June 2013 and all the speculation that started at the end of the last World Cup will finally be over. The British and Irish Lions will play Australia in a three test series that looks too close to call. To add to the build up, this article will look at the best moments from the Lions tours to Australia in 1989 and 2001. Surprisingly enough this is only the third tour to solely visit Australia since 1899, as the Aussies were usually seen as a bit of an add on to a New Zealand tour for a long time due to their love of Aussie Rules and shock horror, Rugby League. And with due respect to Rev Mullineux
and his 1899 Lions, I'm leaving them out as the game they played barely resembles the one we know today, and there aren't that many clips on YouTube either. Though only twelve years apart, the 1989 side and the 2001 side are worlds apart. 1989 was an amateur tour played by law men, pilots, brick layers and farmers. Despite their different backgrounds, they became the tightest of groups, facing and defying all the odds against them. 2001 was a completely professional tour, yet was riven by internal disputes between players and management, a punishing schedule, and a host of injuries. Both tours were fiercely contested, both test series ended up 2-1 by the narrowest of margins, and both gave us some moments that will never be forgotten.