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.
Muzzo
Guest
Kate, just a little adjustment, as I think that Otago, has the better average in the Provincial for & against stats, as the first game against the British Isles as they were known by back in 1904, was against a combined Otago/Southland team. True Auckland & Otago, do have the far better for & against stats, against them. As it was the British & Irish Lions, name came into effect, on the 1950 tour, as previously they were known as the British Isles. There have been three Kiwi coaches of these teams, as in Henry, Gatland & the coach of the 1904 team, whose name I can't remember. It's so sad that we do not have the tours of old ( over 20 matches ) asI do have found memories of them.. Cheers.
Brett McKay
Expert
Great read Kate! Plenty of work went into this, not doubt!
moaman
Guest
#7 If you think 21 is a staggering number then check out the 107 matches played by a squad of 26!!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1888%E2%80%9389_New_Zealand_Native_football_team
Clelo
Roar Rookie
John Dawes as I recall was welsh without any english composure.
Tim Reynolds
Guest
It's always nice to have a walk down memory lane, but when you do it you need to be careful not to tread on a Welsh leek. I'm not sure a Welshman like John Dawes ever likes to be called English, particularly when you could have referred to the English flair of David Duckham.
docrugby
Roar Rookie
The bottom line is the Lions are a composite side and combinations require time to gel.The All Blacks have tried and true combinations.The only way the Lions will make it a contest is to dominate the All Black forwards as parity will not be enough.The Lions will not dominate in that area therefore they will struggle.Kiwi players execute a high level of skill at pace and under fatigue better than UK players and that will also be a key difference.I watched the six nations and did not see anything to cause me concern as a kiwi supporter.With respect to Ireland there will be no Chicago complacency for the All Blacks in this neck of the woods.
Machooka
Roar Guru
6... is a good number eh TM ;)
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes the numbers are compelling as always and for me, tours of NZ expose the flaw that you can't bring together four countries at short notice and expect to win. Comments are that this will be the best team in decades to tour and perhaps that off the back of the England success and the Ireland win, which, for me, isn't convincing. For one, Chicago is a far cry from a home series in NZ, and it's priority wasn't anywhere near this, and two, this isn't England, and it isn't the English coach, Eddie Jones, most would agree the most important single reason for the English turnaround, the team make up largely the same when they weren't winning. It's notable that NZ also beat most of those sides that England beat, both going down to only Ireland. The other numbers are that this Lions side will not have faced a team that has won its last 45 home tests before and it's five Super rugby sides, the components that make up the All Blacks, have only lost a couple of games, to South African sides. So regardless of the opposition, there are compelling facts that this is also the best AB side the Lions will face. But as neither side has played in 2017 yet, we have an open book, and hopefully for rugby's sake, a competitive series.
Mike Julz
Guest
Nice read there on history. If Lions win this it will be one of the best ever. I think a 3-0 highly unlikely but possible sweep would make it the greatest Lions tour and team ever, better than winning the World Cup. But I will still back my boys in black to win it 3-0 or 2-1. Can't wait.