1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand | |
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Date | 18 May – 16 August |
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1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand | |||||
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In 1977 the British Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand. The Lions played 26 matches, including four internationals against the All Blacks. They lost the series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. The team played as the British Isles in their internationals against the All Blacks and the British Lions for the non-international games. Unlike all previous tours to New Zealand, the Lions did not play any matches in Australia, though one game was also played at Buckhurst Park, Suva, against Fiji.
The Lions tourists left London on 10 May 1977 and returned on 19 August. Of their 26 matches on tour, they won 21 and lost 5. Although the Lions lost the test series against the All Blacks they were level 1–1 after the second international and came close to drawing the series; they led 9–6 going into injury time in the fourth test only to concede a match-winning try scored by Lawrie Knight.
Outside the test series, the Lions beat all their New Zealand provincial opponents as well as the NZ Maori and NZ Juniors representative teams, losing only to the New Zealand Universities team four days before the first international – this was the first defeat for a Lions team since the 1971 tourists lost the second test to the All Blacks on the same Christchurch ground and ended an unbeaten run of thirty-nine matches for the Lions. It was during the Junior All Blacks game that the famous 'Mudman' image of Fran Cotton, waiting for the ball at a line-out while caked head-to-toe in mud, was taken. Captured by Colorsport's Colin Elsey, it became one of the iconic images of rugby union.
On their way home, in August 1977, the Lions stopped off to play the Fiji for the first time and suffered their fifth defeat of the tour, Fiji winning 25–21.
A team selected from the Lions touring party played one further match, against the Barbarians at Twickenham on 10 September 1977, to mark the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The Lions won by 23–14 in front of a capacity crowd, having led 15–0 at half-time. [1]
The touring party as originally announced contained 17 players from Wales (including the as-yet uncapped Elgan Rees and Brynmor Williams), 5 from England, 5 from Scotland and 3 from Ireland. Geoff Wheel had to withdraw on medical advice before the touring party left and was replaced by Moss Keane. Roger Uttley aggravated a back injury at the get-together prior to leaving and was subsequently replaced by Jeff Squire. Bill Beaumont, Charlie Faulkner and Alun Lewis joined the tour party later in New Zealand as replacements – Lewis never played international rugby for Wales.
Several senior players made themselves unavailable to tour. [2]
1 Elgan Rees, Brynmor Williams and Alun Lewis were uncapped at the time of the 1977 tour; Rees and Williams were subsequently capped by Wales.
18 June 1977 |
New Zealand ![]() | 16–12 | British Isles |
Try: Going Johnstone Batty Con: Williams (2) | Report | Pen: Bennett (3) Irvine |
Athletic Park, Wellington Attendance: 43,000 Referee: P. McDavitt (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: Colin Farrell, Bryan Williams, Bruce Robertson, Bill Osborne, Grant Batty, Duncan Robertson, Sid Going, Brad Johnstone, Tane Norton (c), Kent Lambert, Andy Haden, Frank Oliver, Kevin Eveleigh, Ian Kirkpatrick, Lawrie Knight
British Lions: Irvine, Squires, Fenwick, McGeechan, J. J. Williams, Bennett (c), B. Williams, Orr, Windsor, Price, Martin, Keane, Cobner, T. Evans, Duggan
9 July 1977 |
New Zealand ![]() | 9–13 | British Isles |
Pen: Williams (3) | Report | Try: J. J. Williams Pen: Bennett (3) |
Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 50,000 Referee: B. Duffy (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: Colin Farrell, Bryan Williams, Bill Osborne, Lyn Jaffray, Mark Taylor, Doug Bruce, Sid Going, Brad Johnstone, Tane Norton (c), Billy Bush, Andy Haden, Frank Oliver, Kevin Eveleigh, Ian Kirkpatrick, Lawrie Knight
British Lions: Irvine, J. J. Williams, Fenwick, McGeechan, G. Evans, Bennett (c), B. Williams, Cotton, Wheeler, Price, Beaumont, Brown, Cobner, Quinnell, Duggan
30 July 1977 |
New Zealand ![]() | 19–7 | British Isles |
Try: Kirkpatrick Haden Con: Wilson Pen: Wilson (2) Drop: Robertson | Report | Try: Duggan Pen: Irvine |
Carisbrook, Dunedin Attendance: 34,000 Referee: D. Millar (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: Bevan Wilson, Bryan Williams, Bruce Robertson, Bill Osborne, Brian Ford, Doug Bruce, Lyn Davis, John McEldowney, Tane Norton (c), Billy Bush, Andy Haden, Frank Oliver, Graham Mourie, Ian Kirkpatrick, Lawrie Knight
British Lions: Irvine, J. J. Williams (rep McGeechan), Burcher, Fenwick, G. Evans, Bennett (c), B. Williams (rep Morgan), Cotton, Wheeler, Price, Beaumont, Brown, Cobner, Quinnell, Duggan
13 August 1977 |
New Zealand ![]() | 10–9 | British Isles |
Try: Knight Pen: Wilson (2) | Report | Try: Morgan Con: Morgan Pen: Morgan |
Eden Park, Auckland Attendance: 58,000 Referee: D. Millar (New Zealand) |
New Zealand: Bevan Wilson, Bryan Williams, Bruce Robertson, Bill Osborne, Brian Ford (rep Mark Taylor), Doug Bruce, Lyn Davis, John McEldowney (rep Billy Bush), Tane Norton (c), Kent Lambert, Andy Haden, Frank Oliver, Graham Mourie, Ian Kirkpatrick, Lawrie Knight
British Lions: Irvine, Rees, Fenwick, McGeechan, G. Evans, Bennett (c), Morgan, Cotton, Wheeler, Price, Beaumont, Brown, Neary, Squire, Duggan
16 August 1977 |
![]() | 25–21 | British Isles |
Try: Narisia (2) Rauto Kaunikoro Racika Con: Rauto Drop: Tikoisuva | Try: Bennett Beaumont Burcher Con: Bennett (3) Pen: Bennett |
Buckhurst Park, Suva Attendance: 20,000 Referee: S. Koroi (Fiji) |
Fiji: Kemueli Musunamasi, Joape Kaunikoro, Senitiki Nasave, Qele Ratu, Wame Gavidi, Pio Bosco Tikoisuva (c), Samisoni Viriviri, Josefa Rauto, Atonio Racika, Nimilote Ratudina, Ilaitia Tuisese, Ilisoni Taoba, Rupeni Qaraniqio, Vuata Narisia, Viliame Ratudradra
British Lions: Irvine, G. Evans, McGeechan, Burcher, Bennett (c), Bevan, Lewis, Faulkner, Windsor, Price, Beaumont, Martin, Neary, T. Evans (rep Brown), Squire
Samuel Arthur Doble was an English rugby union full-back who played international rugby for England and club rugby for Moseley. He was a [Birmingham] school teacher by profession, teaching at Northfield Comprehensive School. Doble won only three caps for his country, but he was one of the game's most popular characters and his death in 1977 at the age of 33 was mourned throughout English rugby.
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These are the 1977 Five Nations Championship squads:
These are the 1976 Five Nations Championship squads:
These are the 1975 Five Nations Championship squads: