Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Following on from last week's column, where I ranked Ron Jarden as one of the finest All Blacks to play rugby for our country – this week Sideline Sid gives his thoughts on one of the best international rugby teams to visit our fair shores.

While the 1955 Australian visitors were the first international team that this writer saw, the British Lions tour in 1971 wins the prize as the best the best international team in his lifetime to visit New Zealand

In the far away days of the 1960's and 1970's, the major tours made by South Africa and the British Lions encompassed a three month tour with a four test series on the line.

The tourists travelled the length and breadth of the country and played the majority of the countries provincial sides and the New Zealand Maori and New Zealand Universities representatives.

The 1971 Lions were an outstanding team, who returned home with bragging rights after annexing the test series, following four titanic test-rugby battles.

Players such as Willie John McBride, goal kicking sharp shooter Barry John, JPR Williams, skipper John Dawes and speedster David Duckham became household names, in our rugby mad country in 1971.

The 24 match tour saw the tourists win all but two of their encounters. A second test loss and a 14 all draw in the deciding fourth test, were the only stains on their record of triumph.

Sideline Sid was lucky enough to be on sideline of three of the Lions encounters. The first was early in the tour, when they laid down the gauntlet defeating the New Zealand Maori team at Eden Park on the 2nd June 1971.

Led by legendary half-back Sid Going, the New Zealand Maori team were beaten 23-12, in front of 48 thousand spectators.

West Coast-Buller at Greymouth was the second occasion that this (now) grey headed writer, saw the 1971 Lions, who were steamrolling their way around the country.

David Duckham dazzled his opponents to run in six touchdowns. Leading 31 nil at the break, the Lions went on to take out the match 39-6, after solid home team fightback in the second spell.

It is beyond belief today that 20,000 Bay rugby fans were packed like sardines into the Tauranga Domain, to watch the Lions square off with Bay of Plenty on the 10th August 1971.

With scaffolding reaching for the sky around the ground, the Bay of Plenty fans weren't disappointed when their heroes served it up to the tourists.

The Lions had a narrow 12-8 lead at the half-way stage which set the scene for a dramatic second half.

With four minutes to go, hooker Ronnie Walker who played club rugby for Rangataua, crashed over to dot the ball down. With a 17-14 advantage to the visitors the crowd were in a frenzy, however, Barry John's drop kick in front of the posts in the last seconds of match, saw a relieved Lions team maintain their unbeaten provincial record, 20-14.

Amongst the Bay of Plenty heroes on the day were Bruce Trask who claimed a trifecta of points with a try, conversion and a penalty goal.

George Moore scored the other Bay of Plenty try, which resulted in the Bay of Plenty joining Taranaki as the only provincial sides to outscore the Lions in the try scoring stakes.