Re-Wind: The Lions' record against Combined Countries ahead of Australia-New Zealand XV clash

Given that the Lions themselves are a team comprised of multiple nations, seeing how they fare against a similar style of team is often entertaining for fans. Andy Farrell's upcoming game will be the first time that Australia and New Zealand have joined forces in 36 years, the last time being when they faced the Lions in 1989.

It won't be the first time that the Lions have faced a team which merges multiple regions or teams, and the unknown nature of their opponents means that anything could happen. Other combined teams have been born out of necessity and have had varying success over the years. Here are five instances in which the Lions have faced these types of sides, with a brief history about each fixture included.

In 1955, the East Africa rugby team, representing players from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, played their first international match against the touring British Lions, who were returning from their South Africa tour. The occasion also marked the official opening of Nairobi’s newly built RFUEA Ground, with a crowd of 6,000 watching.

Though East Africa were outmatched, the match was a historic moment for a side made up of amateurs from across the region, seven of whom earned their first caps that day. The team was a symbol of regional unity in a sport still in its early stages of development in East Africa.

The Lions stayed with local families instead of in hotels, reflecting the hospitality typical of East African tours in that era. There was a rumour that former Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin was selected as a replacement in this game, but there is no evidence to prove that this could be true. Both teams played against each other for a second time in 1962, with the Lions winning 50-0 at the same stadium.

The 1986 British Lions vs The Rest rugby union match was held to mark the centenary of the International Rugby Football Board. Played at Cardiff Arms Park in April of 1986, the game featured the British Lions against a composite team known as The Rest, made up of players from Australia, France, New Zealand, and South Africa.

At the time, only eight unions were affiliated with the Board, so selection was limited to those nations. The Rest defeated the Lions 15–7 in this celebratory fixture. That result means that The Rest are one of only two teams that have a 100% Test-win record against the Lions.

The match came about because, the Lions were meant to go on a tour of South Africa that year, but political tensions meant that the travelling side were not invited to go. This meant that the Lions had a gap in the schedule that they needed to fill. Although this was only a one-off game, players who featured received a blazer and are widely considered to be official Lions.

This Saturday will mark the first time in 36 years that the Lions have faced a team that has combined some of Australia and New Zealand's best players and will be the first time that the two countries have combined forces in this time.

Back in 1989, after Sir Ian McGeechan led the tourists to a 2-1 series victory, which featured the historic 'Battle of Ballymore', they finished off their tour with this game. It was played at the site of the historic Test, Ballymore, and the Lions ran out narrow winners.

The game ended up being a bit different to what was originally planned, as it was supposed to be a Barbarian-style side combining large numbers of All Blacks and Wallabies, however, this did not get the support needed from New Zealand. Overall, 12 All Blacks dropped out of the squad and only one of the three of those who did turn up were current internationals.

A special rugby fixture took place in April 1990 as the Four Home Unions XV faced a European selection at Twickenham. The game was held to raise funds for Romanian rugby and support broader humanitarian relief efforts following the country's revolution.

Beyond its charitable aim, the match also offered a unique opportunity to showcase some of the finest talent from the British Isles and across Europe. Players from France, Italy, Spain, the USSR [Russia], and Romania took part, and the logo of the European XV was that of the Romanian Rugby Federation to show the global solidarity. While the hosts weren't officially called the Lions, they used the logo and the selection process was the same, however this was not officially part of any of their tours.

Coaching duties for the Home Unions were given to Ian McGeechan and Roger Uttley, key figures from the successful British Lions tour to Australia the year before. It ended up being a comfortable victory for the Home Unions, who won by 25 points. Will Carling captained the Home Unions and scored a brace of tries, in a stand-out performance from the England's youngest ever captain.

Last time they were in Australia, the British & Irish Lions made light work of a Queensland–New South Wales Country XV in Newcastle, cruising to a 64–0 victory, in a match that felt like little more than a training exercise. Facing a team that mixed Super Rugby players with those who played in the Queensland and NSW Country leagues, the Lions ran in 10 tries, with George North grabbing two in a dominant first half.

While the Country XV showed plenty of heart and local pride, they were no match for the Lions' power, pace and professionalism. Stuart Hogg impressed on his first outing at fly-half, and Justin Tipuric was also a stand out. But despite the scoreline, the Lions were far from perfect and many saw it as a disappointing performance, in similar fashion to how they have started this year's tour down under.

Just 11 days before the first Test of a series that they ended up winning 2-1 against the Wallabies, Andy Farrell will be hoping that playing against a combined XV this year will bring the same luck.