1903-1910

In 1903 the British & Irish Lions travelled to South Africa where they were beaten for the first time in a Test series, having lost just one of 40 previous matches on their first two visits.

There was a royal theme to the touring party with Louis Leisler Greig, the Scotland captain and a future royal equerry to George VI, featuring in all three Tests.

A gifted all-rounder, Greig was also a very talented tennis player, but it was after his Lions experience that he would really rise to prominence.

Three years later he joined the navy, entering officer training at Osborne in 1909, meeting the then-Prince Albert.

He became a mentor for the future king serving with him on both HMS Cumberland and HMS Malaya as well as appearing at Wimbledon with him in the men’s doubles in 1926.

By the time he passed away in 1953, Greig had become such an important figure that Winston Churchill, the five most senior members of the Royal family, and of course the Scottish rugby team, attended his funeral.

Going back to the Tour, the Lions suffered defeats in their opening three matches by Western Province sides in Cape Town.

From then on the results were a mixed bag, although they were able to pick up more wins than losses to finish with 11 victories, three draws and eight defeats in their 22 contests.

An incredibly tight series

However, the side – led by Scottish captain Mark Morrison and coached by Johnny Hammond – lost the Test series to South Africa 1-0 for a first ever series defeat for the Home Unions representatives.

The two teams could not be separated during either of the first two clashes with both ending in draws – 10-10 and 0-0 respectively.

And it was the hosts who managed a narrow victory in the decider 8-0 at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town thanks to tries from Joe Barry and Alec Reid, plus a Fairy Heatlie conversion.

The Lions would continue to be unsuccessful in their bid to repeat the Test series win they enjoyed in South Africa seven years previously until 1974.

Born in England but a Welsh international, it was only logical that Arthur ‘Boxer’ Harding was chosen to skipper an Anglo-Welsh Lions Tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1908.

Unfortunately for Harding the three-Test series against the All Blacks will be remembered for his missed conversion that cost them victory in the second Test.

In atrocious weather conditions the Lions’ scrum was almost enough to see them to victory as John Phillips ‘Jack’ Jones cancelled out an Arthur Francis penalty.

But in the horrible conditions Harding’s conversion was off-target and the Test was drawn 3-3.

New Zealand had won the first Test and would go onto win the third for a 2-0 series victory but this was a Tour that will be remembered for the massive changes it instigated and the role it played in forming The modern British & Irish Lions.

It was the Original All Blacks’ landmark European Tour in 1905 that set in motion these changes.

Firstly, such was the dominance of Dave Gallaher’s men that New Zealand became the focus of Lions’ tours and not, as had previously been the case, Australia.

Absentees

Secondly, and more critically, it was a row over the All Blacks’ 1905 expenses that led to Scotland and Ireland’s absence from the Tour party and which in turn, morphed the Lions into a capped international side, fully representative of the home nations’ talent.

Known as the ‘Anglo-Welsh’ Tour, they played in red and white hoops and were deprived of Scottish and Irish players because the New Zealanders that had run Europe and Canada ragged in their 35-game 1905 Tour in which they lost just once had been paid three shillings a day in expenses.

While the English and Welsh unions thought a Lions Tour would help stem the tide of Rugby League overseas, Ireland and Scotland both refused to play against sides they deemed to be ‘professional’.

Following the series loss the tourists now knew they would need the strength of all four nations to compete in future and the Lions jersey became one prized above even those of the individual four home nations.