Special memento from the 2005 Tour to New Zealand. Fully signed by the 2005 All Blacks squad and complete with certificate of authenticity.

A Dan Carter-inspired New Zealand would be a match for any Test side in history but a series of unfortunate circumstances did not help The British & Irish Lions cause.

Before the squad departed for their five-week Tour of New Zealand, they played their first fixture against Argentina since 1936. The clash, which in a change from tradition took place on British shores, ended 25 points apiece with centre Ollie Smith dotting down and Wilkinson kicking 20 from the tee. But Woodward’s best-laid plans took a blow when Wasps legend Lawrence Dallaglio’s Tour was cut short by an ankle injury and skipper Brian O’Driscoll was sidelined in the First Test for the entire Tour. The Ireland centre, four years on from scoring a breathtaking try in the Lions first Test in Australia, dislocated his shoulder as the Lions went down 21-3 in Christchurch. Inbetween the Tests, Sir Ian McGeechan was leading a midweek side to victories against strong provinces such as Wellington, Auckland and Otago.

The Test Series slipped away during the second clash as Carter, at the tender age of just 22, scored 33 points in a 48-18 victory. The third Test started promisingly as Stephen Jones kicked the Lions into a six-point lead, but the Lions Tour ended with a 38-19 defeat in Auckland.

This is a cherished piece of history presented to the Lions from brilliant hosts.