Great moments in Lions tour history – JPR’s drop goal and the All Blacks' brutal revenge

There’s been something missing from the 2017 Britsh & Irish Lions tour. It’s not the old school rucking, that’s been gone for years. It’s not the allegations of sepretism among the four unions, because that’ll come out tomorrow if the Lions get a hiding. It’s certainly not the volume of noise generated by visiting fans, because that’s reached record levels.

When it comes to Northern Hemisphere rugby, we in the south often equate it with one specific, deliberate act on the rugby field. Kicking drop goals isn’t easy, but it’s a handy way to convert good possession and territory into points if your backs lack the creativity to score tries.

So why haven’t we seen any on the tour so far?

As it stands, the only noteworthy attempt in any of the matches so far was a long range effort by Dan Biggar to try and break a 31-all deadlock with the Hurricanes.

46 years ago, one legendary player certainly did land the most important droppie in Lions history – and it was at the now seemingly impregnable fortress of Eden Park that it happened.

Welshman John Peter Rhys Williams is known for a lot of things: revolutionising the way that the position of fullback is played, having his socks around his ankles long before it was cool, and a distinct commitment to sideburns and long hair.

He’d later become known as JPR, but on the 1971 Lions tour to NZ he was still just ‘John Williams’. To ease the tension on the bus to the dramatic and deciding fourth test at Eden Park, he suddenly piped up and told his team mates ‘I think I’m going to drop a goal today!’

A pretty-boy fullback who had never kicked a drop goal before tells everyone that he was planning on giving it a try in the biggest game of their lives. It might not have been the greatest pre-match speech, but the unkempt youngster delivered.

Remember, that was back in 1971 when the art of ground maintenance wasn’t exactly what it is today. Eden Park would’ve been a hell of a lot boggier that day, so to slam one home from about 50m on the angle is incredibly impressive.

That gave the Lions a 14-11 lead, which the All Blacks equaled but couldn’t beat. It meant the series ended in a 2-1 triumph for the Lions, the only time they’ve left New Zealand as winners.

However, that isn’t the end of the tale. Seven years later, when the All Blacks toured the UK, JPR Williams found himself on the wrong side of a ruck while playing for his club side Bridgend.

All Black prop John Ashworth couldn’t help himself and stomped on Williams’ face. The fullback’s own father put 30 stitches in his face and sent him back out on the field, an almost unbelievable set of circumstances that could’ve only happened in the crazy old days of on-field ultra-violence.

Was JPR’s face mangled in retribution for his audacious series winning drop goal and (for those days) over exuberant celebration? Potentially, but today’s Lions can probably rest easy if they’re thinking about emulating his drop kick.

Given that the All Blacks are the only ones getting pulled up for foul play in this series, it will be the inevitable red card that will cost them the series – if it hasn’t already.