Fans during The British and Irish Lions second tour match against the Blues at Eden Park, Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Fans during The British and Irish Lions second tour match against the Blues at Eden Park, Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Lions wing Shane Williams scored five tries against Manawatu in 2005.
Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North
The scene of a massacre during the 2005 tour. Second-division battlers Manawatu were up against it facing a Lions side that were out for revenge in Palmerston North after a lacklustre showing in the first test.
Welsh winger Shane Williams scored five tries asthe tourists mounted a cricket score, winning 109-6.
In total the Lions racked up 17 tries against a side made up of part-timers.
Now closed after being severely damaged in the 2011 earthquake, Lancaster Park played host to two controversial games featuring incidents where Lions players came off second-best.
The infamous ill-tempered 1971 clash between the visitors and Canterbury saw the Lions' two best props - Ray McLoughlin and Sandy Carmichael - forced to return home with tour-ending injuries.
Irishman Fergus Slattery was punched in the face after unwisely hanging on to Grizz Wylie's jersey in a line-out, and there were several other sporadic outbursts of fighting during the game.
During the Lions tour in 2005, a bitterly cold Lancaster Park was the venue for the opening test of the series against the All Blacks.
Less than two minutes into the game Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll was lifted and slammed into the ground by All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu.
O'Driscoll dislocated his shoulder and his tour was ended in the first minute of the first test. Mealamu and Umaga received no punishment on the field and O'Driscoll was stretchered off in agony, and the All Blacks coasted to a comfortable win.
Lancaster Park hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Lions sides. Not even the 1971 squad - the only Lions team to have beaten the All Blacks in a test series in New Zealand - could win there, losing 22-12.
Sir Colin Meads runs with the ball against the Lions in 1971.
Meads farm, Te Kuiti
The breeding ground for two All Blacks, the legendary Sir Colin "Pinetree" Meads and his brother Stan.
The elder Meads said the Lions held a special place in his heart having played them so often. He played in two series wins against the Lions, and his final four tests came against them as captain of the losing All Blacks side in 1971.
Sir Colin told allblacks.com he found it hard to separate the Springboks from the Lions as his greatest rival.
A statue of Sir Colin, 80, is set to be unveiled in his hometown of Te Kuiti this month, meaning Lions fans will be able to make the pilgrimage to the King Country to get a glimpse of the All Black legend immortalised.
Don Clarke's boot, on display at the New Zealand Rugby Museum. Photo / Mark Mitchell
New Zealand Rugby Museum, Palmerston North
A must visit for Lions fans who may need a history lesson to remember the last time their team was successful in New Zealand.
The museum showcases rugby relics across each decade from 1870 to the 2010s, and was revamped in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Exhibits follow a chronological history of rugby in New Zealand while at the same time covering social developments in New Zealand as a whole.
Members of the Red Army who may find themselves despondent if the form of their side fails to improve will be able to reminisce on the 1971 tour, the only time the Lions managed to win a test series in New Zealand.
(L to R) Jordie, Scott and Beauden Barrett. Photo / Martin Hunter
Barrett family farm, Taranaki
Lions fans had better get used to the name - three of the Barrett brothers have been named in the All Black squad to face the tourists this year.
Beauden, Scott and Jordie were all picked to face the Lions, the first time three brothers have all been selected in the same All Blacks squad.
The Barrett rugby dynasty extends beyond the three All Blacks, as eldest brother Kane and dad Kevin "Smiley" Barrett both played Super Rugby.
The Red Army might learn a thing or two on how to produce talented rugby players with a visit to the Barrett family farm, or their former high school Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth.
In a famous quote, dad Kevin was asked what he planned to do after making the last of his 167 appearances for Taranaki - "I'm gonna go breed some All Blacks".
