1971 Lions heroes recall how they tamed mighty All Blacks

The survivors of the ‘battle of Christchurch’ gathered in Dublin on Saturday night to swap old war stories.

Pictured above at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on Saturday are the 1971 British & Irish Lions at the reunion dinner. Back row – left to right: Ian McLauchlan, Peter Dixon, Mike Roberts, Derek Quinnell, Geoff Evans, Mick Hipwell, David Duckham, Joe Schmidt, Barry John, Alistair Biggar, Delme Thomas, JPR Williams, Frank Laidlaw, Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Fergus Slattery. Front row – left to right: John Taylor, Sean Lynch, Sandy Carmichael, John Dawes (captain), Chico Hopkins, Gareth Edwards, Ray McLoughlin. Pic: Inpho.

In its more excitable moments, Sky Sports was inclined to call this summer’s Lions tour ‘rugby’s greatest odyssey’.