Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: All Blacks sneak the 1st Test against the British Lions in 1993

Monday, July 13, 2009

All Blacks sneak the 1st Test against the British Lions in 1993

As the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa has come to an end with the usual discussions about refereeing, as well as a famous last minute penalty, we’ve had a request for some footage from a match in 1993 that featured much of the same.

The ’93 Lions were the last of the amateur era. Led by Gavin Hastings, they were coached by Ian McGeechan, who upon taking the reigns became the first man to coach the Lions twice.

The makeup of the squad was entirely different to what we’ve seen this year, as it was dominated by English players, with no less than 17 of the 30 players on tour, the most ever.

The first Test took place in Christchurch, ending in a narrow 20-18 win for the All Blacks who scored a controversial try within two minutes of kick off as Frank Bunce dived over after collecting a Grant Fox high kick.

The Lions came back strongly and played some good rugby in the second half, as Hastings and Fox exchanged penalties. The Lions led 18-17 with little time left, before Australian referee Brian Kinsey awarded a hotly disputed penalty.

Fox coolly slotted the kick, snatching the win away from the Lions, causing anger amongst Lions fans and coaching staff.

The All Blacks went on to win the series 2-1, and we’ll show you footage from the other two matches if you’re interested.

In his report after the tour, Lions coach Ian McGeechan highlighted the differences between the approaches of the northern and southern hemispheres.

He said that the north plays a more static game, which is in contrast to the south’s dynamism and continuity. It’s now sixteen years later, and the debate continues.

Look out for some superb play by Jerry Guscott, as well as a great run and big hit by Inga ‘The Winger’ Tuigamala.

Time: 08:08

Some of the wrost refereeeing ever!

1. The "try" that Bunce was given was never a try.
2. The last minute penalty was crap. Bunce was stopped by an Andrew tackle, and wrapped up and turned by Dean Richards. The ball was coming back the Lions's die and the ref gave a penalty to the All Blacks. Unbelievable!

The All Blacks played no rugby in this series until the 3rd test. The Lions played even less.

All Blacks scored 5 tries to 2 in the series.

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 3:45 pm
That is some tragic refereeing. also, the commentator who complains about rob andrew being offside is a moron. watching a repeat he is perfectly onside its only because the ball is passed back ten metres that the player is tackled so far behind the advantage line. idiot.

By Joe, at July 13, 2009 4:01 pm
I'm thinking that the try in the 3rd minute was indeed a try. There was direct downward pressure from the AB player, regardless of the Brit hanging on to the ball.

However, the penalty at the end was bullshit. The Lions should have won that match, and the series.

And i'm pretty sure the Lions would have won this series as well, except for some horrible reffing decisions...

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 4:34 pm
And the 3rd comment is mine... just to put a name to it...

By Dan, at July 13, 2009 4:35 pm
This vid has just been put here to start arguments. Simple as that.

By KeepItRelevant, at July 13, 2009 4:37 pm
No smartass, THIS is why it was put up here.

That, and because it's a great piece of classic footage that many might not have seen before.

Cheers

By Scotsdale, at July 13, 2009 5:11 pm
looks like a cracking game. with the technology in 93 wouldnt have been able to depend if it was a try or not but hey was a cracking match. check out hastings tackle was huge!!!!

By pete, at July 13, 2009 5:30 pm
Hastings taken out in the air on the 1st minute.

Also after Guscott chipped around Bunce and regathered, Michael Jones pulled back Carling off the ball, which should have been a definite penalty try.....in the end the Lions just got a penalty.

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 5:35 pm
The last one WAS a penalty, not sure about the first try... It wouldn't be a problem with video technology.
About the penalty you can see how the Lions number 8 tackles and never roll away preventing from the floor that the other all blacks ruck over.

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 5:36 pm
richards was doing there what players like mccaw are internationally renowned for, winning the ball. if nz fans reckon its a penalty then theyll have to finally come to terms that mccaw is abit of a cheat. (i dont mind it, i think he gets away without cos hes abit cheeky and the ref cant believe that someone does stuff to blatantly illegal. makes me laugh more than anything)

pretty inconclusive replaying the try to see if there was downward pressure so would have been impossible for the ref to tell. best thing that could have been done in the days without 4th offical is to give 5m scrum to ABs

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 6:05 pm
The last minute penalty was Not a penalty. If you look, Ricahrds did not just flop down and stop the ball coming out. He was the tackler, her wrapped Bunce and turned him compeltely to the Lions side. The ruck came in ontop of him.....

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 6:35 pm
Funny how the poms are always being hardly done by, and always bleating like sheep, when they simply play rubbish rugby.

They couldn't beat the springboks, in spite of them having a braindead coach. The boks were there for the picking, and the poms were to shit to pull it off.

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 6:51 pm
Hastings wasn't aken out int he air, as there wasn't any protection for the jumper in those days.

Great kick by fox to win it.

I remember laying in bed watching this as a kid. Grate stuff, great memories - good work RD.

Also nice to see the forum has taken off again...

By goodNumber10, at July 13, 2009 8:28 pm
Love the typical arrogant New Zealand crowd booing and jeering whenever Hastings goes to take a kick at goal; really good sportsmanship and a credit to the morales of the game that right there...

By Anonymous, at July 13, 2009 11:18 pm
how times have changed?? 9 englishmen, 4 scots, 1 irish, 1 welsh...

By sacricketer, at July 13, 2009 11:23 pm
SH>NH

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 12:33 am
Ohh look i was right.

By KeepItRelevant, at July 14, 2009 3:19 am
Inga the winga.. reminds me of Tuilagi in full flight.. haha

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 4:16 am
The best part about this is that most of the forwards try to stay on their feet. Nobody diving on the ball to kill it. I would like to think that it's due to rucking, but it's probably just that there wasn't as much money in it back then.

Nice footage, thanks for posting.

By FrontRowBias, at July 14, 2009 4:18 am
4.18am...It's funny to see how clean the ruck ball is in this game. Rucking that produces the ball and the man who took the ball in to the ruck on a plate for the 9 with nobody pulling his shirt!!!

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 5:04 am
Yeah the Abs went on to win diz one like 3-0 aye, then game 2005 aye and den we dit eet again, aye. useless soft northerners aye lol. tana will break all of yous nex lol.

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 5:21 am
can i be the first to say...wtf?^^

By paddy2392, at July 14, 2009 8:58 am
It looked like a try to me, looked like he disposessed him, but no way to tell without the other camera angles.
Who knows if it was a penalty, who ever knows what's a penalty in the ruck, then or now? You could probably find a penalty in any ruck if you looked hard enough. The ball was being killed by someone in that ruck though.
As for being tackled in the air, that was legal when this test was played, the rule didn't exist.
To be honest the rugby on display isn't the greatest anyway, those teams would get killed by a modern team. They were only just going professional.

By Jon, at July 14, 2009 12:03 pm
NZ....choke....gag gag...choke

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 12:12 pm
Us kiwis will brake all of youse nex just like the opening minuts of the lions tour 2005 (3-0) lol. yeah tana broke youse guys aye

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 12:45 pm
looks like lions always lose their series because of unfair decisions
and win (sometimes) their series because of their "incredible" will

sour grapes..

few ref mistakes are part of rugby life

By Flooz, at July 14, 2009 12:54 pm
god please no...not again that "mccaw is a cheat" thing...

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 1:27 pm
The standard of refereeing has come along way since then

Bunce try may have been we didnt see ot from the other angle .....ref looked to be in a good position ......who knows

As far as the penalty goes ...what was it for . When the penalty was awarded Sean Fitzpatrick looks almost apologetic to the Lions

These are the sort of things rugby men will talk forever about in the pub over a few pints , great to see the footage again and great to start the debate again.

Thats what sport and in particular rugby is all about.

Please post the other 2 test match higlights , great web site

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 3:14 pm
McCaw is a cheat. Why is that a bad thing for an openside???

Anyway the last penalty. Guscott said that when the penalty was given the ABs looked very surprised to have gotten it. Even they expected it to be Lions ball.

By Abbyno7, at July 14, 2009 3:46 pm
Oh and to the guy who has an obsession with breaking 'nex' it's necks and it is guys like you who make AB fans look bad.

Paddy totally agree-WTF?????

By Abbyno7, at July 14, 2009 3:56 pm
miserable one eyed kiwi commentators, nothing changes eh

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 4:17 pm
1st try is hard to say as i don't know what the rules are. Lions player caught it and Kiwi player came in and tried to rip it. Does the fact that the Kiwi player probably had more control over the ball as it was placed over the line mean it was a try? or does the fact the Lions player caught it and was still holding on when it was placed mean it was a 5 meter scrum? anyone know the answer?

Anyway tough for the ref with no replays. Got to respect their decisions. The best team always wins no?

penalty at the end was very poor refing, can't understand that one.

By andy, at July 14, 2009 5:20 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ7iCGYluVU&feature=channel_page

Here is a compilation of All Black World Cup chokes for you to enjoy from CombatBok.....

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 7:04 pm
I don't see any issues with the first try - he had the ball clearly under him when he grounded it, and the Lions player was barely grasping it...TRY!

As for the last minute decision - someone show me how that was not a penalty - turned or not, he held him the entire time with his big "8" plainly visible to both the camera and everyone on that side of the stadium...clearly a penalty...

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 7:32 pm
Shit - I don't think I have enough time to watch all of the All Black chokes on Youtube.

I'll have to set aside a couple of hours tomorrow

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 8:41 pm
Bok fan here.

The all black chokers video is gRRRRRRRRRRRRReat......

The All Blacks are going get stuffed by the Boks in the Tri Nations..I cannot wait!

Broussouw is going to kill McCaw....watch him do the Broussouw bounce on the AB pack....gooo BOKS!

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 8:47 pm
Lions fans might be the biggest cry babies of all time.

If you are making excuses, you are losing.

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 10:00 pm
i didn't realise there were so many samoans on the all blacks in the early 90's(clarke, bunce?, tuigamala, jones, and brown)!!
seems like the inclusion of pacific islanders led to the slow demise of NZ domination!! lol

By Anonymous, at July 14, 2009 11:12 pm
I would love to see more footage of the other tests. I have read so much about them but never actually seen them. Thank you!

By Barry, at July 15, 2009 12:01 am
The second test was an absoute belter.

I remember Kirwan getting destroyed by Ben Clarke on a scissors move on the blind side, and then also getting hammered by Winterbottom.

Also remember Grant Fox juggling a pass from Kirwan and getting wiped out by Scott Gibbs.

By Anonymous, at July 15, 2009 12:41 am
Can't believe people would still debate the penalty decisions.
It was a long time ago, ya know?
Honestly, it's just rugby, the ref has a lot of say in this game, probably too much (that's why the IRB toyed with the ELVs, most of which have been kept).
The key is to play so well that you take the ref out of it. Easier said then done, obviously.
As an Australian fan, I could sit for ages and think of all the times we lost a test match on the back of penalties from the ref that I didn't agree with, but what would be the point. If we'd been good enough, it wouldn't have mattered.

By jon, at July 15, 2009 4:53 am
anonymous said.. i didn't realise there were so many samoans on the all blacks in the early 90's(clarke, bunce?, tuigamala, jones, and brown)!!
seems like the inclusion of pacific islanders led to the slow demise of NZ domination!! lol

There's something racist about that stupid comment, when you consider that players of Samoan descent have been amongst the best rugby players of this or any other era, including at least Jones and Bunce from this AB side (both of whom were born in Auckland by the way) .. and last time I looked the NZ "demise" has left them still at #1 in the world rankings. They recently won the Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup and had a Grand Slam tour of GB .. how dominant do you want them to get? What an idiot you really are.

By andyT, at July 22, 2009 3:39 pm