In 2001, it was Rob Henderson and Brian O’Driscoll. Twelve years later, Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies linked up in the decider.
There is something about Lions Tours of Australia and compatriots linking up in the centres.
On the latest trip, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones are looking to follow in those footsteps and their audition got off to a strong start against NSW Waratahs.
They are known as ‘Huwipulotu’ for a reason; the duo have linked up so effectively for Glasgow Warriors and Scotland in recent years that they have been earmarked as one of the most dangerous centre partnerships in world rugby, perhaps ironic given Tuipulotu was originally signed by Glasgow as Jones’ replacement.
The elder of the pair, Jones was heading south to Harlequins when Tuipulotu rocked up in 2021 but they were reunited a year later and the rest, as they say, is history.
They cite a conversation at a ‘Mad Monday’ Glasgow social – effectively Jones’ leaving do – as the origin story of their bromance and it continues to blossom on and off the field.
Its latest chapter was written at Sydney Football Stadium, early in the contest against a dangerous Waratahs side.
The Lions were dominating possession but needed a spark to help break the deadlock. Enter the dynamic Scottish midfield pairing. Tuipulotu was first receiver, taking possession from Alex Mitchell, delaying for just the right amount of time and firing a trademark no-look pass to a familiar face on his outside shoulder.
Jones did the rest, streaking clear for the first of two tries which proved integral to the Lions’ latest victory.
Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, the 31-year-old explained how the seemingly telepathic link-up between himself and his centre partner does not happen by accident.
“We work hard a lot in training around getting connected and our running lines together,” he said.
“A lot of it is to do with timing and angles. We are constantly talking within the game, before set pieces, around which gaps we are targeting, which players we are targeting, trying to split defenders.
“If I take the first try, where we run down together, I know we are splitting that one defender, going inside/outside of him.
“We just have to make the outside guy make a decision, whether he is coming in or going out the back.”
The challenge now is for such on-field rapport to be translated across the backline, no mean feat when four nations are being joined together as one.
The Lions were guilty of a string of handling errors against the Waratahs but Jones feels hard work and some simple corrections can help get them firing when it matters.
“It’s a lot to do with timing, getting used to the players around you, how they move, how they take it to the line, getting your timing off the back of that,” he said.
“It can’t always be a flat out sprint, you have to go with them and speed up at the right time.
“We have to stay in control of ourselves, slow our foot speed down, so we are not all running about a million miles an hour, we need to get a bit more connected.
“The ball was slightly greasy and the defence was a bit more line speed than we have faced in the last two games.
“Maybe that was a bit of a shock in the first half and we didn’t quite adjust properly.”
Jones, who made his Lions debut against Western Force and crossed for his first try in red against Queensland Reds, has certainly adjusted quickly to life Down Under.
With Tuipulotu and several more of his Scottish teammates in the backline – Blair Kinghorn and Ben White both made their Lions bows against the Waratahs – he looks well set for a memorable maiden Tour.