Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll is carted off the field after being seriously injured in the first test of the Lions' 2005 tour of New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll is carted off the field after being seriously injured in the first test of the Lions' 2005 tour of New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the first test between the All Blacks and the Lions in 2005 and one of the most controversial moments in rugby history.
The All Blacks won 21-3, but the biggest talking point of the game – and arguably the series – came after just41 seconds. Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll was spear-tackled by All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu.
The Herald looks back on the incident that ended O’Driscoll’s tour and remains a contentious talking point in world rugby. New Zealand beat the Lions comfortably in each test match to win the series 3-0.
What happened?
The Lions arrived in New Zealand with a huge entourage behind them and they were desperate to atone for their 2-1 series defeat in Australia four years earlier.
Sir Clive Woodward was head coach and after winning the 2003 World Cup with England Downunder, the Lions fancied their chances of winning their first test series in New Zealand since 1971.
The Lions hardly cruised through their warm-up games and they were beaten 19-13 by the New Zealand Māori team two weeks before the first test in Christchurch.
British and Irish Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll (centre) stands with his teammates as they watch the All Blacks perform a haka. Photo / Mark Baker
Jonny Wilkinson kicked off, but the All Blacks were soon in the Lions’ half and a ruck was formed close to the right touchline.
O’Driscoll was attempting to clear the ruck favourably for his own team but he was met by Mealamu and Umaga.
The ball cleared the ruck and O’Driscoll soon found himself upside-down in mid air and dangerously dumped to the floor by the two All Blacks.
The tackle ended his tour in the very first minute as he dislocated his right shoulder, forcing him out of the game for six months.
Mealamu and Umaga received no punishment on the field and O’Driscoll was stretchered off in agony. The All Blacks coasted to a comfortable win.
The aftermath
The Lions were very bitter and presented video evidence to push for sanctions for Mealamu and Umaga. Their appeals were futile as the pair escaped any retrospective punishment because there was no clear angle of O’Driscoll getting turned upside-down and no case to answer, according to the South African citing officer.
A screenshot of the Mealamu-Umaga tackle on O'Driscoll.
When Woodward complained, he was accused of taking the spotlight off the Lions’ poor showing in the first test. All the subsequent press conferences were, of course, held by the NZRFU, who were attempting to contain the row.
The Lions employed famous spin doctor Alistair Campbell for the tour but he couldn’t push the Lions’ claims any further.
Umaga branded O’Driscoll a “sook”, and he claimed he was victimised in the media.
O’Driscoll described it as “deliberate foul play, dangerous, a cheap shot”. He said he felt “angry, cheated” and disappointed that fellow captain Umaga hadn’t come over when he left the field on a stretcher.
In his book, Umaga said: “The sustained personal attack they [the Lions] launched against me was hard to believe and even harder to stomach. You don’t want to take it personally but it’s almost impossible not to when another player, a guy you had some respect for, attacks your character in the most direct and damning terms.”
O’Driscoll watched from the sidelines as the All Blacks romped to victory in the final two tests.
Amateur footage filmed by an Irish supporter emerged months after the tour, which prompted the IRB to respond with: “We are determined that such tackles are removed from the game. They’re totally unacceptable and have absolutely no place in rugby.”
Former All Blacks head coach Graham Henry was asked to respond to the new footage and, without watching, said: “I just think it’s ridiculous, quite frankly.”
Henry was asked four months after the Lions tour and he, like everyone else, was keen to move on.
We have more camera angles in high definition than ever and you would hope that if something similar were to happen today, retrospective action would take place swiftly and the right action would be taken.
O’Driscoll and Umaga met in person for the first time since it happened in Nice in 2009.
The pair spoke and neither discussed what happened in 2005.
Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll leaves the field injured during the first test in 2005. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A section from O’Driscoll’s book suggests it’s not a matter he’s particularly keen to discuss.
“Can you remind us about what happened? - I’d rather not.
Do you think you were targeted, deliberately taken out? - No.
Do you think they meant to injure you? - No.
So it wasn’t malicious? - No. It was two guys trying to put down a marker in the first minute. But it was incredibly careless.
Are you still bitter about it? - I’m not bitter, I’m just bored."
Would O’Driscoll have made a difference in the three tests? Certainly. Would he have prevented defeat in the series? Almost certainly not. The All Blacks were far superior in every aspect.
