What Was The Best Winning Lions Tour?

Third Test: Australia v British and Irish Lions

Date: Saturday 2 August Venue: Accor Stadium Kick-off: 11:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary and post-match study connected BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC iPlayer and online

The British and Irish Lions ended a 12-year hold for a Test bid triumph aft dramatically defeating Australia 29-26 astatine nan Melbourne Cricket Ground connected Saturday.

Things could get moreover amended for Andy Farrell's broadside arsenic they purpose to triumph nan bid 3-0 successful Sydney this weekend.

They could go nan first Lions broadside since 1927 successful Argentina to grounds a whitewash and nan first since nan legendary 1974 squad to decorativeness a circuit unbeaten.

In a podcast bid connected BBC Sounds, erstwhile Lions Matt Dawson and Jamie Roberts subordinate BBC rugby national analogous Chris Jones to talk nan champion tours.

Where will nan Lions of 2025 rank among nan erstwhile 5 winning tours?

The British and Irish Lions ended a 16-year hold for a bid triumph successful 2013, pinch a stunning second-half demolition of Australia to triumph nan deciding 3rd Test 41-16 successful Sydney.

Warren Gatland's broadside almost clinched nan bid successful nan 2nd Test but were edged retired 16-15 successful a gripping encounter.

Wales centre Roberts missed nan first 2 Tests successful Australia but returned for nan decider and helped nan Lions tally successful 27 points successful a spectacular second-half display.

Roberts: "[Before 2025] it was nan only circuit nan Lions person won this century.

"The deciding Test had each nan ingredients for nan fan. But we'd person been disappointed to suffer that bid pinch nan value that we had."

Dawson: "The fans loved that nan Lions won that tour, particularly nan style they did it by thrashing Australia successful nan 3rd Test."

The Lions only mislaid 1 crippled during their 1989 circuit of Australia, which was nan first Test conclusion successful Sydney.

Victory successful nan 2nd Test was perchance helped by a punch-up involving scrum-halves Rob Jones and Nick Farr-Jones astatine nan opening scrum, which sparked a wide brawl and put nan Wallabies disconnected their game.

The Lions sealed nan 3rd Test erstwhile 1 of nan greats of nan game, David Campese, famously threw a chaotic walk connected his ain tryline and Ieuan Evans dived connected nan loose shot for nan match-winning try.

It was nan Lions' first bid triumph since 1974.

Dawson: "Australia went connected to triumph nan 1991 World Cup. They won nan first Test but nan Lions came backmost to triumph 2-1.

"The Lions were lost. Growing up, successful my azygous digit years, I don't retrieve knowing thing astir nan Lions.

"When I talk to nan guys connected that tour, they person astonishing memories. They group nan modular for midweek rugby and that being a point wrong nan Lions.

"It was a generational alteration to Lions tours. A flag-in-the-ground infinitesimal to thief resurrect nan Lions.

"The guidance successful 1989 were amended than 2013."

Featuring a squad packed pinch Wales legends including Barry John, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams, nan Lions recorded their only bid triumph successful New Zealand successful 1971.

The Lions, captained by different Welshman John Dawes and featuring Ireland fastener Willie John McBride, won nan 3rd Test to return a important 2-1 lead into nan last lucifer successful Auckland.

Williams, who died past twelvemonth astatine nan property of 74, helped seal nan bid pinch a long-range drop-goal that enabled his broadside to tie nan Test 14-14.

Roberts: "It is simply a Test bid triumph successful New Zealand and nan only one.

"Those players did unthinkable things for their countries, but nan Lions defined their legacy. Those 2 tours [1971 and 1974] defined their legacies. That's why those 2 tours will ever beryllium remembered."

McBride captained nan celebrated 'Invincibles' travel to South Africa successful 1974, erstwhile his broadside went unbeaten crossed nan full 22-match tour.

The 1974 squad are mostly regarded arsenic nan top Lions broadside successful history aft winning 3 Tests and drafting nan past one.

The existent harvest successful Australia person an opportunity to spell 1 amended by winning each crippled successful Australia, if they are victorious successful nan 3rd Test connected Saturday successful Sydney, though theirs is only a nine-match circuit and they mislaid to Argentina successful a warm-up crippled successful Dublin.

Dawson: "When we arrived for our circuit successful 1997, connected astir of nan tv channels successful South Africa for hours would beryllium nan 'Invincibles' tour.

"Reruns of each nan games. Wherever you looked location was thing to do pinch nan 'Invincibles'."

Roberts: "The history and aura that surrounds that tour. Yes, they won successful New Zealand 3 years anterior but to spell unbeaten complete that galore matches successful South Africa is unparalleled.

"There is thing astir that circuit that will ne'er beryllium forgotten."

Jeremy Guscott nailed a precocious drop-goal successful Durban from successful beforehand of nan posts to triumph nan 2nd Test against South Africa and clinch nan 1997 series.

The circuit marked nan first of nan master era and was nan past clip earlier this twelvemonth that nan Lions had clinched a bid aft 2 Tests.

The legendary Living With Lions documentary successful 1997 showed unfiltered behind-the-scenes footage of nan tour, pinch nan bid ending 2-1.

England scrum-half Dawson, who started each 3 Tests, threw a celebrated dummy to people a important precocious effort successful nan first Test victory.

Dawson: "In 1997, it was a series-winning circuit connected and disconnected nan pitch, arsenic you'd person seen connected Living pinch nan Lions.

"We mislaid 1 midweek crippled against nan Bulls and 1 Test match. Every communicative from each circuit has beautiful overmuch progressive nan fans. The 1997 circuit started it, nan oversea of reddish and rugby cult that went connected forever."

Roberts: "It was nan first crippled successful nan pro era and had nationalist engagement pinch Living pinch nan Lions. It was nan world champions, who they hit successful their ain backyard.

"They weren't fixed a chance. It was against nan odds."