1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand

1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand
Date22 May – 3 July
Coach(es) Ian McGeechan
Tour captain(s) Gavin Hastings
Test series winners New Zealand (2–1)
Top test point scorer(s) Gavin Hastings (38)
1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand
Summary
P W D L
Total
13 7 0 6
Test match
3 1 0 2
Opponent
P W D L
 New Zealand
3 1 0 2

In 1993 the British Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand. This was the last Lions tour in the sport's amateur era. The Lions were managed by Geoff Cooke, coached by Ian McGeechan and Dick Best, and captained by Gavin Hastings.

The Lions played a three-test series against New Zealand, and ten matches against provincial teams and the New Zealand Maori. They won six and lost four of those games. The Lions lost the first test match, but won the second to level the series, with New Zealand winning the third test and the series.

Wade Dooley appeared briefly on the tour but left to return home to England to attend his father's funeral and he was replaced by Martin Johnson.

Squad

Backs

Name Club National team Notes
Rob Andrew Wasps England
Stuart Barnes Bath England
Will Carling Harlequins England
Tony Clement Swansea Wales
Vince Cunningham St Mary's College Ireland Replacement for Scott Hastings
Ieuan Evans Llanelli Wales
Scott Gibbs Swansea Wales
Jeremy Guscott Bath England
Gavin Hastings (c) Watsonians Scotland
Scott Hastings Watsonians Scotland
Ian Hunter Northampton England
Robert Jones Swansea Wales
Dewi Morris Orrell England
Andy Nicol Dundee HSFP Scotland Temporary replacement for Robert Jones
Rory Underwood Leicester and RAF England
Tony Underwood Leicester England
Richard Wallace Garryowen Ireland Replacement for Ian Hunter

Forwards

Name Club National team Notes
Martin Bayfield Northampton England
Paul Burnell London Scottish Scotland
Ben Clarke Bath England
Damian Cronin London Scottish Scotland
Wade Dooley Preston Grasshoppers England Left the tour to return home for the funeral of his father
Mick Galwey Shannon Ireland
Martin Johnson Leicester England Replacement for Wade Dooley
Jason Leonard Harlequins England
Kenny Milne Heriot's FP Scotland
Brian Moore Harlequins England
Nick Popplewell Greystones Ireland
Andy Reed Bath Scotland
Dean Richards Leicester England
Mike Teague Gloucester England
Richard Webster Swansea Wales
Peter Winterbottom Harlequins England
Peter Wright Boroughmuir Scotland

Schedule

Date Opponent Location Result Score
22 May North Auckland Whangārei Won 17–30
26 May North Harbour Auckland Won 29–13
29 May New Zealand Māori Wellington Won 20–24
2 June Canterbury Lancaster Park, Christchurch Won 10–28
5 June Otago Dunedin Lost 37–24
8 June Southland Invercargill Won 16–34
12 June New Zealand Lancaster Park, Christchurch Lost 20–18
16 June Taranaki New Plymouth Won 25–49
19 June Auckland Auckland Lost 23–18
22 June Hawke's Bay McLean Park, Napier Lost 29–17
26 June New Zealand Athletic Park, Wellington Won 7–20
29 June Waikato Hamilton Lost 38–10
3 July New Zealand Eden Park, Auckland Lost 30–13
Played Won Drawn Lost
13 7 0 6

Test series

First test

The first test was won by New Zealand.[1]

12 June 1993
New Zealand 20–18 British Lions
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
Referee: Brian Kinsey (Australia)

Second test

The Lions won the second Test, with a particularly strong performance by Ben Clarke.[1]

26 June 1993
New Zealand 7–20 British Lions
Try: Clarke c
Con: Fox
ReportTry: R. Underwood m
Pen: G. Hastings (4)
Drop: Andrew
Athletic Park, Wellington
Attendance: 39,000
FB 15 John Timu
RW 14 John Kirwan
OC 13 Frank Bunce
IC 12 Eroni Clarke
LW 11 Va'aiga Tuigamala
FH 10 Grant Fox
SH 9 Jon Preston
N8 8 Zinzan Brooke
OF 7 Michael Jones
BF 6 Jamie Joseph
RL 5 Mark Cooksley
LL 4 Robin Brooke
TP 3 Olo Brown
HK 2 Sean Fitzpatrick (c)
LP 1 Craig Dowd
Coach:
Laurie Mains
FB 15 Gavin Hastings (c)
RW 14 Ieuan Evans
OC 13 Scott Gibbs
IC 12 Jeremy Guscott
LW 11 Rory Underwood
FH 10 Rob Andrew
SH 9 Dewi Morris
N8 8 Dean Richards
OF 7 Peter Winterbottom
BF 6 Ben Clarke
RL 5 Martin Bayfield
LL 4 Martin Johnson
TP 3 Jason Leonard
HK 2 Brian Moore
LP 1 Nick Popplewell
Coach:
Ian McGeechan

Third test

Thus the series came down to the third Test decider at Eden Park. The Lions took a 10–0 lead, but New Zealand, helped by strong local support, recovered to easily win 30–13.[2]

3 July 1993
New Zealand 30–13 British Lions
Try: Bunce 27' c
Fitzpatrick 31' c
Preston 66' c
Con: Fox (3)
Pen: Fox (3) 43', 57', 73'
ReportTry: Gibbs 23' c
Con: G. Hastings
Pen: G. Hastings (2) 18', 51'
Eden Park, Auckland
Attendance: 47,000
Referee: Patrick Robin (France)
FB 15 John Timu
RW 14 John Kirwan
OC 13 Frank Bunce
IC 12 Lee Stensness
LW 11 Va'aiga Tuigamala
FH 10 Grant Fox
SH 9 Jon Preston
N8 8 Arran Pene
OF 7 Michael Jones
BF 6 Jamie Joseph
RL 5 Ian Jones
LL 4 Robin Brooke
TP 3 Olo Brown
HK 2 Sean Fitzpatrick (c)
LP 1 Craig Dowd
Replacements:
LK 16 Mark Cooksley
N8 17 Zinzan Brooke
CE 18 Matthew Cooper
SH 19 Ant Strachan
HK 20 Graham Dowd
PR 21 Bull Allen
Coach:
Laurie Mains
FB 15 Gavin Hastings (c)
RW 14 Ieuan Evans
OC 13 Scott Gibbs
IC 12 Jeremy Guscott
LW 11 Rory Underwood
FH 10 Rob Andrew
SH 9 Dewi Morris
N8 8 Dean Richards
OF 7 Peter Winterbottom
BF 6 Ben Clarke
RL 5 Martin Bayfield
LL 4 Martin Johnson
TP 3 Jason Leonard
HK 2 Brian Moore
LP 1 Nick Popplewell
Replacements:
FB 16 Tony Clement
CE 17 Will Carling
SH 18 Robert Jones
PR 19 Paul Burnell
HK 20 Kenny Milne
FL 21 Mike Teague
Coach:
Ian McGeechan

References

  1. ^ a b "Brendan Gallagher remembers the 1993 Lions tour". 6 April 2017.
  2. ^ "On this day: Brave 1993 Lions go down in decisive Auckland Test". 2 July 2016.
  • Jones, Stephen, ed. (1994). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1994–95. Headline. ISBN 0-7472-7850-4.