Before the Battle of Ballymore there was a skirmish in Sydney as The British and Irish Lions answered their first major test of the 1989 Tour against New South Wales.
The first expedition to Australia in 23 years started serenely, as four successive victories fuelled hopes of a series which could rival the 1974 ‘Invincibles’ for dominance and drama.
But a determined New South Wales team containing 10 Wallabies caused a storm at North Sydney Oval, with only a late Craig Chalmers drop goal sparing the side’s blushes.
The Lions lost their unbeaten streak a week later in the first Test, perhaps still feeling the effects of a bruising clash with the Blues.
They would, of course, come from behind to win the series 2-1, and this gruelling contest offered a first real look at the fighting spirit that would later prove so crucial.
With both camps using this match as preparation for the first Test it took on a ferocious feel, with Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones describing the lineout battle as a ‘dockyard brawl.’
That was on account of three separate wrestling matches which broke out during the contest, as both sides went full throttle in a first half which the hosts shaded, leading 9-7 at the interval.
Less than a minute into the second half and the Lions hit the front. In the third Test of the series, a misplaced David Campese pass allowed Ieuan Evans to score and it was an error with his feet which gifted the Lions a try here.
As the legendary winger failed to find touch with his kick, Hastings pounced to dot down and just 12 minutes later second row Robert Norster powered over, extending the visitors’ lead to eight points.
Marty Roebuck, at this stage one of the lesser-known stars in the New South Wales team, then swung the game on its head single-handedly.
The Lions had dominated for much of the second period but were caught off guard by Campese switching wings to create an overlap in a desperate attempt to spark a comeback with just nine minutes remaining.
He offloaded to fellow wing Acura Niuqila, whose chip downfield evaded Hastings and Rory Underwood and found its way to Roebuck who hacked goalwards before winning the race to touch down.
Roebuck, a World Cup winner in 1991 and now a general practitioner, converted his own try having already kicked four penalties to leave the hosts just two points short of parity.
Minutes later he bisected the posts with another penalty, seemingly heading for a fairytale return to the side after being dropped in the aftermath of a 30-3 defeat by Queensland a month earlier.
Now seeing their unblemished record slipping away, the Lions looked to find a second wind and did so from the restart when they forced a lineout inside their opponents’ 22 with just two and a half minutes on the clock.
With possession retained, fly-half Chalmers assumed position and despite falling off-balance as the ball came his way, he steadied himself before steering the ball wide of two onrushing defenders and between the posts to seal a dramatic late victory.
The Lions’ 100% record lasted one further match, a routine 39-19 win over New South Wales B, before the Wallabies claimed the first Test.
And after levelling the scores in Brisbane, McGeechan’s comeback kings would once again break Australian hearts, with a 19-18 victory in the decider cementing their place in the record books as the first Lions side to win a series after losing the first Test.
