Tales of the Tours: 1930 - Colour clash, cheating claims and George Nepia's swansong

Warren Gatland's British & Irish Lions are seeking just their second series win on New Zealand soil in the 129-year history of clashes between touring sides and New Zealand rugby's finest. As excitement grows for the three-test series - the country's most anticipated sporting event since the 2011 Rugby World Cup - the Herald looks back at the Lions' rich history of touring New Zealand.

Today: 1930

The Doug Prentice-captained British Lions arrived in New Zealand hungry for success - spurred on after the rampant form of the 1924-25 All Black Invincibles - and with a playing strip which would force the ABs to move away from their traditional black jerseys.

Six years earlier the Invincibles had won all 32 matches of their tour of the UK, France and Canada - in the process notching up test victories over Ireland, Wales, England and France.

Those defeats were a huge motivator for the Lions, who chose a navy blue playing jersey for the tour - a colour clash which forced the All Blacks to wear a white jersey in the four tests they played against the tourists.

"It was quite a controversy at the time in New Zealand," New Zealand Rugby Museum director Stephen Berg said.

"We were [then] known as the All Blacks - it was 37 years of wearing the black jersey. It did cause a bit of consternation. The British jersey was blue and had three lions on it, hence the name Lions."

The first test, in Dunedin, was the only win for the Lions. The score was 6-3.

The New Zealand Rugby Museum proudly displays both a white ABs jersey, and a Lions jersey, from that tour.

Berg said there was little doubt the pain the Invincibles inflicted on the scoreboard during their tour had proven to be a huge motivator for the Lions.

Ultimately that motivation wasn't good enough on the paddock though, with the All Blacks winning the 1930 series 3-1.

"They were really motivated to win," Berg said. "The British had an innate belief that they were good enough to win the series and were pretty disappointed with the outcome in the end - they lost a few games along the way as well as losing the test matches.

"[That frustration] came out a little bit in the manager's speech at the finish which wasn't necessarily as gracious as it could be. The manager in the speech at the end of the tour said that the All Blacks basically cheated by using a wing forward, that the wing forward position should be banned."

The second test, played at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, was won 13-10 by the All Blacks.

The Lions won the first test 6-3 in Dunedin, before losing the final three tests 13-10 in Christchurch, 15-10 in Auckland and 22-8 in Wellington.

"That tour was the first significant tour since the 1921 Springboks," rugby historian Clive Akers said.

"The 1930 tour followed on [from the Invincibles] and we wanted to make the statement that we were the best rugby nation in the world."

The series proved to be the swansong for one of our most famous and beloved All Blacks, the great George Nepia.

The fullback - who is looked on as East Coast rugby's favourite son - initially took the rugby world by storm on the Invincibles tour.

Crowd during British Lions vs New Zealand, 4th test, 1930. Photo / ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY

Akers said the fact Nepia played in all of the Invincibles' matches on the 1924-25 tour was an incredible achievement.

"There is no one around alive that saw George play live ... apparently he was very brilliant and very clever," Akers.

"A lot of his name is partly because he came from out in the sticks up on the East Coast."

It would be another 20 years before the Lions would return to New Zealand, due largely to the breakout of World War II in 1939.

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• Thanks to the New Zealand Rugby Museum, its director Stephen Berg and rugby historian Clive Akers.