How it unfolded
Coached by Carwyn James and captained by John Dawes, the 1971 Lions were the first British and Irish side to hold their own against New Zealand's forward pack on tour. They won the first Test in Dunedin 9-3, lost the second in Christchurch 12-22, but took the third in Wellington 13-3, meaning the final Test in Auckland only needed a draw to seal the series. New Zealand took the early initiative, and the Lions spent most of the match chasing the game. The turning point was a drop goal of more than 40 yards from fullback JPR Williams, kicked from near the halfway line — the only drop goal he ever landed in his Test career, arriving in exactly this match. New Zealand pulled level again to finish 14-14, and the Lions won the series 2-1-1. Stand-off Barry John scored 191 points across the whole tour, earning him the nickname 'The King,' with Gareth Edwards, Mike Gibson and Willie John McBride forming the spine of the side. The Lions have not won a series in New Zealand since.
Why it still matters
This series proved, for the first and only time, that the British and Irish Lions could be more than a romantic institution — that it could actually beat the world's best team. Every Lions tour since has been measured against 1971. It was also the moment Wales's golden generation of the 1970s reached its international peak.