part in some early Australian Football games. Learn more about the historic 1888 series here.
The 1899 British Lions tour to Australia
Now with the official backing of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the Lions returned to Australia for what would be the first ever test series in Australasia. They won their early tour matches as expected, but injuries and illnesses in the squad compounded upon less than convincing performances to set up a tricky first test match against the Wallabies.
A hodgepodge Lions side, consisting of numerous out-of-position starters and bench players, emerged onto the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch in front of almost 30,000 spectators and proceeded to be worn down and overwhelmed by their fitter Australian counterparts. The final scoreline of 13-3 was a great disappointment for the favoured British and Irish contingent.
But the local media’s assertion that Australia’s only chance to win was against the weakened Lions side proved to be correct. The Lions tore their opponents to shreds in the following test, winning 11-0. They would edge the Wallabies out 11-10 in the third test, before again dominating 13-0 to close the series out. All-in-all, the Lions proved to be the better side, but the level of Australian rugby had undoubtedly improved since their last visit.
The 1904 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
The administrative constraints of the 1899 tour had prevented the participation of some of the best players Britain had to offer, but the 1904 squad was elevated by a number of Welsh internationals, such as Percy Bush, Willie Llewellyn, and Teddy Morgan. This time they won every single game in Australia, including three demolitions of the Wallabies in their test games – 17-0, 17-3, and 16-0.
The 1930 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
With the entire world engaged in war, rugby took a back seat, but the Lions continued touring in the gaps between the First and Second World Wars. Organisers again struggled to capture the best talent the British Isles had to offer, with more than half of the approximately 100 invited players rejecting the chance to tour. They did though manage to attract England internationals Roger Spong and tour captain Doug Prentice, as well as capped Wales stars Harry Bowcott and Jack Bassett.
The group struggled against the now elite All Blacks in the New Zealand leg of the tour, and arrived in Australia at the end of a gruelling three-month-long journey of relentless travel and competition. Further, their previous three- or four-game series against the Wallabies was reduced to a single match, removing the Lions’ margin for error. A tight, hard-fought contest would fall the way of the hosts, and Australia would claim a 6-5 victory, as well as a test series victory over the Lions for the first time in history.
The British and Irish Lions’ dominance over Australia
The Lions’ fans would be forced to stomach that loss for the next 20 years until the next tour to Oz, but they would be rewarded for their patience. Their returns in 1950, 1959, and 1966 would all end the same way – with the Lions winning two games out of two and completely dominating their southern hemisphere rivals.
The 1989 British Lions tour to Australia
The 1989 tour was the first Australia tour to exclude New Zealand in 90 years, and, as the sport approached professionalism, it would only feature 12 matches across its two-month duration for a far less hectic schedule than usual. A strong Lions squad starred big international players like Gavin Hastings, Rory Underwood, Donal Lenihan, and Mike Teague, but they would be humbled in the opening test match. The Wallabies battered the Lions 30-12, claiming a first test victory on home soil in 59 years through an impressive showing of physicality.
The Lions entered the second game with the intensity of a side that knew it desperately needed a win, and emotions quickly boiled over. Several less-than-savoury exchanges in the opening moments built up to a scuffle between Lions scrum-half Robert Jones and Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones, then a full melee. The altercations appeared to unsettle the locals, and the Lions managed to grind out a vital 19-12 win late in the game. Mike Teague described the match as “the most violent game of rugby that has ever been played”.
The final game of the series was razor-close, and it turned out to be a simple mistake that separated the sides. A hospital pass from a Wallabies winger handed the Lions an easy try, concluding one of the most thrilling tours in British and Irish Lions history.
The modern rivalry between the British and Irish Lions and Australia
Following the drama of the 1989 series, it was obvious that the gap between the sides had closed. The Lions returned in 2001 and, despite winning their first test decisively, suffered back-to-back losses that handed them their first ever multi-game series defeat to the Wallabies. And their most recent 2013 tour looked like it might go the same way, with a narrow 23-21 victory in the first match and a narrow 16-15 defeat in the second. The deciding game took place in front of an enormous crowd of 83,704, and the Lions blew their opponents away, scoring 41 points to Australia’s 16 – the most the Lions have ever scored in a test game.
Show your pride for the British and Irish Lions as they head back to Australia and take on the Wallabies in another thrilling test series. Shop Lions rugby kits and get behind the team.
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