The British & Irish Lions travelled to Australia in 1989 seeking a first series victory in 15 years – and called on two men with first-hand experience of Lions success to mastermind the Tour.
The Invincibles of 1974, who had won 22 and drawn one of their 23 matches in South Africa, were the last victorious Lions side before that trip to Australia.
And against the Wallabies, head coach Ian McGeechan and assistant Roger Uttley joined forces once again, having both played all four Tests against the Springboks a decade and a half earlier.
Alongside them was manager Clive Rowlands, who had coached Wales during their second Golden Age in the 1970s and took charge of the Lions in their one-off game against ‘The Rest’ in 1986.
The efforts of that trio, along with skipper Finlay Calder of Scotland, brought together a talented bunch of players determined to down the Wallabies.
Alongside Calder, the team that toured Australia in 1989 could also boast the likes of England’s Brian Moore and Dai Young of Wales and confidence was high after six wins from six in their warm-up matches ahead of the Test series against the Wallabies.
The most memorable of these perhaps came against an organised and diligent Queensland side on June 19th in Ballymore, Brisbane.
Boasting seven players already capped by Australia – including five forwards and fly-half and future World Cup winner Michael Lynagh, Queensland proved to be a challenging opponent.
At half-time, the Australian side led the game 12-10 but the Lions roared back in the second half, scoring the only try of the match after scrum-half Robert Jones’s dummy flummoxed the Queensland defence.
When the final whistle blew, the score stood at 19-15 in favour of the Lions, courtesy of Jones’ try, full-back Gavin Hastings’ three penalties and fly-half Craig Chalmers’ two drop goals.
The team’s victory owed much to an indomitable spirit that would emerge time and time again over the rest of the Tour, as the Lions’ try-line held firm against Queensland’s attempts to pry their defence open.
When it came to the rucking battle, the fit and resilient Lions refused to concede defeat and the scrummaging was no different.
The Lions more than met the challenge of overcoming the best scrum outside of the Wallabies, stunning Queensland and paving the way for victory, though the match was also marked by a level of physicality from both sides that would not fly today.
McGeechan said: “They were surprised by our scrummaging and they were on the back foot from the start.
“It was a cruel psychological blow and they must have begun to question themselves.”
The Australian press went after the Lions following the game, and the Wallabies avenged that loss by taking the first Test 30-12 in impressive fashion.
In need of a victory to tie the series, it was fitting that the next Test took place in Ballymore, almost exactly a month from their game against Queensland.
Taking inspiration from their previous visit, the Lions defeated the Wallabies 19-12, emerging victors in a similarly physical encounter.
Though the Battle of Ballymore overshadowed their previous bout with Queensland, it owed much to the resilience displayed by the Lions the month before.
And it is this indomitability of spirit that would ultimately ensure the Lions departed Australia as Test winners, as they won the third Test to become the first Lions side to come back from losing the first Test to win a series 2-1.
