The 'lost' Lions of Argentina

The LIONS is a complete history of the British and Irish Rugby Union Team in that it includes chapters on three tours the side made to Argentina during the first half of the 20th century and which have generally been neglected in the telling of the Lions story.

British Isles sides, each billed as a Combinado Britanico, or Combined British Team, visited Argentina in 1910, 1927 and 1936.

However, because of the junior status of Argentine rugby at that time (it would be the better part of half a century before the Home Unions awarded caps for matches against the Pumas), these tours have long been overlooked as a part of Lions history.

However, the Argentina union considers the matches its national team played against the British and Irish visitors as their first Tests, while every aspect of the trip was identical to those of the other, higher-profile Lions tours.

The three expeditions were selected and run in the same manner as the better-known visits to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, and the players wore the same kit and badge.

They included many of the players and managers who would figure prominently in subsequent tours and, although the opposition on the field was generally weak, off-field entertainment was also in the usual vein - one senior politician found himself shampooed with tomato ketchup during a 1936 dinner - although in Argentina polo could be added to the requisites of golf and sight-seeing.

The Lions played six matches in Argentina in 1910, nine in 1927 and 10 in 1936. They won every one, averaging 36 points a match and conceding just two.

Although tours to New Zealand and South Africa had moved on from their initial missionary purpose to being gripping fights for global supremacy, the visits to Argentina maintained that early tradition of popularising the game in comparatively virgin territory.

The Lions' hosts, the River Plate Rugby Union, benefited both financially and tactically from their visits, although even as early as 1910 it was clear where the future strength of Argentine rugby would lie.

British captain John Raphael said of his opponents after the tour: "They shoved very hard in the scrums."