The very concept of the British and Irish Lions is dripping in history. From steamboats to private Boeing 777s, multi-sport tours to the pinnacle of rugby, the Lions have truly stood the test of time.
Very little in rugby – if not the world – remains as it was in the year 1888. For instance, the 2025 crop took a measly 24 hours to arrive Down Under and will play out their fixtures in just over a month. The Lions of 1888 arrived in New Zealand some 46 days after departure, on a tour that lasted nearly 250 days.
Most importantly – at least to us here in Canberra – the ACT was not yet a territory. In fact, Australia itself was still 13 years away from being federated as a nation. It would take a further 101 years before the nation’s capital had its first crack at the famed touring party.
1989
When the opportunity finally arose in 1989, the ACT was determined to leave its mark. Though they played in the famous blue and yellow, the ‘Brumbies’ were no more than the wild horses of the Snowy Mountains. The men from the territory were considered minnows at the time, relative to their NSW and Queensland rivals.
As per a Canberra Times article in the lead up to the match, “The ACT pack will be conceding height and bulk almost to a man, but have looked to be gaining the technical proficiency which has drawn the admiration of most touring teams, and brought about the downfall of a surprising number.”
The match was hotly anticipated, given it fell in the midweek slot between the first and second Tests of the series. The Australian selectors were even rumoured to have delayed the announcement of the team for the second test, to cast an eye on Canberran prospects.
The ACT side featured a host of local legends, with several going on to represent the nation in later years. From Geoff Didier to Leigh Donnellan, Phillip Doyle to Matthew Pini, the Canberrans were set to prove a formidable challenge for the touring side.
For all the build-up to the clash, the ACT were unable to convert an early lead into a famous victory, losing out in the end by a scoreline of 41-25. Indicative of the high standards set in Canberran rugby, the frustration of the result was inescapable. Writing with a forgotten kind of brutal honesty, Michael Foster of the Canberra Times used the headline “Stupid errors cost ACT prized scalp”.
Though the result went the Lions’ way, that afternoon at Seiffert Oval set the tone for Lions clashes here in the territory. Underestimate the Canberrans at your peril.
2001
By the turn of the century, the Lions’ touring habits were essentially set in stone. In the 12 years between Australian tours, the rugby landscape Down Under had shifted seismically. The Wallabies’ ‘golden era’ had reaped two World Cup triumphs, whilst a new club competition – the Super 12 – had been introduced.
The ACT Brumbies, then only six years old, had just been crowned Super 12 champions. Stacked with Wallabies, the Brumbies were to be a victim of their own success. As in 1989, the Brumbies match-up came between the first two Tests – forcing coach Eddie Jones to roll out a new-look side for the occasion.
Of the starting 15 from the Super 12 final, only five players would take part in the Brumbies tour clash. Nonetheless, the Canberrans were expected to provide the sternest test of the Australian provincial sides.
Barring their defeat to an ‘Australia A’ side, the Lions rarely broke a sweat in the lead-up to the first test. Comprehensive victories over Western Australia, two Queensland sides, and NSW Country had installed an air of confidence in the visitors. In fact, their 16-point victory over the Wallabies was – up to then – their smallest victory margin of the tour.
For the tourists, however, not all was rosy in camp. Murmurs of discontent found their way into player diaries and newspaper columns, creating unprecedented tension within the group. Two men in particular, Austin Healey and Matt Dawson, were vocal in their criticism of staff and players.
Given that both were named to start against the Brumbies, the game needed little extra promotion. The ‘dirt-trackers’ - as the midweek team was affectionately known - found themselves firmly planted on the backfoot after only 25 minutes. At 19-3 down, the off-field tension within the group looked to have caught up with the tourists.
Brumbies outside back Mark Bartholomeusz had opened proceedings with a classy – if not controversial – try, before Willie Gordon continued the hosts’ dream start. There was no love lost between the two sides, most notably in the running battle of Justin Harrison and Healey.
Healey ignited the flame by shaking his finger at the chasing Brumbies, en route to his first of two tries in the match.
And whilst karma appeared to have caught up with Healey and co., an 80th-minute try dragged the Lions back to level at 28-28. As though it was scripted, Dawson would have the final say on the result. Having narrowly avoided being sent home two days earlier, the sight of the halfback clutching at the Lions badge – having calmly slotted the winning conversion – would prove one of the lasting memories of the tour.
2013
There is always a tinge of irony in any sporting ‘shock’. They tend only ever to come as a surprise to the losing side. The victors, conversely, have often spent months – sometimes even years – planning for that very outcome.
Such was the case when the British & Irish Lions arrived in Canberra on their 2013 tour. The tourists arrived in the capital with a blemish-free record – five wins from five starts.
The squad was remarkably Welsh – almost inconceivable today – with 15 players in the squad. If Warren Gatland didn’t believe in manifestation before the match, he might have afterwards.
Speaking in the lead-up, Gatland remarked that he would take a defeat in Canberra if it were to mean victory in the first Test in Brisbane. Perhaps the journalists should’ve asked him for the winning lottery number.
No Australian provincial side had defeated the Lions since 1971, some 18 years before the country would become a Lions destination in its own right. That said, the Brumbies were by far the pick of the Aussie sides. They were flying in Super Rugby, en route to an eventual Grand Final berth. Sitting atop the ladder, many predicted the Canberrans would offer the sternest Pre-Test resistance.
As in 2001, the Brumbies side would not have been out of place on the international stage. The Wallabies duly snaffled several Canberran stars, leaving a youthful, yet enthusiastic side to face the Lions.
In typical Brumbies fashion – albeit without the formidable David Pocock – the home side dominated the breakdown. The line-out would prove a particular point of difficulty for the tourists, with eight throws going astray in all.
It always felt as though the Brumbies pack had greater hunger. Led by skipper Peter Kimlin, the home side covered the depth in class through speed and physicality. Remarkably, the Lions rarely threatened the Brumbies’ line, as they were held try-less for the first time since 2005.
The result could have been different, had two Stuart Hogg penalties gone over, as opposed to striking the uprights. Instead, it was a new generation of Brumbies who wrote their names into the history books. Tevita Kuridrani provided much-needed experience and class, whilst Jessie Mogg was a calming presence at full back.
Perhaps most impressive was the performance of the Brumbies’ young front row. The trio of Ruan Smith, Siliva Siliva, and Scott Sio not only matched, but often beat the scrum dubbed ‘the world’s best’.
The result – a 14-12 victory – proved just rewards for a rugby mad city. The perennial overachievers were now Lion tamers, having added another famed chapter to the proud club’s legacy.
