The British and Irish Lions' unbeaten tour of South Africa in 1974. Highlights of the four test matches, with analysis, commentary and an interview with Lions legend Gareth Edwards.
It can be safely stated that the best flyhalf play ever produced on South African soil was by Phil Bennett during the tour of the 1974 British Lions. It was sheer genius. It was befittingly clearly illustrated when he started running from his own 25 in the 3rd test in Port Elizabeth to manufacture the try which put the test and the series beyond SA's reach. It suddenly dawned that the Springboks lost a home series for the first time ever. A genius who stepped into the big boots of the brilliant Cliff Morgan of the 1955 Lions. They will never be forgotten here in SA. We express our deepest condolences to his family and friends and his team mates over many seasons on his demise. He made sure that we can celebrate his life.
@@admiralbenbow5083 He was playing in the shadow of Barry John for part of his career and the 1974 tour to SA gave him the opportunity on the big stage.He played then with an oiled unit with many players who beat the All Blacks in NZ in 1971.
What incredible speed some of these players had. Beating SA in SA under the apartheid days was one of the hardest things to do in sport, yet this group of Lions won and won big. Immense.
I was there at the last drawn Test. 18 yes old English bloke training in mine management in Evander. No TV in SA in those days...they used to bring reel to reel film out to the mine and we watched it on bioscope
A team full of legendary names. JJ, JPR, (the Williams), Fergus Slattery, Andy Irvine, Gareth Edwards, the sublime Phil Bennett, Willie John, Big Fran. These players and those not mentioned caused me to love the game.
@@-NemoMeImpuneLacessit yeah I know.. I was just making the point that the 74 lions were just an unbelievable squad.. I don't think there's been a squad of players with that much talent from any side in the world..
Back when men who had day jobs as steel workers (Phil Bennet) would play international sport and be heroes. I bloody miss those days, we won't see their like again.
What a mighty ream the 1974 Lions were. Great forwards like Cotton, Brown, and Slattery and great backs like Bennett and JPR Williams, But the master of the team was Gareth Edwards who the Boks couldn't contain.
Hi There The 1974 British Lions were undefeated, and they were the most feared side in the world. I have a Rugby Program of the old Eastern Province Rugby, where they faced the 1974 British lions. Regards Gerann
@@pu57tango84 you must be about 12 years old.. The 73 Barbarians, and 74 lions, ostensibly the same teams, are credited with changing the way rugby was played throughout the world.. Even the AB's were in awe of that side and modelled their game on them.. They've admitted that on many occasions..
Considering those boys are now twenty, you’ve done well to keep them together, and enjoying their chocolate. I managed to coach schoolboy rugby for over 35 years without ever mentioning the 1974 Lions.
Still think Edwards was the best scrumhalf I've ever seen. Interestingly, John Reason, in his book about the 74 tour didn't rate this side as the equal of the 71 Lions and the 70/71 Welsh teams, which had better backlines overall, and a more expansive vision. Still, you wouldn't want to come up against that pack, complemented with Edwards and Bennett and JPR.
Followed every match of their tour. Made a scrap book with every players names, tries newspaper cuttings etc. Think I still remember every player names and positions. And there was no TV in those days. Truly are great team.
This Tour defined my reason to be here. I was thirteen years old, the World became a challenge, the very Skies became the only limit. The Possible became doable. If you can dream it and work hard enough, it will happen.
Greatest British Lions tour ever. I was lucky enough to see them play in south africa . World class even the All Blacks would of struggled against the Lions . And belive me the South Africans had great provincial sides to the Boks. Hard as nails were the Boers .
I grew up believing that the Springboks are unbeatable because my dad told me so. Then this BLions team came when I was 11. These guys were at a different level with magical skills. They destroyed the Bok myth that year for me, but I also woke up the complacency in Springbok rugby.
The Lions is not about "States"; its about people. Uniquely it joins together the people of the Western Isles (or if your prefer - the British Isles). It brings together the Irish, English, Scots and Welsh in a unique joint endeavour.
Stephen Lane its not really the same thing. America is the name of the continent. It’s not as if Canadians are upset because it’s associated with the USA, the word there being repeated is coincidental. That’s not the case with the term British Isles. it’s widely considered offensive and imperialistic by Irish people, as it could suggest either a sense of ownership by Britain over ireland etc. It may seem silly but with our history, it must be respected. Atlantic archipelago, british-Irish isles or ‘these islands’ are preferred,
@@lynottlives Hey Evan, I appreciate the detailed reply (even if it took seven years!) and yes, indeed, as an Irishman I can confirm there are LOTS of Irish people who don't like the term "British Isles". However being the good contrarian that I am I like to challenge my fellow Irishmen to get rid of their inferiority complexes and embrace their "British Islanders" identity !!
Yes, they were! There's something almost pitiful about a great rugby nation, SA, celebrating the scoring of a single,solitary try, like they would have celebrated a series win.
WE WUZ VIKANGS!!! n shiet. Lies because all races in South Africa are being killed. So you only want to acknowledge the whites being killed. You still think like you did in the Apartheid era. Non-white lives also matter.
@@keithcaldwell7657 No. Same in 1976 with the ABs. Understandably black people chose the opposition because they played their oppressors. Most flipped immediately to the Boks upon democracy
The Lions are something special eh? To be selected to play for your country is a high accolade indeed but to be asked to play for five countries must be beyond measure, it must in fact be five times as good. I often wonder how a southern hemisphere 'Lions' side would fare in the North, I also ponder on whether France should be part of the Lions ethos, they might not like the title and may want it changed but hey, fair enough. The Lions help bring together often disparate countries and this 74 tour epitomises what can be achieved through the vehicle of sport, at a time when the troubles in Northern Ireland were reaching a terribly ferocious level we see sportsmen from Ireland and the UK coming together with one singular aim, no politics, none of that bollocks just rugby.
@@Round_07 Some great players in the pack too - the Boks were pretty fearsome up front back then but the Lions never took a backward step and matched them all the way.........
@@Nicktheguvnor agree 100%. I guess as a child I only saw the ‘glory’ players. Having played, and being older and wiser I appreciate that Willie John, Fran Cotton, Merve the serve, etc. deserve equal respect 👍
Sat and weds on that tour were pure magic . Northern and southern hemisphere rugby at its greatest. Just one big party every game . Never to be seen again.
Ever since the Clint Eastwood film "Invictus" went on general release and was criticized for being too liberal with actual facts I have always believed, and still do, that this tour would make for a better story for either the big or small screen - whether it be broadcast TV or a streaming service like Amazon Prime, Netflix or even Disney+. A mini series could absolutely do it justice. And I say Could rather than would because it would require the right people producing it, directing it and, it goes without saying, writing it. It's a tale that has all the ingredients for a must-see presentation.
I actually to an extent can't believe it is him. He still commentates to this day and I have watched many a game of him commentating, and his voice has changed a lot compared to his commentary in this Lions series. Only now after someone telling me, I can kind of pick up that it is him. Anyways, he is a legend and great commentator.
As an All Black supporter I have to say that this was a fantastic Lions team. They had by faqr the better forwards and a very strong scrum with simply brilliant backs. Commiserations to Fergus Slattery as he did score a try but the Referees were always biased over there at that era then. Just take a look at the All Blacks 76 tour to South Africa and make your own judgement as well as the NZ Cavaliers tour to South Africa
The game was better with these normal sized guys, today the supersized players are just too big. I'm surprised we don't have more serious injuries & fatalities
It is unfair of the British Lions to mention the disallowed try by Fergus Slattery in the 4th test without also mentioning the try awarded to them earlier in the match, when Roger Uttley probably did not score, but the try WAS awarded.
Look where the South African try was scored, exactly the point, then look where the conversion kick was taken from, about five metres inside where the try was scored - what was the ref thinking??????
thanks, I did see that Darren Haywood said below that Nigel Starmer-Smith had to do this in London! I actually to an extent can't believe it is him. He still commentates to this day and I have watched many a game of him commentating, and his voice has changed a lot compared to his commentary in this Lions series. Only now after someone telling me, I can kind of pick up that it is him. Anyways, he is a legend and great commentator.
people go on about the try that slattery didn't get but the "try" that roger uttley got in that game was equally controversial because he didn't ground the ball - so maybe a draw was a fair result
