The Lions History - Part 3

Changing Times

Four years later in 1993, with the first Lions tour of New Zealand in ten years, there were high hopes that Gavin Hastings' team would have the necessary personnel and tactics to record a series win over the mighty All Blacks. With Ian McGeechan coaching the Lions an unprecedented second time and a well-balanced squad making the journey, the Lions looked - on paper - an even match for New Zealand.

With confidence high after winning five of their first six tour matches, the Lions travelled to Christchurch for a full-blooded, intense encounter that ended in a disappointing defeat for the Lions as they were edged 20-18 by the All Blacks. The match was shrouded in controversy from first to last and in the opening two minutes a highly dubious try was awarded to the All Blacks. A high kick by All Black No.10 Grant Fox was fielded by Lions wing Ieuan Evans who fell back over his own tryline while wrestling with opposition centre Frank Bunce for possession of the ball. Despite the fact that both players had hands on the ball, the referee awarded a try to New Zealand. The Lions regained the initiative with two penalties from skipper Gavin Hastings before Fox added two penalties to give his side an 11-9 lead at half-time.

After the half-time break, the Lions forwards seemed to be in the ascendancy with the back row of Ben Clarke, Dean Richards and Peter Winterbottom to the fore as they tore into their opponents. It was desperately close throughout the contest and with the Lions leading by 18-17 going into the closing moments of the game, it looked as if the mighty forward effort had done the job. Unfortunately for the Lions, the referee spotted an infringement by Dean Richards after a tackle and awarded a penalty to the All Blacks. Fox duly stepped up and kicked the winning penalty to dash the visitors' hopes.

There was even less to cheer about in the intervening period between the First and Second Tests with the midweek side crashing to Auckland and Hawke's Bay, some woeful performances from certain players contributing to the morale-busting defeat.

But the tour party picked themselves up from this disappointment to return with a vengeance for the Second Test in Wellington. Despite the fact that Hastings had nearly withdrawn from the team with a hamstring injury, the tourists put in one of the all-time great Lions performances to comprehensively dismantle the All Blacks.

The Lions conceded a soft try when Fox dropped a huge up-and-under in the Lions 22 on Hastings and the fullback allowed the ball to bounce. The ball found its way into the arms of All Black centre Eroni Clarke who crashed over for the try which was converted by Fox. But, spurred by this score, the Lions went into overdrive with the English half-back combination of Dewi Morris and Rob Andrew putting in stunning performances to keep the All Blacks on the back foot. At half-time the score stood at 9-7 in the Lions' favour and after taking the lead they never relinquished it, scoring a brilliant try from deep. Morris picked up the ball in his own half and beat two defenders before off-loading to Jeremy Guscott who accelerated up the middle before giving the scoring pass to wing Rory Underwood. The conclusive final score of 20-7 proved to a sceptical New Zealand public that this Lions team were not in the country to make up the numbers and set the scene for the Third and Final Test in Auckland a week later.

The All Black defeat sent shockwaves around New Zealand and three changes to the home side's line-up were made with No.8 Zinzan Brooke, Eroni Clarke and Mark Cooksley dropped and special attention paid to the lineout where they had been comprehensively outplayed in the two previous Tests.

The match got off to a dream start for the Lions with, first, Hastings kicking a penalty and then centre Scott Gibbs scoring a try after Bunce had spilled the ball into his arms. Hastings supplied the conversion and, at 10-nil to the tourists, the Lions had taken the initiative. But the All Blacks fought back and using a simplified game-plan with No.8 Arran Pene making a series of devastating runs up the middle, they buried the Lions' hopes of an historic series win. With a final score of 30-13, the All Blacks had taken the series 2-1 and Hastings' men were left to ponder what could have been.

Back                                                                                                         Professional Lions