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In the first round of Super Rugby in 2001 – the most recent British and Irish Lions tour year – the three Australian provinces taking part in the then Super 12 all recorded victories ranging from handy to handsome against New Zealand opposition.
The Reds beat the Hurricanes at Ballymore, the Waratahs put 42 points on the Chiefs, and the Brumbies thrashed the Crusaders 51-16 in Canberra.
History’s capacity to raise the eyebrows never fails, even with trips into the recent past.
It was the beginning of a strong year for the Australian sides: the Brumbies won the title, knocking out the Reds in one semi-final.
It was the also the start of another stat that optimists could cling to this year: for the past three Lions tours, the nation that has played host has also provided the champions of Super Rugby.
But 2013 is different, and significantly so. This is the first time the Lions will have played a series during Super Rugby. The biggest games of the Australian rugby calendar this year occur before the Super finals have taken place.
It provides a unique challenge to the Australian Super coaches – and one that becomes clear with a look at the schedule.
Just seven days after the Wallabies play the third Test against the Lions in Sydney, a significant number of the players who will have just concluded an emotionally and physically draining series will be required to face each other when the Waratahs host the Reds on the very same ground.
On the same day the Force play the Brumbies, while the Rebels have even less recovery time, being required to host the Highlanders on the previous evening. Some of their players might still be out celebrating (or seeking to drown sorrows).
Those fixtures are the last round before the finals stages, and if previous competitions are a decent guide, crucial in deciding who finishes where in the top six. There is a possibility that the Australian challengers will go staggering towards the finals.
Of course, the All Blacks have their own assignment against the French, but that three-Test series in June is completed two weeks before the final Lions Test.
In fact, they will be back into the Super Rugby campaigns on the same weekend the Wallabies meet the tourists for the second time.
This time of year is never kind on aching bodies, but the run-in looks a little gentler on that side of the Tasman.
As for the Springboks, they play Italy, Scotland and a third Test, possibly against Samoa, in a mini tournament on the same weekends as the All Blacks’ matches. There is nothing to match the pressure and scale of the Wallabies-Lions series.
Doubtless the local strategists have been working on the implications of these events, but the possibility of having best-laid plans upset by injuries during the Lions series is obvious.
With that in mind it was interesting to read Jake White recently espousing the merits of coming hard out of the blocks in Super Rugby. No side plans for a slow start but the benefits of putting points in the bag are particularly evident in 2013.
The Brumbies will fancy the opener against the Will Genia-less Reds in Canberra. And I would not read too deeply into the fact that the Brumbies have much fewer faces in the Wallabies’ preparation camp than the Waratahs or Reds.
It is the proportion of players in the final 22 that indicates quality. All of those Brumbies in this week’s initial squad look to have purposeful claims.
Ironnically of course, it is the sides that are well represented in the Wallabies that are most greatly exposed during the Lions series.
It is not an insurmountable mountain, but it is a hurdle. The challenge this year for Australian Super coaches is a particularly sizeable one.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.