An introduction to the 1971 British Isles Lions shirt. Our inspiration: the Ellis Rugby shirt is inspired by the famous 1971 British Isles Lions team, captained by John Dawes and coached by Carwyn James. The 1971 British Lions tourists stand out above all other Lions teams. They went to New Zealand and surprised the All Blacks by winning the series. Their win, by two tests to one with one drawn, was an incredible achievement.
Their first match in New Zealand ended in a 21-9 win over Otago. Then came the nine-try 47-9 thrashing of a highly respected Wellington. The week before the first test there was the brutal clash with Canterbury, which the Lions won 14-3. The All Blacks put the Lions under pressure for most of the first test, but the Lions still managed to win 9-3. McLauchlan charged down an All Blacks kick for a try in the first half and Barry John added two penalties in the second half. The win was built on Barry John's extraordinary display of tactical kicking.
In the second test the All Blacks hit back, winning 22-12. The All Blacks scored five tries, including two by Bob Burgess and a remarkable solo effort by Ian Kirkpatrick. In reply, the Lions scored two tries through Gerald Davies. The British Lions' best back line.
In the third test the Lions played exciting rugby. In the first 20 minutes in Wellington their back division played really well: John Dawes and Mike Gibson in the centre, world-class wings Duckham and Gerald Davies, the legendary JPR Williams at full-back, and the Gareth Edwards and Barry John half-back pairing. The Lions led 13-0. Barry John dropped a goal in the third minute, then came two wonderful breaks by Edwards. The second led to tries by Gerald Davies and Barry John, and Barry John converted both. The All Blacks scored a try through Laurie Mains, but the final score was 13-3.
Leading 2-1, the Lions went into the last test in Auckland. The All Blacks were eight points ahead early in the match, but Barry John kicked a penalty and Peter Dixon scored a try from a lineout. Barry John's conversion made it 8-8 at half-time, and he put them ahead after the break. The All Blacks drew level with a try by Tom Lister. Then came JPR Williams' incredible 45-metre drop goal. Laurie Mains kicked a penalty to level the score eight minutes from the end, but it finished 14-14 at the final whistle and the Lions had won the series.