The British & Irish Lions have a close link to the Rugby World Cup, having toured the reigning champions on no fewer than five occasions.
Since the competition’s inception in 1987, the Lions have travelled to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to face the toughest challenge of all.
Some of the most famous Lions Test victories have been part of those Tours and ahead of the latest Rugby World Cup, which begins on Friday evening when New Zealand take on hosts France, we look back at the five times the Lions played the world champions.
1997 v South Africa
Two years after South Africa’s famous World Cup win on home soil, the Lions were in town to take on the fearsome Springboks.
Led by future World champion skipper himself Martin Johnson, the Lions reached the first Test in Newlands with just one loss to their name.
In a tense clash, they trailed 16-15 heading into the last 10 minutes, before Matt Dawson’s famous ‘dummy to nobody’ try and Alan Tait’s last gasp score saw the Lions win 25-16.
South Africa scored three tries to the Lions’ zero in the second Test but were unable to add a single conversion, leaving the scores tied at 15-15 with the clock ticking.
Jeremy Guscott took matters into his own hands, slotting a series-clinching drop goal as the Lions sealed a series win over the World Champions.
South Africa went on to win the third Test 35-16 at Ellis Park to avoid a whitewash but the damage had been done, with the Lions winning an historic series 2-1.
2001 v Australia
Four years later, the Lions found themselves again facing the reigning world champions, this time in the form of Australia.
The Wallabies clinched their second Rugby World Cup triumph in 1999, defeating France 35-12 in the final.
The First Test at The Gabba saw one of the all-time great individual Lions performances, as Brian O’Driscoll dazzled.
Tries from Jason Robinson, Dafydd James, O’Driscoll and Scott Quinnell saw the Lions race into a comprehensive 29-3 lead 10 minutes into the second half, recording a statement 29-13 win.
The Lions led 11-6 at half-time in the second Test after Neil Back’s try but a second half masterclass from Australia full-back Matt Burke, scoring 19 points, along with Joe Roff’s double, saw the Wallabies win 35-14.
It was a tight contest throughout, with Burke and Jonny Wilkinson trading kicks and Daniel Herbert and Robinson scoring tries.
The scores were tied heading into the final 10 minutes, after Herbert and Wilkinson crossed, but once again it was the boot of Burke that settled the tie, as Australia won 29-23 to take the series.
2009 v South Africa
For the second consecutive time in South Africa, the Lions were facing the world champions, after the Springboks defeated England 15-6 in the final in Paris at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
The Lions were unbeaten in the warm-up games but the first Test saw them edged out in a classic in Durban.
South Africa won 26-21 but the Lions impressed with their style of play and scored three tries (two from Tom Croft and one from Mike Phillips) to South Africa’s two.
The second Test was even tighter and, after Stephen Jones had nailed 20 points from the boot and Rob Kearney dotted down, the scores were tied at 25-25.
Ronan O’Gara was penalised in the dying seconds and from inside his own half, Morne Steyn landed a penalty to win the match and the series.
The Lions responded in style in the third Test in Johannesburg, defeating the Springboks 28-9 with two tries from Shane Williams and a famous intercept score from Ugo Monye.
2017 v New Zealand
For the first time in history, the Lions travelled to play not just the reigning world champions but the winners of two consecutive World Cups.
The All Blacks finally ended their Rugby World Cup curse on home soil in 2011 against France, before lighting up Twickenham and beating their old enemy Australia in 2015.
The Lions headed to New Zealand having not won a Test match against the All Blacks since 1993.
The tourists did not get off to the best of starts, losing the opening Test at Eden Park 30-15, although Sean O’Brien’s try has gone down in Lions folklore.
Warren Gatland’s men bounced back though, coming from 18-9 down to level the series with a 24-21 win thanks to tries from Taulupe Faletau and Conor Murray and the perfect boot of Owen Farrell.
They returned to Eden Park, where the All Blacks had not lost since 1994, for a shot at immortality.
The All Blacks led 12-6 at half-time, with tries from Ngani Laumape and Jordie Barrett, but again Farrell’s pinpoint boot brought the Lions back into the game and a 15-15 draw meant a rare drawn series.
2021 v South Africa
The last Lions series was their third against reigning champions South Africa after the Springboks levelled New Zealand’s three World Cup wins with another win over England in Japan.
In empty stadiums due to the Covid pandemic, the Lions won five of their six pre-Test series matches, taking form into the first Test in Cape Town.
The Springboks led 12-3 at half-time but turned it around in style in the second-half, thanks to 11 Dan Biggar points and a Luke Cowan-Dickie try, to win 22-17.
South Africa proved too powerful in the second Test and ground out a 27-9 win to take the series to a decider.
The scores were level heading into the final five minutes but, just as he had done 12 years previously, Morne Steyn nailed the series-deciding kick as the Springboks won 19-16.
