Watch: British & Irish Lions v Barbarians – 12 years on from the game that set the 2013 Australia tour in motion

On June 20, 2025, the British and Irish Lions will face Argentina in Dublin in a warm-up match before they head to Australia to begin their tour.

The last time the British and Irish Lions travelled to Australia, they stopped off in Hong Kong on the way, facing the Barbarians for the first time since 1977.

The stacked line-ups promised a highly competitive event, with both sides harbouring some of the greatest players in the world at that time.

The Lions, led by Paul O’Connell, were bolstered by a primarily Welsh set-up, with the likes of Taulupe Faletau, Jamie Roberts and Mike Phillips all very much in their prime.

This Lions squad would very famously go on to win their tour of Australia, thanks in part to the trusty boot of Leigh Halfpenny, with their overall quality levels on full display in this pre-tour invitational clash.

Lions v Barbarians: One-way traffic

Despite the Barbarians boasting the likes of Joe Rokocoko, Sergio Parisse and Dimitri Yachvili, their lack of training and team cohesion truly showed against a side that had been building for weeks.

The touring side demolished the invitational side by 51 points, rampaging through the shocked Barbarians outfit. With temperatures soaring and humidity reaching 94%, the greater fitness level of the Lions told, as the Baa-Baas struggled to keep the pace.

Tries from O’Connell and Phillips set the standard in the first half, while an all-Welsh contribution from Jonathan Davies, Alex Cuthbert (two), Dan Lydiate and Alun Wyn Jones completed the obliteration in the second.

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Owen Farrell v Schalk Brits

Despite the one-way nature of the match, it wasn’t without controversy. 21-year-old Owen Farrell was famously involved in a fracas with his Saracens teammate Schalk Brits.

The Barbarians hooker appeared to throw his elbow into the side of Farrell’s head after an altercation off the ball. The future England captain took exception to this Brits outburst, grabbing the South African from behind and tearing him to the ground.

Fortunately for Farrell, he faced no repercussions as his retaliation was deemed not to have made contact with the face of Brits.

Watch the highlights below: