Jones became only the seventh Lions player to be part of a Test match victory in the three major southern hemisphere nations thanks to the 24-21 victory t the Westpac Stadium. He was a 67th minute replacement in the third Test win over South Africa in 2009, won the first and third Tests in Australia in 2013 and now has a win under his belt in New Zealand.
Wales lock Rhys Williams and Irish wing Tony O’Reilly were winners with the Lions in South Africa in 1955 in the first and third Tests and in the fourth Test in New Zealand and two in Australia in 1959. Ieuan Evans, Jeremy Guscott and Jason Leonard were victors over the Wallabies in the second and third Tests in 1989, won the second Test in New Zealand in 1993 and all helped the Lions win the series in South Africa in 1997.
Guscott played in the first and second Test wins, Evans and Leonard played in the first Test and Leonard went on to play as a replacement in the 2001 first Test win over the Wallabies. Martin Johnson made his Lions Test debut in the win over the All Blacks in 1993, captained the side to victory in the first two Tests in South Africa in 1997 and then in the first Test win in Australia four years later.
If he keeps his place, and helps the Lions win the series with a victory in the third Test in Auckland this weekend, he and his team mates will join the ‘Class of 1971’ in beating the All Blacks twice and winning a series in New Zealand.
The third Test would also be his ninth Lions Test appearances in a row – the first time a player has played in every Test on three successive tours since Graham Price made 12 consecutive appearances in 1977, 1980 and 1983. A ninth Test would draw him level with Syd Millar and Andy Irvine in eight place overall.
Sam Warburton will also have another captaincy target in mind if he is asked to lead the side again. He will be chasing a record equalling third win in charge of the tourists in a Test match to join Bill MacLagan (1891), Frank Stout (1899), Ronnie Dawson (1959), Willie John McBride (1974) and Martin Johnson (1997, 2001).
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