A British and Irish Lions tour has a strong narrative of data running through its 126-year history.
Every four years the world’s longest running rugby tour adds another chapter to its archives and allows the opportunity to remember and reflect upon the incredible records and statistics which are interwoven in its story.
This will be the Lions 12th journey to New Zealand. This epic head-to-head clash represents the best of the best in their respective hemispheres and will see their proud heritage and tradition collide in the most passionate and brutal of rivalries.
Riding high after their 2-1 series win in Australia four years ago the visitors are chasing consecutive series victories for the first time since 1971–74. However, the numbers underpinning the history between these two teams provide a valuable narrative into the monumental challenge facing the Lions as they touch down in one of the most rugby-obsessed nations in the world.
These are some of the key numbers that help tell the story of this British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
1 – Of their 11 visits to New Zealand since 1904, the British and Irish Lions have tasted a series success only once, in 1971. That year the team who arrived were littered with once-in-a-lifetime players. They had the perfect combination of Welsh flair in JPR Williams, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies and Barry John, Irish toughness in Willie John McBride and Mike Gibson, the English composure of their skipper John Dawes, and the Scottish determination of Ian McLauchlan.
2 – Since their 2-1 series victory 46 years ago the Lions have won just two of their past 14 tests in New Zealand, resulting in a -22 try and -138 points differential against the All Blacks in this period.
6 – the number of Tests the British and Irish Lions have won in New Zealand. Only three of these victories have occurred in Auckland (1959) and Wellington (1971 and 1993), the venue cities for this year’s tour matches.
(Image: AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
7 – The Lions will only play seven tour matches as part of this 2017 series in New Zealand, the least on a single tour of this country in 113 years. Their 1904 tour saw them play just four mid-week games, while their schedule in 1959, 1966, 1971 and 1977 saw them play a staggering 21 tour matches.
13 – The Lions biggest test-winning margin against the All Blacks. They squared the three-test series 1-1 in 1993 with an emphatic 20-7 victory at Athletic Park in Wellington.
21 – The number of victories by the Lions against New Zealand provincial sides on their 1971 tour – the only time they have won every tour match in a single visit to New Zealand.
6 – The number of time Auckland have beaten the Lions, the most of any provincial team in New Zealand. The Lions will play only Super Rugby sides on this tour rather than the traditional provinces, so the Blues will be hoping to continue this winning record of their franchise member. It will be 24 years since Zinzan Brooke last led an Auckland team to victory against the visiting Lions at Eden Park.
1966 – The only time the Lions lost their opening match of their New Zealand tour – a 14-8 defeat to Southland in Invercargill. This was a tough tour for the Lions. Not only did they lose the test series 4-0, they lost four and drew two of their tour matches. In 2017 the Lions open their campaign in Whangarei for the first time since 1993. They have won all eight previous matches here and will be hoping to better their 87-year-old record-winning margin of 33 points at this venue.
5 – The most number of mid-week matches a Lions team has lost on a single tour. It will be hard to see a Lions team replicating this effort from 1908. The 1993 and 1966 tours both saw four defeats to New Zealand provincial sides, but with the reduced number of tour matches played on this visit this record is unlikely to be broken.
19-13 – The scoreline of their last tour match loss in New Zealand, against the New Zealand Maori team in Hamilton in 2005. Jono Gibbes was the captain that day for the home side.
No Lions tour is easy. They all have their challenges comprising gruelling tests and tough mid-week matches, but in travelling to New Zealand the task for this team is even harder.
The back-to-back world champions are in a rich vein of form, celebrating a world record 18 consecutive wins last year and not suffering a test loss on home soil in 18 years. It will have to be an almighty roar from the Lions to pull this one off.
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