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1974 British Lions Tour to South Africa
Date	15 May  – 27 July
Coach(es)	Syd Millar
Tour captain(s)	Willie John McBride
Test series winners	British Lions (3–0)
Top test point scorer(s)	Phil Bennett (26)
← New Zealand 1971 New Zealand 1977 →

In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia (which would later become Namibia and Zimbabwe respectively). The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and being held to a draw in the last game - the fourth and final test against South Africa.

After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test when the South African referee blew the final whistle four minutes early with the Lions two metres from the South African try line, thus preserving their unbeaten record, but denying them a tour whitewash.

Violence and 99

The test series was beset by violence. The management of the Lions unilaterally declared that in their opinion the Springboks dominated their opponents with physical aggression because of their famous size advantage, 'off the ball' and 'blind side' play. In the buildup games, and in McBride's previous tours of South Africa, provincial sides had tended to use their physical size, late tackling and dirty play to deliberately intimidate and injure Lions players prior to Test matches. McBride again saw this tactic of targeting certain players being used by the provinces in '74, and decided that the '99 call' (originally the '999 call' but it was too slow to shout out) was meant to show that the Lions were a team and would not take any more of the violence being meted out to them. It was a harsh response to what the team were facing, but intended to show that the Lions would act as one and fight unsporting behaviour with more of the same. The idea was that the referee would be unlikely to send off all of the Lions if they all attacked. At the 'Battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium', in Port Elizabeth, one of the most violent matches in rugby history, there is famous video footage of JPR Williams running over half of the pitch and launching himself at Moaner van Heerden after such a call. Although an extreme response, the 99 call was only used once (according to McBride), as it sent out the message that the Lions were willing and more than able to respond in kind and protect themselves.

Squad

Management

• Manager Alun Thomas (Wales)


• Coach Syd Millar (Ireland)

Backline

Fullbacks:

• 
  JPR Williams (London Welsh and Wales)


• 
  Andy Irvine (Heriot's FP and Scotland)

Wings:

• 
  Tom Grace (St Mary's College RFC and Ireland)


• 
  J.J. Williams (Llanelli and Wales)


• 
  William Steele (Bedford and R.A.F. and Scotland)


• 
  Clive Rees (London Welsh and Wales)


• 
  Alan Morley (Bristol and England) as replacement

Centres:

• 
  Richard Milliken (Bangor and Ireland)


• 
  Ian McGeechan (Headingley and Scotland)


• 
  Roy Bergiers (Llanelli and Wales)


• 
  Geoff Evans (Coventry and England)

Flyhalves:

• 
  Phil Bennett (Llanelli and Wales)


• 
  Alan Old (Leicester and England)


• 
  Mike Gibson (North of Ireland FC and Ireland) as replacement

Scrumhalves:

• 
  Gareth Edwards (Cardiff and Wales)


• 
  John Moloney (St. Mary's College and Ireland)

Forwards

Hookers

• 
  Bobby Windsor (Pontypool and Wales)


• 
  Ken Kennedy (London Irish and Ireland)

Props

• 
  Ian McLauchlan (Jordanhill College RFC and Scotland)


• 
  Sandy Carmichael (West of Scotland and Scotland)


• 
  Fran Cotton (Coventry and England)


• 
  Mike Burton (Gloucester and England)

Locks

• 
  Willie John McBride (capt) (Ballymena and Ireland)


• 
  Chris Ralston (Richmond and England)


• 
  Gordon Brown (West of Scotland and Scotland)


• 
  Roger Uttley (Gosforth and England)

Loose Forwards

• 
  Fergus Slattery (Blackrock College and Ireland)


• 
  Stewart McKinney (Dungannon and Ireland)


• 
  Tom David (Llanelli and Wales)


• 
  Tony Neary (Broughton Park and England)


• 
  Andy Ripley (Rosslyn Park and England)


• 
  Mervyn Davies (Swansea and Wales)

Results

The matches

First Test

8 June 1974

South Africa	3–12	British Lions
Drop: Snyman		Pen: Bennett (3) Drop: Edwards

Referee: M Baise

South Africa: Ian McCallum, Chris Pope, Johan Oosthuizen, Peter Whipp, Gert Muller, Dawie Snyman, Roy McCallum, Morne du Plessis, Jan Ellis, Jan Boland Coetzee, John Williams, Kevin de Klerk, Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Sakkie Sauerman

Lions: JPR Williams, Steele, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Williams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan

Second Test

22 June 1974

South Africa	9–28	British Lions
Pen: Bosch (2) Drop: Bosch		Try: J.J. Williams (2) Bennett Brown Milliken Con: Bennett Pen: Bennett Drop: Ian McGeechan

Attendance: 63,000 Referee: C de Bruyn

South Africa: Ian McCallum (replaced Snyman, replaced Vogel), Chris Pope, Jackie Snyman, Peter Whipp, Gerrie Germishuys, Gerald Bosch, Paul Bayvel, Dugald MacDonald, Jan Ellis, Morne du Plessis, John Williams, Kevin de Klerk, Hannes Marais (c), Dave Frederickson, Nic Bezuidenhoudt

Lions: JPR Williams, Steele, Milliken, McGeechan, JJ Williams, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan

Third Test

13 July 1974

South Africa	9–26	British Lions
Pen: Snyman		Try: Brown J.J. Williams (2) Con: Irvine Pen: Irvine (2) Drop:Bennett (2)

Attendance: 55,000 Referee: C de Bruyn

South Africa: Tonie Roux, Chris Pope, Peter Cronje, Jan Schlebusch, Gert Muller, Jackie Snyman, Gerrie Sonnekus, Klippies Kritzinger, Jan Ellis, Polla Fourie, Johan de Bruyn, Moaner van Heerden (replaced by De Klerk), Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Nic Bezuidenhoudt

Lions: JPR Williams, Irvine, JJ Wiliams, McGeechan, Milliken, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Brown, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan

Fourth Test

27 July 1974

South Africa	13–13	British Lions
Try: Cronje Pen:Snyman (3)		Try: Uttley Irvine Con Bennett Pen: Irvine

Attendance: 75,000 Referee: M Baise

South Africa: Tonie Roux, Chris Pope, Peter Cronje, Jan Schlebusch, Gert Muller, Jackie Snyman, Paul Bayvel, Kleintjie Grobler, Jan Ellis, Klippies Kritzinger, John Williams, Moaner van Heerden, Hannes Marais (c), Piston van Wyk, Nic Bezuidenhoudt (replaced by Stander)

Lions: JPR Williams, Irvine, JJ Williams, McGeechan, Milliken, Bennett, Edwards, Davies, Uttley, Slattery, Ralston, McBride (c), Cotton, Windsor, McLauchlan

References

• 
  J.B.G. Thomas (1974) The greatest Lions (Pelham Books)


• 
  Jenkins, Vivian (1975). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1975–76. Brickfield Publications Limited. ISBN 0-362-00221-5..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
  

External links

• 1974 British Lions tour to South Africa at Lions Rugby