Ella, Horan, Giteau: Wallabies greats who never played a Test against the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions tours are once in a lifetime opportunities, and while many legends took on the Lions, there’s a few Wallabies greats who never had the chance to play a Test against the team. See the list here.
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For the Wallabies, the British and Irish Lions tours to Australia really are once in a lifetime opportunities.
Like everything, there have been some rare exceptions.
Since the Lions first played the Wallabies in 1899, four men have played them in more than one series.
Three - Tony Miller, John Thornett and Peter Thomson - played the Lions in 1959 and again in 1966 when the margin between visits was temporarily shortened to seven years.
But in the modern era, when Lions tours to Australia are separated by 12 year gaps, only George Smith has played for the Wallabies in two successive series.
The vast majority only get one shot at it and those that do can consider themselves lucky because plenty never got the chance at all, because of the timing, injuries or misfortune.
The list of great players who never played a Test against the Lions is a who’s who of Australian rugby. Of the 15 players who started in the Wallabies team that won the 1991 World Cup, just four played Tests against the Lions.
Almost two-thirds of all the men who have captained the Wallabies over the last half century never played a single Test against the combined might of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
One of them is the legendary Tim Horan, the two-time World Cup winner, who did it all during his stellar career, except play a Test against the Lions.
Horan actually made two run-on appearances against the Lions when he was a teenager in 1989, for Australia A and Queensland B.
Still uncapped, he was also chosen in the Wallabies squad for each of the three Tests that year but didn’t get on the field and had to wait until after the series to make his Test debut against the All Blacks.
A dozen seasons later, with 80 Test appearances to his name and every accolade the game offers, Horan played his final test in 2000, a year before the Lions were due back in Australia, but has no regrets at the timing and still considers himself one of the fortunate ones because others never got to experience playing the Lions at all.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to play them because you’ve got to be born at the right time and peaking with the Wallabies at the right time,” Horan told this masthead.
“It’s all about when you were born and timing. Sometimes you get the chance to play them. I’d just turned 19 when I played them and just left the year before, so I was in that sweet spot.
“I’m lucky I got a chance as a 19-year-old to play against them and sit on the bench.
“At the time I was just happy to be a Wallaby sitting on the bench, but when you look back it would have been nice to have a Test cap against the Lions.”
Champion Wallabies who never played a Test against the Lions
Tony Daly (prop)
Made his Test debut in 1989 against New Zealand just after the Lions tour.
Scored the only try in Australia’s 1991 World Cup final win over England at Twickenham.
Played his final Test at the 1995 World Cup.
Mark Ella (five-eighth)
One of all the all-time greats. Made his Wallabies debut in 1980.
Played 25 Tests, captaining his country 10 times, and famously scored a try in each Test of the 1984 Grand Slam tour before his shock retirement at age 25.
Bernard Foley (five-eighth)
The ‘Iceman’ made his Test debut in the final round of the 2013 Rugby Championship, just months after the last Lions series.
Played a star role in helping the Wallabies reach the 2015 World Cup final.
Matt Giteau (centre)
Made his Test debut on the 2002 Spring Tour and played his final Test in 2016 but was not selected for four years, from 2011 to 2015, which meant missing the 2013 Lions series, after he relocated to France.
Roger Gould (fullback)
One of Australia’s greatest fullbacks from the amateur era, helped the Wallabies win the Bledisloe Cup in 1982 and complete the Grand Slam in 1984. Retired after getting injured during the inaugural World Cup in 1987.
Tim Horan (centre)
A legend of the game who ranks among the greatest to have ever laced up the boots. A two-time World Cup winner, Horan played 12 seasons for the Wallabies, sandwiched between two Lions tours, but did at least play against them for Australia A and Queensland.
Phil Kearns (hooker)
Another hall-of-famer who made his debut in the same 1989 Bledisloe Cup match as Tim Horan and Tony Daly. Started in the 1991 World Cup final, went on to captain his country, and made his last international appearance at the 1999 World Cup.
Jason Little (centre)
Another two-time World Cup winner whose career was sandwiched between the 1989 and 2001 Lions tours. Made his debut as Horan’s centre partner on the 1989 end of season tour to Europe then retired in 2000.
Ewen McKenzie (prop)
One of Australia’s greatest tighthead props. Debuted in 1990, won a World Cup the following year, then hung up his boots in 1997. Was appointed Wallabies head coach when Robbie Deans resigned after the 2013 Lions series.
Drew Mitchell (wing)
Like Matt Giteau, Mitchell had a long and successful career with the Wallabies but wasn’t considered for the 2013 Lions tour because he was playing club rugby in France. He was recalled for the 2015 World Cup side after a change in selection policy.
Stirling Mortlock (centre)
One of Australia’s best midfielders, whose timing was just a little off.
He made his Wallabies debut the year after they won the 1999 World Cup then missed out on the 2001 Lions series after undergoing a full shoulder reconstruction.
Willie Ofahengaue (loose forward)
Born and raised in Tonga, ‘Willie O’ finished his schooling in Auckland and was chosen for the 1989 New Zealand schoolboys tour of Australia. Left behind in Sydney because of a visa issue, he stayed in Australia, made his Wallabies debut in 1990 and was part of the World Cup winning side in 1991 before retiring in 1998.
David Pocock (flanker)
Made his Wallabies debut in 2008 at age 20 and ascended to the national captaincy by 2012 after brilliant showing at the 2011 World Cup. Forced to sit out the 2013 Lions series after undergoing a knee reconstruction.
Simon Poidevin (flanker)
Legend of the game, who did it all. He won a World Cup, Bledisloe Cups, was part of the 1984 Grand Slam team and skippered the Wallabies. He briefly retired in 1988 and was unavailable for the 1989 Lions tour despite calls for him to return. He did, but only after the series ended.
Nathan Sharpe (lock)
Capped 116 times by the Wallabies, including 20 as captain. Sharpe made his Test debut in 2002, a year after a Lions tour, then retired in 2012, a year before the next Lions tour. Although it wasn’t a Test, he played for Queensland against the Lions in 2001.
Andrew Slack (centre)
Forever remembered as the captain of the mighty Wallabies side that achieved the grand slam in 1984. He also led Australia at the first-ever World Cup in 1987, where the Wallabies finished fourth. Retired two years before the Lions visited.
David Wilson (flanker)
Tough as nails openside who made his debut the year in 1992. Started in the Wallabies side that won the 1999 World Cup before calling it a day in 2000.
Originally published as Ella, Horan, Giteau: Wallabies greats who never played a Test against the British and Irish Lions
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