The first two Lions tours of South Africa – 1891 and 1896 – were nothing if not uneventful and effectively set the template for everything that has followed. Money was the driving force. Brendan Gallagher goes down memory lane in the Daily Telegraph.
"The 1891 tourists, however, were a true blue amateur mix of English Cambridge types and craggy Scotsman, not least their captain W E McLagen, who won 26 caps for Scotland. Against spirited but limited opposition, they won all 20 matches – the only Lions team in history to boast a perfect record – and comfortably won the three unofficial Tests.
"R L Aston, a huge 6ft 3in, 15 stone centre, was the star with 30 tries, a record that still stands. The toughest opposition were generally considered to be Griqualand West – who lost 3-0 – and by way of reward the Lions presented the Griquas with the Currie Cup, a superb trophy donated by the Lions patron Sir Donald Currie for that exact purpose. It soon became the trophy for South Africa's premier domestic competition."
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