With the series won after a thrilling Melbourne comeback, the Lions must aim to complete a historic clean sweep
It was the vastly experienced Sir Ian McGeechan who best summed it up. In 1997 the master coach told his squad that, should they return home as winning British & Irish Lions, they would have a lifelong bond; that when two old teammates passed each other in the street, 30 years on, words would be superfluous. A simple look would be enough to bring their shared memories flooding back.
Be special for the rest of your lives, Geech urged his players. And, 28 years later, it is now the turn of the boys of 2025. To say the series-clinching 29-26 victory against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday was a remarkable occasion is to undersell it. Watched by more than 90,000 supporters – a record for any Lions Test – it ranked up there with the most gripping Tests of the modern era.
And when Maro Itoje and co hobble stiffly into the pub in July 2055 for their 30th anniversary reunion, they will still be counting their blessings. The raucous post‑match singing in the dressing sheds, sitting out together in the middle of the MCG pitch after the crowd had gone, the unbeatable satisfaction of knowing their collective mission was finally accomplished. What a second Test it was, everyone will agree. And what a simply magnificent backdrop.
