The 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a series of matches played by the British & Irish Lions rugby union team in Australia.
The Lions squad was captained by Martin Johnson, the first player to lead the Lions on two tours. The head coach was New Zealander Graham Henry. After winning the first of their matches against Australia, the Lions lost the remaining two matches of the test series. This was the first time that Australia defeated the Lions in a series. The tour was noted for tension between the test squad and the midweek squad as well as controversial newspaper columns written by scrum-halves Matt Dawson and Austin Healey, accusing the coaching staff of poor scheduling and training regimes and lack of team spirit.
Squad
PlayerPositionDate of birth (age)National teamClub/provinceNational caps(Lions tests)NotesIain BalshawFull-back BathMatt Perry Full-back Bath Ben Cohen Wing Northampton Saints Dafydd JamesWing Llanelli Dan LugerWing Saracens Jason RobinsonWing Sale Sharks Tyrone HoweWing Ulster Injury replacement for Dan Luger Mike Catt Centre Bath Will Greenwood Centre Harlequins Rob HendersonCentre London Wasps Brian O'Driscoll Centre Leinster Mark Taylor Centre Swansea Scott GibbsCentre Swansea Injury replacement for Mike Catt Neil JenkinsFly-half Cardiff Ronan O'Gara Fly-half Munster Jonny WilkinsonFly-half Newcastle Falcons Matt DawsonScrum-half Northampton Saints Austin HealeyScrum-half Leicester Tigers Rob Howley Scrum-half Cardiff Andy NicolScrum-half Glasgow Injury replacement for Rob Howley Jason Leonard Prop Harlequins Darren Morris Prop Swansea Tom SmithProp Brive Phil Vickery Prop Gloucester Dai YoungProp Cardiff Phil Greening Hooker London Wasps Robin McBryde Hooker Llanelli Keith Wood Hooker Harlequins Mark Regan Hooker Bristol Gordon Bulloch Hooker Glasgow Injury replacement for Phil GreeningDorian West Hooker Leicester Tigers Called up as back-up after a number of injuries to the squad Jeremy Davidson Lock Castres Danny Grewcock Lock Saracens Martin Johnson (c) Lock Leicester Tigers Scott Murray Lock Saracens Malcolm O'Kelly Lock St Mary's College Neil Back Back row Leicester Tigers Colin Charvis Back row Swansea Lawrence Dallaglio Back row London Wasps Richard Hill Back row Saracens Scott Quinnell Back row Llanelli Simon Taylor Back row Edinburgh Martyn Williams Back row Cardiff Martin CorryBack row Leicester Tigers Injury replacement for Simon Taylor David Wallace Back row Munster Injury replacement for Lawrence Dallaglio
Results Date Home team Score Away team Ground Result 8 June Western Australia 10–116British & Irish Lions WACA, PerthWin 12 June Queensland Presidents XV 6–83British & Irish Lions Dairy Farmers Stadium, TownsvilleWin 16 June Queensland Reds 8–42British & Irish Lions Ballymore, BrisbaneWin 19 June Australia A 28–25British & Irish Lions North Power Stadium, Gosford Loss 23 June NSW Waratahs 24–41British & Irish Lions Sydney Football Stadium, SydneyWin 26 June NSW Country 3–46British & Irish Lions International Stadium, Coffs HarbourWin 30 June Australia 13–29British & Irish Lions The Gabba, BrisbaneWin 3 July ACT Brumbies 28–30British & Irish Lions Bruce Stadium, Canberra Win 7 July Australia 35–14British & Irish Lions Colonial Stadium Loss 14 July Australia 29–23British & Irish Lions Stadium AustraliaLoss
Test series First test Jason Robinson scored the first try of the match, putting the Lions up 5–0. Andrew Walker successfully kicked a penalty for Australia's first points. The Lions scored through Dafydd James, which was converted by Wilkinson. The score at half-time was 12–3.
Brian O'Driscoll scored for the Lions in the second half. Wilkinson converted the try before kicking a penalty to make the score 22–3. Scott Quinnell then scored for the Lions, with Wilkinson converting. Grey then scored a try for Australia.
FB 15Chris Latham RW 14Andrew WalkerOC 13Daniel HerbertIC 12Nathan GreyLW 11Joe RoffFH 10Stephen Larkham SH 9 George GreganN8 8 Toutai KefuOF 7 George SmithBF 6 Owen Finegan RL 5 John Eales (c) LL 4 David GiffinTP 3 Glen Panoho HK 2 Jeremy Paul LP 1 Nick StilesReplacements:HK 16Michael Foley PR 17Ben Darwin LK 18Matt Cockbain FL 19David Lyons SH 20Chris WhitakerFH 21Elton Flatley FB 22Matt Burke Coach:Rod Macqueen FB 15 Matt Perry RW 14 Dafydd JamesOC 13 Brian O'DriscollIC 12 Rob HendersonLW 11 Jason RobinsonFH 10 Jonny WilkinsonSH 9 Rob HowleyN8 8 Scott Quinnell OF 7 Richard HillBF 6 Martin Corry RL 5 Danny GrewcockLL 4 Martin Johnson (c)TP 3 Phil Vickery HK 2 Keith Wood LP 1 Tom Smith Replacements:HK 16 Gordon Bulloch PR 17 Jason Leonard FL 18 Colin Charvis FL 19 Martyn WilliamsSH 20 Matt DawsonSH 21 Austin HealeyFB 22 Iain Balshaw Coach:Graham Henry
Second test The second test was played at Colonial Stadium in Melbourne. Wilkinson was successful with two penalty goals, giving the Lions a 6–0 lead. Burke then kicked a penalty goal for Australia. Neil Back scored the first try of the match, giving the Lions an 11–3 lead over Australia. Burke kicked another penalty goal to make the score 11–6 to the Lions.
Joe Roff scored a try for Australia in the second half, making the score 11–11. Burke kicked a penalty goal to give Australia the lead. The score became 21–11 when Roff scored his second try. Wilkinson then kicked a penalty goal to make it 21–14. Burke then scored a try for Australia, making it 29–14. Burke kicked another two penalty goals.
FB 15Matt BurkeRW 14Andrew WalkerOC 13Daniel HerbertIC 12Nathan GreyLW 11Joe RoffFH 10Stephen LarkhamSH 9 George GreganN8 8 Toutai KefuOF 7 George SmithBF 6 Owen FineganRL 5 John Eales (c)LL 4 David GiffinTP 3 Rod MooreHK 2 Michael FoleyLP 1 Nick StilesReplacements:HK 16Brendan CannonPR 17Ben DarwinLK 18Matt CockbainFL 19David LyonsSH 20Chris WhitakerFH 21Elton FlatleyFB 22Chris LathamCoach:Rod Macqueen FB 15 Matt PerryRW 14 Dafydd JamesOC 13 Brian O'DriscollIC 12 Rob HendersonLW 11 Jason RobinsonFH 10 Jonny WilkinsonSH 9 Rob HowleyN8 8 Scott QuinnellOF 7 Neil BackBF 6 Richard HillRL 5 Danny GrewcockLL 4 Martin Johnson (c)TP 3 Phil VickeryHK 2 Keith WoodLP 1 Tom SmithReplacements:PR 16 Jason LeonardHK 17 Dorian WestFL 18 Martin CorryFL 19 Martyn WilliamsSH 20 Matt DawsonFH 21 Neil JenkinsFB 22 Iain BalshawCoach:Graham Henry
Third test With the series tied at 1–1, the third test at Stadium Australia in Sydney was the decider and was refereed by New Zealander Paddy O'Brien. The scoring began in the third minute, when Burke successfully kicked a penalty for Australia, giving them a 3–0 lead. Wilkinson, who was under an injury cloud leading up to the match, levelled the scores in the fifth minute with a successful penalty goal. Burke then landed another penalty goal for Australia. Four minutes later, Burke kicked another penalty goal, giving Australia a 9–3 lead. Robinson scored the first try of the match, which was converted by Wilkinson, giving the Lions a 10–9 lead. Daniel Herbert scored Australia's first try which was converted by Burke, giving Australia a 16–10 lead. Wilkinson was successful with a penalty goal that made the score 16–13.
The Lions took the lead in the second half, with Wilkinson crossing the line to score a try and then converting it, giving the Lions a 20–16 lead. Herbert scored his second try in the 49th minute, Burke converted, giving Australia a 23–20 lead. Wilkinson kicked a penalty goal, levelling scores at 23–23. Burke was successful with a subsequent penalty goal five minutes after. Burke kicked another in the 76th minute, to make the score 29–23.
FB 15Matt BurkeRW 14Andrew WalkerOC 13Daniel HerbertIC 12Nathan GreyLW 11Joe RoffFH 10Elton FlatleySH 9 George GreganN8 8 Toutai KefuOF 7 George SmithBF 6 Owen FineganRL 5 John Eales (c)LL 4 Justin HarrisonTP 3 Rod MooreHK 2 Michael FoleyLP 1 Nick StilesReplacements:HK 16Brendan CannonPR 17Ben DarwinLK 18Matt CockbainFL 19David LyonsSH 20Chris WhitakerFH 21James HolbeckFB 22Chris LathamCoach:Rod Macqueen FB 15 Matt PerryRW 14 Dafydd JamesOC 13 Brian O'DriscollIC 12 Rob HendersonLW 11 Jason RobinsonFH 10 Jonny WilkinsonSH 9 Matt DawsonN8 8 Scott QuinnellOF 7 Neil BackBF 6 Martin CorryRL 5 Danny GrewcockLL 4 Martin Johnson (c)TP 3 Phil VickeryHK 2 Keith WoodLP 1 Tom SmithReplacements:PR 16 Darren MorrisHK 17 Dorian WestFL 18 Colin CharvisFL 19 Martyn WilliamsFH 20 Ronan O'GaraSH 21 Andy NicolFB 22 Iain BalshawCoach:Graham Henry
Television coverage In Australia, Seven Network and Fox Sports jointly televised the British & Irish Lions matches. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, matches were shown on Sky Sports.
External links Australia 2001 on lionsrugby.com – official website Australia 2001 on lions-tour.com