In one of the most famous results in rugby union history, Llanelli won the match 9–3 in front of 20,000 spectators.

Llanelli centre Roy Bergiers scored the only try of the game, charging down a clearance by All Blacks scrum-half Lin Colling after a penalty from Phil Bennett rebounded back into play off the crossbar.

[1] The result was immortalised by Welsh entertainer Max Boyce, whose poem 9–3 appears as the opening track on his Live at Treorchy album.

In North America, they had already beaten sides representing British Columbia (31–3) on 19 October 1972 and New York Metropolitan (41–9) on 21 October, followed by a 39–12 win over a Western Counties side in Gloucester on their arrival in England a week later.

They were unbeaten since the British Lions had visited New Zealand in July 1971, a run of 16 matches without defeat.