How it unfolded
The invitational Barbarians side was effectively stocked with the 1971 Lions squad. Less than three minutes in, a deep kick from New Zealand winger Bryan Williams dropped inside the Barbarians' 25-yard line, and Phil Bennett, retreating to field it with his back to his own line, beat three defenders with three sidesteps. The ball went to JPR Williams, then through hooker John Pullin and captain John Dawes across the width of the field, on through Tom David and Derek Quinnell, before Gareth Edwards, arriving from the other side, dove over in the left corner to finish. The BBC's Cliff Morgan commentary of the moment has been replayed for decades since. New Zealand fought back in the second half, but the Barbarians kept the ball alive to hold on for a 23-11 win. The match was a farewell fixture closing out New Zealand's long tour of Britain, and the result itself counted toward no standings at all.
Why it still matters
The most replayed try in rugby history, and one that defined how the sport imagines itself. The decision to run rather than kick from deep in his own territory, the unbroken chain of passes through seven pairs of hands, and the fact that nothing at all was riding on the result together became the symbol of the values rugby claims for itself.