It was the highly experienced Sir Ian McGeechan who captured it best. In 1997, the respected coach told his squad that if they returned home as triumphant British & Irish Lions, they would forge an unbreakable bond. He said that decades later, two former teammates might pass each other on the street, needing only a glance to relive their shared memories.
McGeechan urged his players to remain special for the rest of their lives. Now, 28 years later, the focus shifts to the team of 2025. Their hard-fought 29-26 victory over Australia in Melbourne on Saturday, which clinched the series, was nothing short of remarkable. Watched by a record crowd of over 90,000—the largest ever for a Lions Test—it stood among the most thrilling contests of recent years.
When Maro Itoje and his teammates gather at a pub in July 2055 for their 30-year reunion, they will still recall the night vividly. The boisterous celebrations in the locker room, sitting together on the MCG pitch long after the stands had emptied, the deep satisfaction of achieving their collective goal. All would agree: what a match it was, set against an unforgettable stage.
At some point, someone will inevitably turn to Jac Morgan, nursing his drink in the corner, and remark, "Good thing they didn’t penalise you for that tackle, Jaco! What if we’d lost?" The answer will remain unknown, but the moment underscored the razor-thin margins in elite sport.
Imagine, for a second, that Morgan had been penalised for his challenge on Wallabies replacement Carlo Tizzano. Hugo Keenan’s last-minute try would have been disallowed, leaving the series tied 1-1 heading into the decider, with Australia gaining momentum. The Wallabies might have had to rally exhausted players for Sydney, but the Lions, too, would have faced a daunting task.
The outcome could have swung either way. While Joe Schmidt’s frustration after the match was understandable given the stakes, the real lesson extended beyond the officiating. Rugby’s rulebook is laden with ambiguities, making close contests a matter of fine interpretation.
Strictly speaking, Morgan may have breached the rules, but had the incident occurred earlier in the game, it might have gone unnoticed. If referees scrutinized every minor infraction at every breakdown, matches would never end. That’s before considering Tizzano’s exaggerated reaction, clearly intended to sway referee Andrea Piardi.
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