British and Irish Lions tour preview

TIGHT TUSSLE: A Bay of Plenty player tackles Lions halfback Bobby Windsor in Rotorua in 1977. PHOTO: getty images

British and Irish Lions Tour

Every time the British and Irish Lions have ventured into the Bay of Plenty they have been well and truly tested by the Steamers.

They played five times in Rotorua and once in Tauranga between 1959 and 2005 with each of the games highly competitive. There was a 6-6 draw in 1966 and in 1971 Bay of Plenty came closer than any other province to knocking over the triumphant Lions team before losing 20-14.

Most recently the 2005 Lions tour opened with a dazzling game of rugby at Rotorua International Stadium which the Lions won 34-20 after a stirring comeback by the Steamers left the men in red rattled at the final whistle.

Many provincial players and All Blacks do not get a chance to play against the Lions because the tours are 12 years apart in the modern era.

If they are lucky they may get to play once but one of Bay of Plenty's greatest players had two cracks at the Lions and very nearly timed his luck to face the men in red three times.

Graeme Moore played 114 games in the blue and gold hoops between 1967 and 1980. He scored 62 tries, a record unlikely ever to be broken, including one of his best against the 1971 Lions.

That day at Tauranga Domain will never be forgotten by anyone lucky enough to be there.
In front of a scarcely believable crowd of 23,000 packed into the picturesque ground, Bay of Plenty came so close to beating the all-conquering Lions in the last game before the fourth and final test of the series.

Bay of Plenty fielded a formidable team and fancied their chances under the astute coaching of Ron Bryers.

In 104 seasons, 16 players have reached the magic number of 100 games for Bay of Plenty and six of them played against the 1971 Lions - Greg Rowlands (161), Dinny Mohi (156), Eddie Stokes (129), Alan McNaughton (122), Moore (114) and Jim Maniapoto (105).

Moore remembers the atmosphere was super-charged and "the amphitheatre created by temporary stands erected around the ground resembled a coliseum".

"It was something I never experienced before or since. For the full 80 minutes the crowd was absolutely amazing," Moore said.

"You felt like you were surrounded with your mates but it was our crowd. I do remember it and it is spine-tingling even now to think about it."

RECORD CROWD: Nearly 23,000 people crammed into Tauranga Domain to watch Bay of Plenty take on the British and Irish Lions. PHOTO: FILE

Bay of Plenty outscored the Lions by three tries to two, back in the days of three points per try, with Moore, fullback Bruce Trask and hooker Ron Walker touching down.

Moore's try was the most spectacular of the three as the winger cut inside his marker John Bevan and sprinted 35m to score under the posts late in the first half.

Moore remembers the move like it was yesterday.

"We got quick ball recycled by the forwards. I was out wide on the right wing heading towards the Mount end and it came out through quick passing to [centre] Eddie Stokes.

"They were one short and I cut back in and Eddie gave me the ball exactly where and when I needed it to best use what was there. I wasn't touched given Barry John pirouetted out of the way.

"I scored under the posts and I remember running through the posts towards the bowling green end after I scored."

During the match Bay of Plenty's forwards marched the Lions back 30m at a ruck which Moore says gave the Bay boys the feeling they could win.

"Up to then we may have thought we were out of our league, but when that happened everyone knew we could play them. It was a bit late as we probably waited 20 minutes waiting to see what they would do to us but from that point it was game on."

Moore believes the 1977 game in Rotorua was another that could have gone Bay of Plenty's way.

"Action aplenty as Lions defeat Bay of Plenty. Bright was the sunshine and brighter yet was the quality of the play," began Sir Terry McLean's report in the New Zealand Herald on August 10, 1977.

The Bay forwards were beaten in the set piece by the big Lions pack but scrapped relentlessly for the ball, for every inch of ground and were staunch in defence.

"They won enough ball for us to compete and it was a game we could have won, with four players in our backline in John Brake, Mark Taylor, Eddie Stokes and Greg Rowlands who had toured with the All Blacks in Argentina in 1976 plus Teddy Davis, NZ Maori halfback and NZ Under 21 rep Jim Kamizona," Moore said.

"We backed ourselves."

Moore - who many regard as one of the unluckiest players to never wear the All Blacks jersey - set up the try of the match.

"A personal highlight was our first-half try. We moved the ball quickly from a turnover inside our 22," he said.

"Lions captain Phil Bennett, who wasn't there for his tackling, made way for me and I was able to run 50m to link with Mark Taylor who scored in the corner. We were level 16-16 at halftime.

"The second half was a hard slog and I recall the relief on the part of the Lions and the utter disappointment of our team at the final whistle.

"The five penalty goals kicked by Phil Bennett for infringements that were a mystery to most observers gave them the win. They were lucky, and they knew it."

Moore is excited about the arrival of the British and Irish Lions, if a little concerned whether the touring side will be able to handle the tough itinerary.

"Lions games were like no other, due to the huge public interest and following. Pre the professional era, longer tours including provincial matches gave greater accessibility which added to the public interest," he said.

"The shorter tour and games against the Super franchises could make this a 'tour from hell' for them this year. Forty-odd players might not be enough. For the franchises, everyone that gets to play will be trying to prove to the All Blacks selectors that he should be in the All Blacks now or later.

"They are going to be more motivated than the Lions themselves."