His eleven changes from the team beaten 21-3 in Christchurch are the most made by any management between Tests since the Lions first started touring in 1891. There may be four positional changes among his selection, but only once before in 99 previous Lions internationals have there been so many changes in personnel.
You have to go back 46 years to the third Test of the 1959 tour to New Zealand, when the Lions didn’t even have a coach, to find a Test in which there were more changes of personnel. On that occasion the manager, Scotland’s Alf Wilson, his assistant, Ireland’s Ossie Glasgow, and the tour captain, Irish hooker Ronnie Dawson, made nine changes, one positional, from the side that went down 11-8 in Wellington in the second Test for the third in Christchurch.
Whilst Woodward was forced to make at least two changes following the injuries to Brian O’Driscoll and Richard Hill, the 1959 side had to deal with injuries to Peter Jackson, Dave Hewitt, Ken Scotland and Bev Risman behind the scrum and Noel Murphy up front.
The 1959 Lions had a squad of 30 players and called up two replacements for their 33 match trek through Australia, New Zealand and Canada compared to Woodward’s record-breaking half century. They won many admirers in New Zealand for their style of play, although they only won one of their four Tests.
They made eight changes, one positional, from the first to second Test; nine changes, one positional, from the second to third Test, and seven changes from the third to fourth Test. In 1950, also in New Zealand, the Lions made eight changes, one positional, from the third to fourth Test and there were eight changes, two positional, from the first to second Test in New Zealand in 1966.
Lions starting line-ups
1983
New Zealand 16 Lions 12, 1st Test
English – 2, Scottish – 2, Irish – 5, Welsh – 6
New Zealand 9 Lions 0, 2nd Test
English – 3, Scottish – 3, Irish – 6, Welsh – 3
New Zealand 15 Lions 8, 3rd Test
English – 4, Scottish – 5, Irish – 3, Welsh – 3
New Zealand 38 Lions 6, 4th Test
English – 4, Scottish – 3, Irish – 5, Welsh – 3
1989
Australia 30 Lions 12, 1st Test
English – 4, Scottish – 5, Irish – 1, Welsh – 5
Australia 12 Lions 19, 2nd Test
English – 8, Scottish – 4, Irish – 0, Welsh – 3
Australia 18 Lions 19, 3rd Test
English – 8, Scottish – 4, Irish – 0, Welsh – 3
1993
New Zealand 20 Lions 18, 1st Test
English – 9, Scottish – 4, Irish – 1, Welsh – 1
New Zealand 7 Lions 20, 2nd Test
English – 11, Scottish – 1, Irish – 1, Welsh – 2
New Zealand 30 Lions 13, 3rd Test
English – 11, Scottish – 1, Irish – 1, Welsh – 2
1997
South Africa 16 Lions 25, 1st Test
English – 6, Scottish – 3, Irish – 3, Welsh – 3
South Africa 15 Lions 18, 2nd Test
English – 7, Scottish – 3, Irish – 3, Welsh – 2
South Africa 35 Lions 16, 3rd Test
English – 9, Scottish – 2, Irish – 2, Welsh – 2
2001
Australia 13 Lions 29, 1st Test
English – 8, Scottish – 1, Irish – 3, Welsh – 3
Australia 35 Lions 14, 2nd Test
English – 8, Scottish – 1, Irish – 3, Welsh – 3
Australia 29 Lions 23, 3rd Test
English – 8, Scottish – 1, Irish – 3, Welsh – 3
2005
New Zealand 21 Lions 3, 1st Test
English – 8, Scottish – 0, Irish – 3, Welsh – 4
New Zealand v Lions, 2nd Test
English – 6, Scottish – 0, Irish – 3, Welsh – 6
