‘I sensed something was up. When I saw them after the match they revealed why,’ explained Sam Warburton. Brian O'Driscoll and Sam Warburton Brian O’Driscoll and Sam Warburton(Image: PA Wire)

Sam Warburton was pulled aside by Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll ahead of the second Test against Australia in 2013 before a personal nightmare unfolded in the midst of the chaos.

The last time the British & Irish Lions won a Test series was against the Wallabies in 2013, 12 years ago. Since then, it was a series draw against New Zealand, which was followed by a defeat to South Africa. Very rarely does the opportunity present itself for a series whitewash, but that outcome is a distinct possibility in 2025, certainly after the Lions’ dominance in the first Test.

The man who led the Lions to that series win Down Under was the legendary Warburton, who was just 24 at the time. Writing in his latest column for The Times, Warburton told the tale of an intervention from O’Driscoll which stuck with him.

For the Irish centre, he was on his fourth and final tour, and full of Test match experience in the Lions jersey. He approached Warburton the day before the second Test against the Wallabies, with the former Cardiff Rugby back-row noting how emotional and animated he was.

“He said to me,” began Warburton. “‘Sam, I really think you need to speak to the lads about how important it is to take this series this weekend and not let it go to the third Test as we did in 2001. In that series Australia just grew and grew and we don’t want the same thing happening here’.”

Warburton explained that he had to let O’Driscoll tell the players himself, given how well he could convey the passion required to rile them up.

Sam Warburton listened to wise words from Brian O’Driscoll ahead of the final two Tests.(Image: (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images))

But when game night came, things went badly wrong. Warburton tore his hamstring in the second game, with his team losing the match narrowly 16-15. When Warburton sustained the injury, he was worried he may be stretchered off, and made a point of walking off the field, aided by two Lions staff.

He didn’t want that to be how his time as a Lion ended, if he never got the opportunity again. Of course, Warburton went on to captain the Lions again in 2017 in their series draw against the All Blacks.

To make matters worse, the Welshman received some devastating news from home after the match.

“My parents were out in Australia and I had seen them on the Thursday before the Test and, for some reason, they had seemed very quiet,” continued Warburton.

“I sensed something was up. When I saw them after the match they revealed why. They said they had not wanted to tell me but on the Thursday one of their dogs, Gus (named after Gus Poyet, the Tottenham Hotspur footballer), had died.”

Fortunately, it was a tour to remember in the end, with the Lions winning the decisive Test 41-16, with Warburton etching his name into Lions rugby folklore as a series-winning captain.

The Lions defeated Australia 27-19 in the first Test last weekend, and will face them again on Saturday, July 26, at 11am UK time.