Re-Wind: Every British & Irish Lions tour opening match of the professional era (1997 - 2021)

The British & Irish Lions kick off their tour of Australia this Saturday, with a non-test clash against the Western Force. Head coach Andy Farrell has confirmed his squad to face the Super Rugby side, with plenty of pressure mounting on the shoulders of the men in red after a disappointing send-off.

The Lions' farewell match did not go to script in Dublin, as Maro Itoje led out his side to an eventual 28-24 defeat to Argentina. It was a real statement of intent from Los Pumas, who have put their hands up to host a Lions tour, and break the traditional trio of Southern Hemisphere destinations across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Every Lions tour kicks off with a bang upon the host nation's soil, and we’re diving back into every opening match from the last six tours to unpack how the Lions started their campaigns. As the records become scarcer the deeper you head into the amateur era, were looking back to the dawn of the professional game. Whether it’s a narrow escape, an upset defeat or a big statement win, these first matches are where Lions legends begin to roar.

Boet Erasamus Stadium, Port Elizabeth

, South Africa

The British & Irish Lions kicked off their 1997 South Africa tour with a stunning victory over an Eastern Province Invitational side. Eastern Province surged ahead to lead 11–10 early on, with their side notably featuring several Springboks such as halfback Hennie le Roux and lock Adri Geldenhuys.

The Lions retaliated with a dominant second half showing. The scoring spree included a brace from centre Jeremy Guscott and a try each from winger Tony Underwood, centre Will Greenwood and the late, great Doddie Weir also got involved over the whitewash. Their reliable Welsh fullback Neil Jenkins marshaled the boot expertly, converting four tries and adding two penalty goals, contributing an impressive 16 points to the tally.

TRIES: 5 (Weir, Guscott 2, Underwood, Greenwood)

CONVERSIONS: 4 (Jenkins)

PENALTIES: 2 (Jenkins)

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The 2001 British & Irish Lions kicked off their tour of Australia with a record-breaking demolition of Western Australia, running out 116–10 victors at Perth’s WACA on June 8, 2001. The Lions smashed in an astonishing 18 tries, shattering multiple team records.

The scoring onslaught began early, Scott Quinnell touched down with a powerful No. 8 surge inside three minutes, before eventually completing a hat-trick. Joining him in double-figure try scoring were Dan Luger, who also notched 3 tries, and scrum-half Rob Howley and flanker Neil Back, who each brought over 2 scores. Iain Balshaw, introduced off the bench, grabbed 2 tries, while Will Greenwood, Danny Grewcock, Mark Taylor, Simon Taylor, Austin Healey, and Brian O’Driscoll each added one to complete the rout.

Fly-half Ronan O’Gara enjoyed an outstanding debut, sending over 13 conversions to amass 26 points, securing both a team and individual Lions record. Despite the Lions’ dominance, Western Australia managed to cross the line twice in the second half through Brent Becroft and reserve scrum-half Robbie Barugh. Though billed as a “contact training session” for the professionals, this emphatic performance set an aggressive tone and offered valuable momentum, albeit with little realism about the tougher challenges ahead in the Test series.

TRIES: 18 (Scott Quinnell (3), Dan Luger (3), Rob Howley (2), Neil Back (2), Iain Balshaw (2), Will Greenwood, Danny Grewcock, Mark Taylor, Simon Taylor, Austin Healey, Brian O'Driscoll)

CONVERSIONS: 13 (O'Gara)

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TRIES: 2 Brent Becroft, Robbie Barugh

In their 2005 tour opener against Bay of Plenty at Rotorua International Stadium on June 4, the British & Irish Lions secured a 34–20 victory. The Lions sprinted into a 17–0 lead inside 11 minutes thanks to two early tries from full‑back Josh Lewsey (both in the opening 6 minutes) and a debut Lions try from wing Mark Cueto.

However, Bay of Plenty staged a determined comeback, leveling the score at 17–17 by half-time courtesy of tries from Colin Bourke and Murray Williams, the latter also converting both his try and adding two penalties.

The second half saw the Lions regain control through a trio of decisive scores. Tom Shanklin powered over after 52 minutes, followed by slip-through breaks converted into tries by Dwayne Peel (around the 60-minute mark) and replacement centre Gordon D’Arcy, who sealed the game with his late effort.

Fly‑half Ronan O’Gara added two conversions, rounding out the 34 points Bay’s Murray Williams continued to punish the Lions’ kicks with another second-half penalty, ending his personal haul at 15 points. The match was also notable for the tour-ending ankle injury suffered by Lawrence Dallaglio, in what as a blow that tested Lions’ resilience early on.

TRIES: 5 (Josh Lewsey (2), Mark Cueto, Tom Shanklin, Dwayne Peel, Gordon D’Arcy)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Ronan O’Gara)

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TRIES: 2 (Colin Bourke, Murray Williams)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Murray Williams)

PENALTIES: 2 (Murray Williams)

The British & Irish Lions’ 2009 tour opener against the Royal XV at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg on May 30 delivered a dramatic and hard-fought 37–25 victory. The Lions found themselves under real pressure early on, as the opposition surged to an 18–3 lead with three tries from South African forwards; flanker Wilhelm Koch, hooker Rayno Barnes, and prop Bees Roux, with Naas Olivier kicking a conversion and a penalty to build momentum.

However, the Lions began their fightback just before halftime when Tommy Bowe sliced through for a converted try in the 38th minute, closing the gap to 18–10. The second half was a showcase of the Lions’ resilience. Lee Byrne ignited the comeback with a brilliant solo try, chipping ahead, regaining possession, and sprinting over, with Ronan O’Gara adding the conversion and pulling a penalty to narrow the deficit.

As the clock ticked down, replacement lock Alun‑Wyn Jones crashed over from a ruck to give the Lions the lead, and O’Gara slotted the conversion. The icing on the cake came when O’Gara himself touched down in injury time after a powerful carry from captain Paul O’Connell, cemented a 12-point victory. O’Gara scored a total of 22 points (1 try, 4 conversions, 3 penalties), underlining his pivotal role in the Lions' recovery.

TRIES: 4 (Tommy Bowe, Lee Byrne, Alun-Wyn Jones, Ronan O’Gara)

CONVERSIONS: 4 (Ronan O’Gara)

PENALTIES: 3 (Ronan O’Gara)

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TRIES: 3 (Wilhelm Koch, Rayno Barnes, Bees Roux)

CONVERSIONS: 1 (Naas Olivier)

PENALTIES: 1 (Naas Olivier)

The British & Irish Lions delivered a clinical and emphatic performance in their midweek match against Western Force at Patersons Stadium, Perth, on June 5, 2013, running out 69–17 winners. It was a flawless attacking display as they crossed the try line nine times, with Johnny Sexton scoring the opener in the 11th minute following a slick move by the forwards.

Captain Brian O’Driscoll struck twice, once before halftime and once in the second half, marking him as a talismanic force in midfield. Contributions also came from Tom Croft, Jamie Heaslip, Mako Vunipola, Tommy Bowe, Owen Farrell, and Geoff Parling, each adding a try to the tally.

Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny was impeccable from the tee, slotting all 11 conversions and adding 2 penalties for a personal haul of 24 points, a masterclass in goal-kicking in front of the 'sea of red'. Despite the Lions' dominance, Western Force managed two consolation tries from Richard Brown and Lachlan McCaffrey, both converted by Brett Sheehan, along with a Sheehan penalty.

While the touring side was slightly blemished by the loss of Cian Healy to a first-half ankle injury, the match underlined their potency heading into the Test series, nine tries scored, clinical execution, and a statement of intent for the next challenge.

TRIES: 9 (Jonathan Sexton, Brian O’Driscoll (2), Tom Croft, Jamie Heaslip, Mako Vunipola, Tommy Bowe, Owen Farrell, Geoff Parling)

CONVERSIONS: 11 (Leigh Halfpenny)

PENALTIES: 2 (Leigh Halfpenny)

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TRIES: 2 (Richard Brown, Lachlan McCaffrey)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Brett Sheehan)

PENALTIES: 1 (Brett Sheehan)

Okara Park, Whangārei, New Zealand

The British & Irish Lions kicked off their 2017 tour in Whangārei with a gritty 13–7 win over the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians. The Barbarians stunned the recently arrived Lions by taking an early 7–3 lead, thanks to a powerful 24th-minute try from hooker Sam Anderson‑Heather, expertly converted by fly-half Bryn Gatland. The Lions’ only first-half points came from a Johnny Sexton penalty, as the tourists looked sluggish, clearly hampered by jet lag and a lack of cohesion .

In the second half, momentum shifted after Greig Laidlaw added a penalty to bring the score to 7–6 before winger Anthony Watson finally found space to break through and score the Lions’ only try in the 54th minute. Watson was set up by an incisive pass from Owen Farrell, who had replaced an off‑form Sexton.

Farrell also slotted the conversion, giving the Lions a 13–7 lead. Though the Lions carved out more scoring chances, their performance remained unsettled as turnovers and handling errors persisted. Yet their defensive fortitude held firm under pressure as the Barbarians pressed for a comeback.

TRIES: 1 (Anthony Watson)

CONVERSIONS: 1 (Owen Farrell)

PENALTIES: 2 (Johnny Sexton, Greig Laidlaw)

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TRIES: 1 (Sam Anderson-Heather)

CONVERSIONS: 1 (Bryn Gatland)

The British & Irish Lions opened their 2021 South Africa tour with a convincing 56–14 win over the Sigma Lions at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park on July 3, 2021. The tourists set the tone early with eight tries in total. Louis Rees‑Zammit broke the deadlock after just four minutes, becoming the youngest Lions try‑scorer since 1968.

Shortly after, Hamish Watson bulldozed over for a second, boosting the Lions to a commanding 14–0 lead. Ali Price and Gareth Davies added further scores, while the star of the show was undeniably Josh Adams, who claimed a sensational four tries, including a second‑half hat‑trick, solidifying his status as a major attacking threat.

Owen Farrell was flawless with the boot, landing all eight conversions for a personal tally of 16 points . The Emirates Lions also had their moments, touching down twice through Vincent Tshituka and Rabz Maxwane, both converted by Jordan Hendrikse, but their efforts were insufficient against the Lions’ relentless pressure. The match provided a statement of intent from Warren Gatland’s side: fluid offloading, brutal forward sets, and clinical execution underlined a historic performance that set the tone for the rest of the tour.

TRIES: 8 (Louis Rees-Zammit, Hamish Watson, Ali Price, Gareth Davies, Josh Adams (4))

CONVERSIONS: 8 (Owen Farrell)

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TRIES: 2 (Vincent Tshituka, Rabz Maxwane)

CONVERSIONS: 2 (Jordan Hendrikse)