lions rugby so far

IFONE MAN EMBODIES THE LIONS PHILOSOPHY MORE THAN MOST, IT IS HEAD COACH IAN MCGEECHAN. A WINNING

TOURIST AS A PLAYER IN 1974, AND AS A COACH IN 1989 AND 1997, MCGEECHAN IS CONFIDENT OF

ACHIEVING VICTORY AGAIN - BUT LAMENTS SCOTLAND’S STRUGGLE. GARY FITZGERALD CONDUCTS A QUESTION

AND ANSWER SESSION WITH GEECH IN THE FIRING LINE

6 Lions Update 2009 magazine

It’ll need ahuge effort

says Ian McGeechan

Fitzgerald: How will you decide which are the right playersto line up for the First Test in Durban - knowing that it is soimportant to get the series off to a flying start?

McGeechan: Our task is to get the combinations,chemistry and character together that is so important forsuccess. You have to look at how tactically you are goingto take on the South African challenge. But, just asimportantly, is how you build up those special pairings inyour own side. Putting players together who have a goodunderstanding and clearly work well as a partnership andfor the team. Those combinations will be built in the firstthree or four games - and after that we should be able toidentify the right blend and shape the Test side will take.Being one playing squad and one coaching team willmake it easier for everyone to get the messages across.Players will know what they have to do and what isexpected of them. They must feel like a Lion as soon asthey put that jersey on.

Fitz: Are the Springboks different in terms of the way theyplay the game and their physical prowess compared to theWallabies or All Blacks?

Geech: I always think a Lions tour to South Africa isdifferent anyway. The climate is fairly unique in rugbyterms. The rock hard pitches and the people are sopassionate and fanatical about rugby union. They are a veryconfrontational and in your face people who love achallenge and a battle. It’s a fantastic and exciting place totour and play rugby. It’s always such a very enjoyable andelectrifying place to visit. I certainly cannot wait to get overthere again and I know that is the same for the rest of themanagement team and playing squad. »

}Boks are better than 1997~

Lions Update 2009 magazine 7

Q&A

Fitz: Do you feel you have taken a risk by nottaking some tried and tested line-out jumpersin your back row?

Geech: I don’t think it is a weakness in theselection. We have options in the back row.We have some ball winners at the back. Itdepends on the line-out combinations. I thinkwe have picked enough guys who cancompete with the Springboks on level terms.It’s always a key part of a Test and I’m contentwith the choices we have made.

Fitz: The same can be said about your decisionto take just two No10s. Is that something of arisk in terms of needing back up in the kickingdepartment. Kicking penalties is going to becrucial if the Lions are to make a fist of it down there so have you leftyourself open to potential problems in that area with only LeighHalfpenny around to assist the likes of Ronan O’Gara and StephenJones?

Geech: A lot of thought went into the fly-half situation. With only afew games before the First Test I wanted to give the players theopportunity to put their own games on display in a Lions jersey. Yourdecision makers - particularly No10s - need a lot of time to do just that- get plenty of playing time in their bags before walking out for a Testmatch. You boss a game at fly-half. So it’s important that the guys youbelieve are the best options to start the big games can develop andconstruct the style of game you intend to play. If there are too manyinter-changes you can lose any continuity and momentum you aretrying to build on the tour. Time is not on our side.

Fitz: There are 14 Irishmen, 13 Welshmen and eight England playersin the squad. Sadly, there are just two from Scotland. Is that somethingthat concerns or upsets you - that your home land can only producetwo players capable of being picked for a Lions tour?

Geech: Yes, it does to a certain extent. It is the lowest number ofScotland players ever to be selected and that has to be a concern. It’sa difficult situation but that’s the way the make up is. Scotland had atough time in the Six Nations again so it was harder for individuals toforce their way in when the team is struggling a little. I’d love to havebeen able to pick more but my job is to select the very best playersfrom all the British Isles and Ireland teams. Ireland and Wales were thestrongest teams from the home unions once more but England werenot far behind them. That is illustrated by the number of players eachhas in the party.

Fitz: Have you made any special spying journeys over to South Africato help your thorough preparations go even more smoothly than ever?

Geech: I spent a week in South Africa back in 1996 prior to the Lionstour the following year just scouting around and taking in as much asI could in terms of information about the place and the Springboks. Atthat time it was a major step forward being able to fly over prior to atour so that we could go there better prepared for what will happen.But this time I’ve actually had a month there in total on three differentvisits - looking at games and players and talking to the South Africans.It’s all about being 100 percent prepared for lift-off from the very firstday you step off the plane. That’s why we’re going to Grenada for somealtitude training prior to flying to South Africa.

Fitz: Is there a secret to beating the major Southern Hemisphere superpowers like South Africa. What is the most important aspect of beingsuccessful against them?

Geech: If the All Blacks beat South Africa they don’t make mistakes.That’s the only way to do it against these sides - do not mess it up onesingle time. Or they simply punish you. If the Lions are going to do thesame and win not just one Test but the series we must remained

mentally and physically strong as well as verydisciplined. But just as important there mustbe no unforced errors. We must not give themany free points by making errors around thepitch. And when we get those rare openingsto score tries we have to take them with bothhands. No opportunity must go begging.

Fitz: Is this Boks team better than the onewhich the 1997 Lions managed to overcome?

Geech: Undoubtedly they are better. They arefitter, stronger and have even more dangermen throughout their side. They have raisedthe bar another rung or two in terms of theirall round abilities and skills. Physically theyare in very good shape. Their scramble

defence is outstanding and their attack is pretty formidable as theyshowed in the World Cup in France. But they have improved even sincethen - and they have brought in one or two new guys who have fittedin perfectly for the game they want to play.

Fitz: Do you expect to come across the Boks Test players in the warm-up games? Would you rather face them early on in the tour?

Geech: I don’t think it really matters whether they throw them into thebuild-up matches. It really wouldn’t affect my team selection for thosegames. I think we know enough about their big match players not toneed to see them before the Tests. And I wouldn’t have thought theSpringboks management would want to risk injuries to their keyplayers. But sometimes it is better to play strong opposition in thosegames so that by the time we reach the Tests, we’re fully wound upand ready for the full frontal action of a Test.

Fitz: How convinced are you that not only have you picked the rightsquad of players to do well over there but that you had enough playersat your disposal to select from in the first place with the ability andcredentials to live with the Springboks in South Africa?

Geech: The fact that I left it so late before finalising the squad speaksvolumes about the real competition there has been for all the differentpositions in the squad. We have real strength in depth in the northernhemisphere and should appreciate that fact. Some people haveknocked the Six Nations but I certainly am not one of those cynics. Ithought it was a very hard fought competition with plenty of talent,skill and ability on show - just as it always is. There were manycracking individual and team displays as well as exciting games for thefans. The quality is there for all to see. It’s now down to myself and thecoaching staff to get the best out of international players who haveoutstanding ability, talent and, in most circumstances, the experienceto compete with the very best.

Fitz: Finally, Geech, are you relishing the chance to lead the Lions intorugby war again in South Africa? And do you firmly believe you can bejust as triumphant as twelve years ago?

Geech: Taking a Lions party to any part of the world is one of the mostspecial things any coach can do in their career. It is the pinnacle ofbeing a rugby coach. It doesn’t get any better - apart from when you’releading a successful party. I was fortunate to do just that back in 1997and it’s a memory which will always live with me. It was a magicaloccasion shared with so many great players and people. I was just oneof the people who made it happen. It was a huge team effort. Andthat’s what will be needed this time as well. For the whole squad topull together and fight together. If the squad does exactly that - as theone twelve years ago did - then it will have a very good chance ofwinning the Test series. I’m confident this squad is good enough andI’m even more adamant that they will give it their very best shot. Icannot wait to get out there once more because I know just howcompetitive, challenging and uncompromising it will be. We certainlyhave a big task ahead - but an exciting one.” •


Q&A

TheDreamTeam


LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO ANALYSES THE QUALITIES OF AN ELITE

GROUP OF PAST AND PRESENT WASPS STAFF RECRUITED FOR

THE 2009 LIONS TOUR

LAWRENCE Bruno Nero Dallaglio would love nothing better than donthe cherished red jersey and stroll onto the rock-hard rugbybattlefields of South Africa poised for more brutal action.

“It would be wonderful to get stuck into the world champions - readyto spill more blood, sweat and tears in the name of Lions glory” he says.

But, having hung up his rugby boots just less than a year ago, hewill be a mere eager and anxious onlooker confident that thenightmare he endured four years ago will be erased by the comingtogether of what he labels “The Dream Team”.

The old warrior is adamant that no matter whatever develops overthe coming weeks, the Lions organisers have given themselves thevery best opportunity of putting the 2009 vintage right up there withthe famed and renowned 1974 and 1997 Lions. Those two tours toSouth Africa will never be forgotten - and, according to formerEngland hero Dallaglio, the massive Wasps influence amongst thecoaching staff can bring more incredible memories.

No fewer than six past and present Wasps coaches and fitnessexperts will lead the game’s most famous and revered touring armiesinto their three-Test confrontations with the Springboks. Head coachIan McGeechan, the Wasps director of rugby, has assembled amanagement team comprising Shaun Edwards (Wasps head coach),Warren Gatland (former Wasps director of rugby), Rob Howley (ex-Wasps scrum-half), Craig White (ex-Wasps fitness expert) and RhysLong (ex-Wasps game analyst).

Gatland, Edwards and Howley are the coaching trio who guidedWales to Grand Slam success in the Six Nations last season. Whiteand Long are now part of that management set-up. Crucially, all ofthose involved know each other well. That is in stark contrast to SirClive Woodward’s tour three years ago when the All Blackscompleted a series whitewash as the Lions operated two separateteams for Saturdays and midweek matches.

While critics will claim this is a case of “jobs for the Wasps boys”Dallaglio insists the calibre of men involved gives the Lions a headstart on the 10-match tour which sparks into full frontal action on 30May. He also dismisses the terrible season Wasps have endured isirrelevant when it comes to potential Lions success. Dallaglio, whohas help identify potential back-row players for the squad, said:“Having three very impressive and proven coaches like that workingtogether gives the Lions a head start in South Africa.

“They are used to working together - and I’m sure Rob Howley willfit in perfectly in his role. They all know each other very well and theclose, intimate working relationship they will have can only boostthe team’s chance of success. Having those guys leading the Lionsinto battle is a great reflection on Wasps as a club. They really are acoaching team, even before the tour starts.

“I am sure the lessons of 2005 played a part in this set-up. Theway the Lions are going to play will be transmitted very easily to theplayers. These are the best possible coaches.

“Ian McGeechan has been there, done it all and worn the T-shirt.He’s the master at getting the best out of the very best players. Hemay seem quiet and unassuming but Geech is single minded andstrong minded as well. If he wants something he usually gets it. Andhe will demand hard work, effort and professionalism from all thosewho go to South Africa. He’s not one of the most successful coachesworld rugby has seen. To be successful Lions you need a very strongcoaching team in place which I think we’ve got with Ian McGeechanleading the group.

“Shaun is a straight forward, straight thinking coach who is alsotactically outstanding. When he tells you to do something or trysomething different you listen and do it. He’s usually always rightand knows what is needed to put the finer touches to the team’sdefensive strategy. I got to know his ways and the man himself withWasps - and he has brought an extra dimension to the team duringhis time. He is just the strong and motivational voice you need in a


THE DREAM TEAM

dressing room when things are not going well.“Warren is as good a coach that I’ve ever known and

certainly played under. He’s a demanding but very fair andlikeable man. He also knows how to get the best out ofplayers - and he’s perfect for the forwards job. He will pullall the right strings and get the pack in great shape to dotheir very best in the Tests.

“Just look how he transformed Wasps inside a few years.We were bottom of the table when he arrived. Then we wonthree successful Premierships and were European champions.His record is outstanding and I know all the players have theutmost respect for him - just ask the Irish and Welsh lads hehas coached at international level.

“Rob Howley was an outstanding player and has alwayshad what it takes to be just as good at coaching. He’s ashrewd man who can teach the game as well as he playedit. He’s another real asset to the back-room staff.”

Dallaglio certainly endured the good, bad and ugly side oflife with the Lions on his three trips to foreign soil. The goodwas being a member of the 1997 tourists who hit suchheights in the series triumph over South Africa. The bad wasbeing passed fit for the 2001 tour to Australia only for hisknee to give way, cutting short his stay and needingreconstructive surgery. The ugly was that horrific fracturedankle sustained in the very first game against the Bay ofPlenty which Ko’d his campaign in New Zealand in 2005before it had hardly begun.

Dallaglio admits: “Of course I wish things had gonedifferently in both Australia and New Zealand. But it wasn’tto be and I would rather look back on how it all went sowell on my first tour to South Africa. When I was picked forthat trip I was the proudest man of the planet. I was only 24at the time and it was such a magnificent experience and

privilege just to board that plane and fly there with so manyoutstanding rugby players.

“It was a feeling where I made some life-long friendswith people from all the home unions and one I will putdown as a big rugby highlight. The memories of that tourwill always live with me and make me feel very lucky tohave been involved. As for 2005, I’ve heard all sorts ofthings said and reasons given for us losing. But the plain factwas we weren’t good enough. You can analyse the coaches’performance, Alistair Campbell’s performance, you cananalyse anyone else’s performance. But, quite frankly, ourplayers weren’t as good as their players. They had a lot moretalent and class in their squad than we did.

“We went down there with big reputations and a lot ofthose players - and I include Gavin Henson - didn’t live up tothose reputations. Whether that was because they didn’thave the opportunity is a moot point. You can discuss that allday long. From what I saw when players did get anopportunity, they didn’t play particularly well.”

Now, however, Dallaglio would give anything to be a fewyears younger and as fit as he ever has been to partake inone more piece of Lions magic. He gets itchy feet just thinkingof another Lions tour on the horizon. And he knows howproud and excited those lucky players selected by McGeechanwill be when they take to the air and contemplate the kind ofdestiny that may lie before them. But he warns that only thespecial ones will get the chance to actually walk out wearingthe Lions jersey for the Tests - with the cream of the touringcrop being let loose to show their worth.

He insists: “You need to get the selection right from the startbecause you can’t swap the players when you are over there.It’s one thing getting on the plane as a player, but it’s quiteanother to get picked in the team. Once you get on the plane,


THE DREAM TEAM

Above: Warren Gatlandand Lawrence Dallagliopose for the camera atthe London Waspstraining Ground on May19, 2004.

Top right: (L-R) TheBritish and Irish Lionscoaching staffcomprising Rob Howley,Ian McGeechan, WarrenGatland and Shaun

Edwards hold the newLions shirt at theannoucement of thecoaching staff for the2009 British and IrishLions tour of SouthAfrica at the HSBCoffices on October 22,2008 in Dublin, Ireland.Bottom right: IanMcGeehan, LawrenceDallaglio and ShaunEdwards pose with thetrophy in the dressingroom after victory in theGuinness PremiershipFinal match betweenLeicester Tigers andLondon Wasps atTwickenham.

Warren Gatland

}Demanding, fair, likeable~

Ian McGeechan

}Gets the best from players~

just because you happened to play well in the Six Nations thatdoesn’t give you any guarantees of being in the Test side.

“There will no doubt be surprises along the way as itdepends on who plays well whilst being out there on thehard grounds of South Africa. They will experience totallydifferent conditions to the ones they are used to on Britishor Irish grounds. So you have to adapt quickly. Realcharacters are definitely needed as it’s not just about theirability, it’s also about lasting the distance and showingmental strength and fortitude as it’s not a two-weekholiday, it’s a nine-week challenge.

“Mind you, I might try and take a break over there myselffor a while. I might sneak over there for one or two of thegames. It’s very tempting because South Africa is a greatcountry and tour. So I’ll definitely make it out there and cheerthe lads on. They will need every friendly voice they can getbecause the South Africa people hero worship their playersalmost as much as the New Zealanders - and enjoy giving theirvisitors a kind word or two about how things are going to go!

“But, seriously, it’s such a wonderful thing to be involvedin you just wish all the players the very best. You hope theyenjoy it and take the opportunity of going out and havingfun and hopefully winning.” •


Shaun Edwards

}Tactically outstanding~

Rob Howley

}Shrewd backroom asset~

»

HEAD COACH: IAN McGEECHANHome Union: ScotlandCurrent Position: Head Coach of LondonWaspsLions Record: Playing 1974 & 77,Coaching 1989, 93, 97 & 2005

Ian McGeechan is probably the mostfamous (and probably most successful) Lion of them all. Havingtoured twice as a player and four times as a coach he hasunrivalled experience of what it takes to be a Lion and a winningLion at that. McGeechan’s Lions career started on the famouslysuccessful 1974 tour to South Africa playing in 14 matchesincluding all four of the test matches. His second playing tourcame on the 1977 tour to New Zealand and saw Geech make 16appearances for the Lions, including all four Tests and the one offTest against Fiji on the way home. Ian captained the Lions on twoof the provincial matches on that tour to New Zealand. He alsoplayed in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee unofficial game against theBarbarians in 1977. McGeechan’s Lions coaching career began in1989 with the victorious tour to Australia winning the series 2-1.This was followed by a losing tour to New Zealand four years laterand then followed that up with the last successful Lions tour toleave these shores. The tour in South Africa in 1997 was the firsttour of the professional era and Geech was successful inorchestrating another famous win for the Lions by 2-1 in the Tests.Following a break in Lions duty in 2001, he returned in 2005 tohelp take the midweek side on an unbeaten run to successivewins, which unfortunately could not be replicated by the full Testteam with the All Blacks black-washing the Lions 3-0. McGeechantakes the head coach’s reins once again in 2009 for the fourthtime in his career.

TOUR MANAGER: GERALD DAVIES CBEHome Union: WalesCurrent Position: National Representative on WRU boardLions Record: Playing 1968 & 71

One of the finest wingers of all time, Gerald Davies enjoyed asuccessful 12 year career, earning 46 caps for Wales and scoring 20tries. He also played domestically for Cambridge University, LondonWelsh, Cardiff and the Barbarians. Davies is probably bestremembered for his immense performances for the Lions in 1971where he and fly half Barry John were instrumental in the 2-1series victory over New Zealand. Had he not declined to tour in1974 and 1977, he would probably have become the most cappedwinger in Lions history. After retiring as a player, Davies started acareer as a journalist, writing rugby articles for The Times. This hasled to him being appointed in November 2007 as Tour Manager forthe 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, taking on therole held by Bill Beaumont in New Zealand in 2005 and DonalLenihan four years before that in Australia.

FORWARDS COACH: WARREN GATLANDHome Union: New ZealandCurrent Position: Head Coach of WalesLions Record: No record

Gatland was born in New Zealand in 1963 and made his NewZealand B debut in 1988. Gatland was unfortunate in that his careercoincided with one of the greatest All Blacks of all time in SeanFitzpatrick, which meant that he never managed to win a fullinternational cap for New Zealand, despite being in and around theteam for 6 years. His coaching experience started with stints inIreland and Scotland before taking up the national coach position inIreland vacated by Brian Ashton in 1998. His Ireland career did notset the world on fire and ended with his assistant Eddie O’Sullivantaking his postion and Gatland moved on to take three back to backpremiership title’s and a Heineken Cup triumph in 2004 withLondon Wasps. He moved back to New Zealand to take up aposition with former club Waikato in 2005, helping them to win theAir New Zealand cup. In December 2007, Gatland took up hiscurrent position as head coach of the Welsh national rugby teamand sensationally helped Wales clinch their tenth Grand Slam title,exactly 100 years after they won their first. In October 2008, it wasannounced that Warren Gatland would become the forwards coachfor the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour.


DEFENCE COACH: SHAUN EDWARDS

Home Union: England

Current Position: Defence Coach of Wales and London Wasps

Lions Record: No record

Nicknamed ~Gizmo~, Edwards is a former rugby league scrum half or stand-off,

best known for his achievements with Wigan, winning a record eight Rugby

League Championships and nine Challenge Cups. He was capped 36 times for

Great Britain, scoring 16 tries and also represented England in the 1992 and 1995

Rugby League World Cups. Edwards has gone on to make a successful career in

rugby union coaching. Matt Dawson once describing him as the world’s best

coach. Together with Warren Gatland, he masterminded three successive English

Rugby Union Championships with Wasps in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the

Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007. He teamed up with Gatland again as defence

coach of Wales in 2007, which helped him gain the international experience

required to take up the position of defence coach for the 2009 British & Irish Lions

tour.

Backs Coach: Rob Howley

Home Union: Wales

Current Position: Assistant Coach of Wales

Lions Record: Playing 1997 & 2001

Born October 1970, Howley is widely regarded as one of the greatest scrum-

halves of all time. He won 59 caps for Wales, 22 of them as captain after making

his Wales debut in February 1996. Excitement soared when Howley was selected

for the 1997 British Lions Tour to South Africa and a potential match-up with Joost

van der Westhuizen. Unfortunately injury prevented him from making a Test

appearance on the tour, but he eventually represented the British & Irish Lions in

2001 against Australia, playing the first two tests, before again succumbing to

injury. A wrist injury forced Howley to announce his retirement from the game in

2004 and he went on to coach Cardiff RFC/Blues. He is now the attack coach for

the Wales national team.

Physical Conditioning Coach: Craig White

Home Union: England

Current Position: National Squad Performance Manager of Wales

Lions Record: Coaching 2005

Craig has worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach since 1990 for teams

including Waterloo RFC and the Irish RFU before taking up a position with Wasps

RFU in 2002. The 2009 tour will be Craig’s second Lions tour, having also toured

with the unsuccessful 2005 party to New Zealand. White’s duties will be to ensure

the players dietary and conditioning training is of the highest standard.

Head of Performance Analysis: Rhys Long

Home Union: Wales

Current Position: Head of Performance Analysis of Wales


A former Welsh schools No.8, Long overcame a neck injury to graduate in Sports

Science at UWIC in 2003 and an MSc in Performance Analysis. A former London

Wasps~ Technical Analyst, he was part of the management team that won the

Anglo-Welsh Powergen Cup final and the Heineken Cup in May 2007. Long was

appointed Head of Performance Analysis for Welsh Rugby Union in 2007. He not

only supports the Wales national side, but also the entire elite performance

structure in Wales. Long’s job on the 2009 tour will be to work with management

and players in helping to improve player performance from match to match.

Hopefully he won’t be needed too much!

Head Doctor: Dr James Robson

Home Union: Scotland

Current Position: Head of Medical Services / National Team Doctor of Scotland

Lions Record: Team Doctor for his fifth successive tour having previously toured

in 1993, 97, 2001 and 05.

Dr Robson first became involved with the Scottish national team as physio on the

1991 tour to Canada beginning a long association with Rugby Union and the Lions

that his seen him follow successive tours ever since. His experience will

undoubtedly be welcomed by the other members of the medical party on tour.

Head of Media: Greg Thomas

Home Union: Wales

Current Position: Director of Sports Media Consultancy Company


Born in 1963, Thomas will not be the first member of the Thomas family to tour

South Africa with the Lions. His father, Clem Thomas was a player on the 1955

tour. Greg’s rugby playing career includes representing the All Whites, London

Welsh, Welsh Universities, Wales Students and Sydney based club, Randwick. In

1995, he took up a role as the Australia Team Media Manager at the 1995 Rugby

World Cup in South Africa. He has since worked in a variety of organisation and

communication roles across a number of different sports and most recently as

head of Communications and Media at the 2007 World Cup in France. Thomas’s

role will be to form the main link between the team and the media throughout

the tour, a job handled somewhat controversially by his predecessor Alistair

Campbell on the 2005 tour.

Operations Manager: Louise Ramsay MBE

Home Union: England

Current Position: No position

Lions Record: Coaching 2005

Louise joined England on their successful World Cup campaign in 2003, tour to

Argentina in 2002 and Summer tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2004. She

previously worked with the British Olympic Committee winning her MBE as a

result of that work over a ten year period. Louise was appointed Tour Manager of

the 2005 tour to New Zealand at the same time as Clive Woodwards appointment

to Head Coach and his faith in her abilities to manage the tour were recognised

as crucial in the smooth running of the tour.

Communications Manager: Christine Connolly

Home Union: France

Current Position: Communications Manager for Six Nations & British & Irish

Lions Companies


Since 2000, Christine has been working for both the British & Irish Lions and the

Six Nations companies as Communications Manager. Christine will be responsible

for organising official functions for players and management as well as organising

the arrangements for any replacements should they be needed.

Media Liaison: Louisa Cheetham

Home Union: None (She’s from the USA)

Current Position: Communications Manager for Six Nations & British & Irish

Lions Companies

Lions Record: Coaching 2001 & 05.

Louisa joins the tour from a background in sports management and sports agencies.

She has worked with the Zurich Premiership, Rugby World Cup and previous two

Lions tours to Australia in 2001 and New Zealand in 2005. •

Left to right: The British and Irish Lions management team of Greg Thomas head of media, Rob Howley,backs coach, Shaun Edwards, defence coach, Ian McGeechan head coach, Gerald Davies, tour manager,Warren Gatland, forwards coach, Craig White, conditiioning coach, Dr. James Robson, tour doctor and RhysLong, performance analysist hold the new Lions shirt at the annoucement of the coaching staff for the 2009British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa at the HSBC offices on October 22, 2008 in Dublin, Ireland.


AFTER CONSULTING 1997 HERO MARTIN JOHNSON,LIONS CAPTAIN PAUL O’CONNELL HAS ORDERED…

Head-to-Head attritionTHE phone calls have already been made to the two

legendary Lions giants who set the mould forresounding fame and glory in South Africa. And now

Paul O’Connell intends to make good use of the pricelesswords of touring wisdom he has gleaned from both Willie JohnMcBride and Martin Johnson.

Ian McGeechan firmly believes that by choosing 6ft 6in,17st 7lb Munster man O’Connell he has another goliath whocan put the frightners on his South African rivals and move theodd mountain or two during the three Test series.

McBride - the successful 1974 skipper there - was carvedout of solid County Antrim granite. Johnson - who did thesame in 1997 - was sliced from solid Solihull steel. Now wehave O’Connell - a 29-year-old second rower chiselled fromimpenetrable Limerick rock.

And, having seen off good friend and team-mate BrianO’Driscoll to win Geech’s rubber stamp in charge, the big lockhas already drawn up plans on how he too can join McBride,Johnson and company in Lions immortality.

O’Connell, who has been waiting four long years to make upfor the nightmare of that ill-fated New Zealand trip, reveals:“All you need is to get one or two gems from these guys andit’s well worth it. Anything you can take from anyone is alwaysa big help and the more people you lean on for help the moreideas you can spark in your mind come the big moment. So itis important to get as much information and advice from thoseguys who have been there and done it before.

“Willie John was a fair bit before my time. I wasn’t evenborn but I’ve seen clips of it on TV and read about what a great

leader and man he was. The 1997 Lions success inSouth Africa under Martin was something to behold,take heed of and learn from. I don’t really know Martinthat well but I remember watching him playing. I wasjust 17 in 1997 and very impressionable at the time. I

watched him winning as Lions captain and the World Cup andGrand Slams with England. I rate the Springboks the mostphysical team in world rugby - even more physical than theAll Blacks.

“Historically, wherever the Lions have travelled on tour theyhave come up against opponents with tremendous strengthand power. But this is potentially the biggest opposition theLions have ever come across. The Springboks are a massiveside and you have to take them on up front. The sheer

} I thought Geech’s call was a hoax~

physicality of their pack is what they pride themselves on andwhat they have been famed for so many years.

“The maul has always been a major part of their game. Andwhen you see the size and quality of their big guys you cansee why that is so. They have always had a conveyor belt offorwards coming along to choose from. But they are not justabout sheer brute strength. They have several world classbacks who can destroy you with the ball if you give them toomuch space and time to do damage. I rate Bryan Habana andJean de Villiers two of the best backs in the world.

“During the World Cup they were also adept at constantlygaining good field position with their accurate kicking game.That enables them to keep the pressure on you, and that tellsin the end. We must counter-act that.”

O’Connell, who was a rock upon which Ireland captured onlytheir second ever Grand Slam earlier this year, is clearly fullyaware of what is needed to upset the odds and lead this latestLions party to another great success. Like McBride and Johnson,he is a man of few words and little emotion when he talksabout the game. But when he does, you listen intently andcarefully. And so does everyone else in the room with you.Because they are words that mean so much and hit home hard.

And, also similar to Willie John and Johnno, he has a verydry and likeable sense of humour once he slips away from the

steely focus and mentality which has helped him deal withplenty of awkward second row customers on the battlefieldsaround the world.

Asked about the phone call from McGeechan to inform himof the captaincy, O’Connell admits: “I saw an English phonenumber had tried to get in touch with me a few times. I thoughtit was someone trying to sell me insurance! I also had some guyon the mobile - another from England - trying to sell me shares.So I was avoiding it. But I eventually rang the number back andit was Geech. But a couple of my Irish team-mates have alsodone crank calls in the past and I half expected it to be one ofthem when I first spoke to Geech! Once I was assured the Geechaccent was a good one and not a hoax I was happy!”

And, when asked why the Lions had enlisted such an “oldDad’s Army of a pack” to take with them to the SouthernHemisphere this time around, he responds: “You’re only as oldas your last result. If we win that First Test in Durban we willall feel 21 again!

“We’re not building for the future are we? We’re going thereto try and win a Test series. As Geech says, it’s about getting


THE BIG INTERVIEW

d attrition

the right players together to do the job thissummer. There’s plenty of experience andtalent there. It’s about having those guys ableto let their guard down amongst each other onand off the field when we need to so that wecan gel as a team. That’s something thatwasn’t evident last time in New Zealand.

“We’ve got players like Simon Shaw who wason that tour in 2005, so some of the guys havebeen on the plane before. It’s just a smallergroup and, may be, that will help us showourselves off as more of a team. There are someolder forward hands in the squad who knowwhat is needed to beat the Springboks. I thinkwe all realise that to beat them you have to gohead to head. If you try and go round them youstraight away don’t stand a chance.”

O’Connell believes that his on-the-fieldrelationship with the man he pipped for thecaptaincy will be as strong and as importantas ever when the team walk out for the firstmatch. But he insists: “Being made captainahead of Brian O’Driscoll isn’t going to causeany problems between him and me.Whenever I have played under Brian I havesaid nothing more or less than I would havedone had I been captain. I’ve spoken to Brianand he’s cool about it.

“As far as I’m, concerned, the more peoplewho have an input, who drive things on, themore successful we will be. I never aspired tobecome Lions captain and when I was outinjured last year and the World Cup had notgone to plan I certainly didn’t think it wouldhappen. I’ve always had short term goals inmy career. This is a massive honour, althoughit wasn’t something I had aspired to. Whenyou look at the captains who have gonebefore, they are legends of the game and thisis an incredible thing for me. But now it isabout winning on tour.

“Winning the series would be incredible. It isnot something that happens very often, so itmakes the achievement all the more special.When you look at the players who won in SouthAfrica in 1997 they are legends now.To achievethat in South Africa against the world championswould be an amazing achievement.”

“This is my second tour and I learned a lotof things in 2005. The players really have to

front up on this tour. We had a lot of excuses in New Zealandin 2005 but I just put it down as an experience. I like to takethe rough with the smooth but admittedly that was a verytough tour. Every player has his ups and downs and I’m nodifferent.

“Clive Woodward tried to take a lot more players believingthat was the right thing to do because rugby has become suchan attritional game. But the trade off there was that weprobably didn’t gel well enough as a team. But those excusesaren’t going to be there on the 2009 tour. We must have noexcuses at all this time round.

“We have to front up and produce the goods, which issomething we didn’t do four years ago. It is down to the playersto take this tour by the scruff of the neck It is going to be animmensely difficult challenge. The Springboks are the world

champions, but then that’s what makes it all the moreexciting. “South Africa have got a fabulous side. Theyare immensely disciplined - you only have to look attheir performances in the Rugby World Cup to seethat. they are a top class side who aren’t champions

of the world for nothing. There are so many obstacles in ourway, and so many challenges ahead of us, but that’s whatmakes this tour so special.”

As far as Head Coach McGeechan is concerned, O’Connellhas the right attributes to thrive under the enormous burdenof Lions captain. The Scot insists: “Paul has shown over hiscareer that he is a natural leader both on and off the field. Heleads from the front on the field and as a quality internationalhas the respect of his fellow players all over the world.

“As a member of the 2005 tour to New Zealand he playedin five matches including three Tests so knows all about theethos and challenges of Lions tours. I look forward to workingwith him and the entire squad over the coming months as westrive to develop a side that can add a successful chapter inthe long history of the Lions.” •


THE BIG INTERVIEW

} I have no problems with O’Driscoll~


}Beat the Lionsand retain World Cup- that’s my plan~

PETER de VILLIERSis a man on aspecial mission

- and part of that mission is to turn the British and Irish Lionsinto a bunch of pussycats when they meet the Springboks inhis own backyard.

If the Springboks can pack as much punch and drive on thefield as their Head Coach delivers behind the scenes, then theLions could be in for a rough ride.

For de Villiers - hellbent on also making sure the Boks retaintheir World Cup crown in New Zealand next year - is clearly nota man to mess with or upset.

He is a fierce task master whose own very hard upbringingand playing and coaching apprenticeship has left its mark onsomeone who knows how to handle the enormous pressurethat comes from doing one of rugby’s toughest jobs.

A thick skin certainly helped the 52-year-old survive theearly days when he stepped into the hotseat vacated inacrimonious fashion in January 2008 by World Cup winningcoach Jake White.

As the Boks first non-white Springboks Head Coach, hebecame an immediate target of those prepared to pour scornand whip-up opposition in an effort to undermine his tenure.

Trying to succeed a man who had just led South Africa tothe promised land in Paris with that memorable World CupFinal victory over England was a hard act to follow. The fact hegot the nod by a single vote and that he beat off four othertop contenders for the job including the then successful Bullscoach, and later Leicester boss, Heyneke Meyer, raised thetemperature to boiling point. But de Villiers proved he has notdeveloped a rhino-hide for nothing, and with it the capacity tododge the verbal bullets with a man-management techniquethat has continued to defy his meanest critics.

The man who wore the No9 jersey during the apartheid eraled the Boks to nine wins and four defeats last year, includingtriumphs over Australia and New Zealand. South Africa wentunbeaten on their tour of Britain last autumn where theythrashed England 42-6 at Twickenham. At no stage has deVilliers revealed an inability to come to terms with one of thetoughest posts in the game. On the contrary, he appears to berelishing a golden opportunity to stamp his mark on Springbokhistory by masterminding a Lions series defeat and theretention of the Boks World Cup crown next year.

He says: “I knew people didn’t want me in the job becauseI was black. But then I thought, if they want me to be tentimes better than I am, I have to achieve that status. I havegot this dream. I am going to live the dream, and fulfil it.

“I am certainly not intimidated by this job. Having had sometime doing it now I feel I am growing and improving as a coachwith every game the team plays. It is a challenge which is avery enjoyable one and a satisfying one for me personally. I amstrong character. I have come through the hardships of life. Iam stronger for surviving those circumstances.

“There were times when I thought I wasn’t part of rugby anymore. I felt people didn’t want me, people had forgotten aboutme, and despite my record, people weren’t interested in me.

“The colour of my skin caused some bad moments in my

life. But good moments too. The truth is, I would never bewhere I am now but for the colour of my skin. By that, I meanI used that to get where I am.

“Right now my only concern is about being successful andmaintaining the proud tradition and reputation of theSpringboks. I am leading a team who are the world champions.Failure for me would be to lose that title at the next World Cup.There is a weight of responsibility and expectation on myshoulders. But that’s good because I’d rather be coach of a topteam than one struggling and fighting to get off the bottom.Pressure comes from losing matches and not knowing how tochange things. So far things have gone well for me, but this isa big year and the Lions series is the pinnacle of it.”

You can bet emotions in both the Springboks and Lionscamps will certainly run high the closer it gets to the first Testat Durban on Saturday, June 20. But Ian McGeechan and hismen can expect to face a South African coach eager to fire averbal volley or two in the build-up.

de Villiers is not short of controversial opinion if he feels oneof his players, or the team as a whole, has been wronged. Lastyear he labelled the All Blacks ‘cheats’ during last year’s Tri-Nations. He said at the time: “I know the game. Technically, I’mvery strong. When I said the All Blacks were cheaters in thefirst Test in Wellington, I picked up some of the technical stuffthey did wrong in the scrums and how they played outside ofthe laws and how they used that to good effect.

“I noted also that, instead of standing a metre apart in theline-outs, they stood a metre and a half apart so that wecouldn’t compete - and anything outside the laws is cheating.”

De Villiers’ ability to persuade influential John Smit tocontinue as captain certainly helped smooth his path in therole in 2008. But it’s hardly been a bump free road withcontroversy over his squad selection and axing of certain stars.

De Villiers certainly has an exciting and established core to


DE VILLIERS

Caption

NOT WANTED BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK, BUT PETER DE VILLIERS SAYS…

Hardship hashelped me

»

Focuson theBokscoach

his squad and players like John Smit, Victor Matfield, BakkiesBotha, Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana are certainties, if theyremain free of injury, to make the Test side to face the Lions.

His reign began with some interesting player experiments.The Springboks’ first training squad under De Villierscomprised 42 players, included sixteen of colour. Dick Muirand Gary Gold came in as assistant coaches. He had to handleproblems with scrum-half Ricky Januarie, who was droppedfor “disciplinary reasons”.

Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar were axed during the lastTri Nations, although their omission failed to stop the Boksheading to defeat against the All Blacks and Wallabies. deVilliers stuck to his guns and his side repaid him by trouncingthe Wallabies 53-8.

South Africa’s successful campaign here last Autumnshowed they are still very much in the ascendancy despiteone or two less than convincing victories over Scotland andWales. But, for de Villiers, it will have little bearing on theoutcome of the forthcoming bloody and bruising battles withIan McGeechan’s Lions.

He insists: “I have never been one to concentrate too muchon past results because things change - teams change and sodo venues. We did well last Autumn but could have playedbetter. Yet we had one or two guys missing and still managedto come back home unbeaten. And I was delighted with theway we finished against England. That showed what kind ofspirit and desire there is in the squad. The competition is veryfierce and all the guys know they need to perform week inweek out to maintain their place in it.

“The Lions are a special team with all their history,tradition and esteem. It will be a special occasion whichmillions of South Africans are very much relishing. It alsopromises to be a spectacular event and, hopefully, a winningone for the Springboks.

“Unfortunately, because of the apartheid situation duringmy years as a player, I never got to play in a World Cup. Butwhat the team achieved in 1995 and then 2007 wasunbelievable and so fantastic for the country. I would love tobe able to repeat it during my time in charge of team matters.But that’s for the future. We have the Lions to deal with firstand two more years to build and improve the side.”

De Villiers has already turned up the heat on the Lions bychallenging his opposite number. “If McGeechan wants to sitdown and try to match the Springboks, then I think that is thewrong thing. If he wants to say ‘this is our strength, this is howwe want to play the game, these are the people who can dothe job for me’ then I can justify any selection he has made.

“But I will not sit down and say ‘they are going to do that,so I should do this’. I am more focused on what I want to doand I will find the talent and the players to do the job for us.”


DE VILLIERS

Peter de Villiers Fact-File1996: COACHED AMATEUR CLUB TYGERBERG

1997: TOOK OVER WESTERN PROVINCE DISAS

1998: ASSISTANT COACH WESTERN PROVINCE AND SA U19(3RD 1999 U19WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP)

2004: COACH SA U21(3RD U21 WORLD CHAMP 2004, WINNERS 2005, 2ND 2006)

2007: COACH EMERGING SPRINGBOKS

(WINNERS 2007 NATIONS CUP)

2008: HEAD COACH SA, REPLACING JAKE WHITE IN JANUARY

»

Above: Habana

BIGJohn Smit has waited twelve long, soul-searching years toerase the psychological scars left behind by Jeremy Guscott’s

drop goal. And that’s why the 50th man to lead South Africa into rugbywar is hell bent on revenge and erasing that painful memory.

The British Lions are here, and as far as record-breaker Smit isconcerned they have not arrived on the dark continent too soon! Headmits: “What happened back in 1997 when the Lions turned us overbig time is a massive motivating factor for every South Africa. It’ssomething that will certainly fire me up against them again.

“The past two Lions series against Australia and New Zealand havenot meant much to us because we have only been able to recollect theseries twelve years ago. We have had to deal with that every day sincethen. “It’s always at the back of your mind and eating away at you whenthe TV show replays of Guscott’s moment and other stuff. You want toturn the TV off but you also want to watch the clips just to remindyourself about how important it is to put the record straight this time.

“I’m absolutely fed up of seeing Guscott’s happy face - and the restof the Lions players hugging each other and jumping around. Theyspoiled our party back then but we don’t intend to let them do it again.”

Smit was a mere 19-year-old fresh-faced forward who was throwninto action for Natal against the elite tourists on that tour. He has sinceestablished himself as one of the most highly-respected players inworld rugby and has steered his country to both Tri-Nations and RugbyWorld Cup successes. But that brush with the Lions clearly had a majoraffect on him at such a young age.

He recalls: “I had no real idea what it was all about until I steppedfoot onto the pitch to play the Lions for Natal. It was a real eye openingexperience and something that helped lay down the foundation for theplayer and person I have become. I was a young guy, trying to makehis mark as a professional player. I was lucky in my second first-classgame to pack down against Jason Leonard and he gave me his shirt,which I’ve still got, which was a very special moment.

“To think that I’m sitting in this chair thinking about actually doingit again twelve years later and for South Africa is even more special.The 1997 series was a difficult series to lose due to the profile that aBritish Lions tour has in South Africa and also because of theimportance and tradition associated with it. We treasure it back homedue to the passion we have for the game.”

Smit’s leadership qualities came to the fore in the 2007 Rugby WorldCup, his calm under pressure and inspirational captaincy seeing SouthAfrica win the trophy for the second time. Last year the fierce andversatile front row competitor - he has played most of his career ashooker but has also filled in as prop in recent times - surpassed propOs du Randt as the Springboks’ most capped forward..

He certainly would not have envisaged enjoying such a successfuland illustrious playing career when he took his first steps onto a rugbyfield for Pretoria Boys High School where he was also head prefectbetween 1994 and 1996.

Smit played his first Springbok game in 2000 at the age of 22, whenSouth Africa beat Canada 51-18 at Basil Kenyon Stadium in East London.He was on and off of the reserve bench until 2004 when he was madecaptain of the squad by then new coach Jake White. He put hiscaptaincy on the line when he chose to move to French club Clermontafter the 2007 World Cup. But the South African Rugby Union stuck byhim despite being less than happy at losing the inspirational leader toEuropean club rugby. But, after only completing half of his planned two-year deal in France, Smit switched back to Super 14 side Natal Sharks

If you do not have the hide of a rhino, you would never survive fiveminutes as captain or coach of South Africa. Smit, who has worn thearmband since 2004, certainly needed a tough skin during his reign ascaptain under head coach White, who guided them to World Cup glorybefore Peter de Villiers succeeded him.

Smit has won 80 caps and his remarkably successful time asSpringboks skipper puts him shoulder to shoulder with formercaptaincy greats Gary Teichmann and Francois Pienaar. He says: “Theopportunity to play against the Lions again was the big reason for meto come back to South Africa to play club rugby so that I could beavailable for selection. I’m not getting any younger and I was sodesperate to be picked for this series. But to captain the Springboks

against the Lions is something dreams are made of. It’s rugby heavenwhich doesn’t get any better. Winning the World Cup was incrediblebut there is something very, very special to play a part in a seriesagainst the Lions. It’s difficult to explain.”

Smit believes last Autumn’s European campaign - where his sideproved too strong and too skilful for the likes of England, Wales andScotland will certainly help the Springboks attempt to see off this latestLions challenge. The Boks - with far from a full-strength squad - laiddown the gauntlet to the Lions with hard-fought victories at theMillennium Stadium (20-15) and Murrayfield (14-10) but also ran outemphatic 42-6 victors at Twickenham.

He says: “We realised quite quickly that the world champions’ scalpwas highly coveted. We had challenges in the first game where we liftedour foot of the gas but came on strong when we had to lift our game.Then going in ten points down at half-time against Scotland was anotherbig mental and physical challenge which we had to learn from. But yetagain the team came through and was able to deal with all that criticismand put in a good performance in our last game against England.

“It was the end of a very long, hard season for all the guys and theyall deserved to put their feet up and have a good rest. But now we’regetting closer and closer to the Lions and you can feel the excitementand expectation building around South Africa. It’s going to be the mostwonderful rugby experience, two of the most historic teams in an old-school three-Test series. South Africans will lap it up.”

Smit picks two Lions who could prove dangerous. They are Welshduo Andy Powell and Shane Williams. The former is consideredfavourite to wear the No8 jersey in the Tests while it will be a surpriseif wing magician Williams misses out on the opening game of theseries in Durban.

“We always expected them to pick strong and aggressive forwards,which indicates that they see the scrum and the line-outs as the keyelements of the contest. There is depth in every position, which iswhat they will need on a long and tough tour. We expect there willbe strong competition for places in all positions, which will makethings interesting for us.

“It seems wrong to pick out individuals because there are alwayssurprises. But I was impressed with Andy Powell when we playedWales before Christmas. Powell got the Man of the Match and he gavea very powerful performance against us. He’s one of the newcomerson the block and looks the part from what I have seen of him. He’sstrong and mobile - and will be a key player for the Lions.

“Shane Williams is a real danger man. He has very quick feet and aquick brain. He is like tackling a bar of soap when he is on form. Wewill need to keep an eye on him. But there could also be other playerswho put their hands up and play out of their skins. That’s what makesthis series so exciting and competitive.

“The captain O’Connell is a team man who is well respectedinternationally and it is obvious they are trying to replicate the vibeand momentum they had with the same coach in 1997 and whenanother lock, Martin Johnson, was the captain.

“The Lions will have a big, strong pack. And they will come herewith the usual determination and desire not to let down the jersey.There are many similarities between the way South Africans and theBritish and Irish players approach their rugby. We play hard, fair andgive it everything. That’s in our nature as rugby players.

“Nobody wants to lose. We hate losing. But when we do, we walkoff the field shaking hands and give credit to the opposition for the waythey have performed. It’s what makes rugby such a magnificent game.A man’s game. “I’m sure win or lose it will be the same when the Lionscome here. It’s not just about playing rugby. It’s also about makingfriends and having a wonderful time together. I’m sure all those guys inthe Lions squad will remember this tour for the rest of their lives. Manyof them know what it is like to come here. But when they are wearinga Lions jersey they become bigger targets for us!” •


GUSCOTT - I hate that smile

} I’ve waited 12 years for revenge~

Dynasty ofCAPTAINSTHE 28 LIVING

SPRINGBOKCAPTAINS:

SS “Bassie” Viviers,J Claassen,

DC Van Jaarsveldt,AS Malan,GF Malan,CM Smit,

DJ de Villiers,TP Bedford,JFK Marais,

PJF Greyling,M du Plessis,MTS Stofberg,W Claassen,

DJ Serfontein,HE Botha,JC Breedt,JF Pienaar,CP Strauss,AJ Richter,

GH Teichmann,CPJ Krige,J Erasmus,

JH Van der Westhuizen,AN Vos,

RB Skinstad,JW Smit,

Victor Matfieldand Johann Muller.


SMIT

T - I hate that smile

SPRINGBOK LEGEND GARYTEICHMANN HIGHLIGHTSTHE PERSONAL BATTLESTHAT COULD DECIDE THETEST SERIES

WHENit comes to sizing-up Ian McGeechan’s Prideof Lions in South Africa, nobody is better

qualified to analyse the contest than Springbok legend GaryTeichmann.

Now retired and working as contracts director for hisfamily’s vast plant hire company in Durban, the man whocaptained South Africa 36 times was given the task ofassessing the strengths and weaknesses of the best of bothsquads when he led the Springboks against Martin Johnson’sBritish Lions in the last series in South Africa 12 years ago.

This time the pressure is off for the retired No8, whorepresented his country on 42 occasions between 1995-99.But Teichmann has been no less diligent in running the ruleover the players involved in this series than he was inplanning tactics for the first Lions Test in Capetown on 21stJune 1997, which resulted in defeat for his side andsubsequent humiliation in the series.

So, how does Teichmann, regarded as one of the finestcaptains of one of the best ever Springbok teams, rate theoutcome of the mighty head-to-head clashes we eagerlyawait in the 2009 series?

Here, the 42 year-old Gwelo, Zimbabwe born No8, who ledSouth Africa to a world record equalling run of 17 Test wins insuccession, assesses five key duels that could influence theoutcome of the series, which begins in his home city ofDurban on June 20. •


Head-to-Headin the veld

BOTH players, on their day, are real matchwinners.Shane would not have been named the World Playerof the Year had he not been top drawer. However,both players have not been as sharp as they can be..

The trouble with quality players like these two isthat the expectations on them are so high, as are theirown expectations. When they hit a slump and are notscoring tries as they did previously, people say theyare off-form.

I think Shane will benefit from the harder groundshere. He also benefits from his smaller size, his ability and

agility. But Brian’s own outstanding speed, agility andstrength are probably the greatest factors in his game.

For wings of this quality to perform at their ultimatebest, and deliver match-winning tries, it is alldependent on the quality of the centres they haveinside them to deliver the right type of ball that setsthem on their way.

I know that Shane did skin Brian on the Wales tourto South Africa last year but he got a bit of spaceduring those games and I don’t expect that to happenagain if he is picked this time.

WING

BRIAN HABANA v SHANE WILLIAMS


HEAD TO HEAD

THIS is the one position in our team where we areunder-strength, so it will be a great confidence boostand experience for Pienaar to make the Test side.

Butch James is certain not to be playing because hehas been over in Europe so we will be losing hisexperience and we will also be losing the reliability ofPercy Montgomery in terms of kicking for goals, whichare bound to be vital in these games.

The selection process will cause big headaches forthe South Africa coaches.

With regard to Stephen Jones and all the experience

he brings with him, it will be a huge plus against aplayer who has not had that many Tests in theposition. In the Six Nations, he certainly got the back-line going for Wales but, sometimes with Pienaar, it isabout not having the fear of failure because he isyoung.

Pienaar has great flair. He is capable of doing somegreat things, but Stephen Jones possesses that all-important goal-kicking aspect of his game. From aSouth Africa viewpoint, this goalkicking side of thingsworries me most.

FLY HALF

RUAN PIENAAR v STEPHEN JONES

I have no doubt at all that John Smit will get one overon Lee Mears if they both play in the Tests. John is a realquality, top-class hooker and one of the best aroundwhile Lee is a good, aggressive player - a small guy instature but big in heart.

This will be his first tour with the Lions and, althoughhe has played against South Africa before, he missedout on the big one, the World Cup final in 2007 whenMark Regan and George Chuter were the hookers in theEngland team that played the Springboks.

John was there and lead by example in the mostpressurised situation possible. Mears has now established

himself with England but John has been in the position ashis country’s first choice hooker for some time now. Overthe three Tests, John will come up on top of the Lions’hookers but, in saying that, he has needed to play alot more than he has this year.

He has been on and off the bench and has neededgame-time. He’s been rested a lot and then gone in attight-head prop. He has needed to get a full 80 minutesof rugby under his belt at hooker and, if he has not donethat in the last few Super 14 matches of the seasonbefore the Lions tour, then that could possibly give Mearsa slight edge. Although that is about all I can give him.

HOOKER

JOHN SMIT v LEE MEARS

THIS has the look of becoming one of the greatcontests of the Test matches. Two big, tough men whowill not concede an inch to the other.

Both players are very different in their own right. Imust say I was very impressed by Paul O’Connell’sperformances in the recent Six Nations Championship.He is the sort of guy who wants to get stuck-in, similarin style to Mark Andrews.

He also has the ability to run the line-outeffectively and will, I am sure, want to lead by a clearexample as the captain of the Lions.

I don’t doubt that Paul O’Connell will rise to thechallenges placed on him in both his own game andthat of leading his team.

But Victor Matfield offers something different. Forone, he gets around the park a bit more, and you canquite often find him up in the back-line and taking theball through second and third phases.

If a game is tight during the tour, I think O’Connellwill have the greater influence, but I don’t doubt thatthis will be a physical and raw contest between twogreat players in their positions.

LOCK

VICTOR MATFIELD v PAUL O’CONNELL

WHAT South Africa have done in the past - and gotaway with it - is to have three loose forwards whohave been similar in type.

This is because, where Schalk Burger runs withthe ball, so does Juan Smith. The line-outs, at theback, will also be a big issue. Andy Powell, if heplays, is not a real line-out specialist and SouthAfrica may have an advantage when it comes tothat area.

This is where South Africa are strong because they

have a lot of experience in that department. PierreSpies and Ryan Kankowski are both pretty useful inthe line-outs.

So, it may be that David Wallace will have to doextra work there which could give Juan Smith anedge on him.I have been impressed with Wallaceas well. He is in some good form and, although hehas got some strong competition for the jerseyfrom Martyn Williams and Alan Quinlan, I think hewill play in the Tests.

BLINDSIDE FLANKER

JUAN SMITH v DAVID WALLACE

LITTLE Billy Whizz used to lead theSouthern Hemisphere powerhouses amerry dance with his amazing dancing,side-stepping feet.

And Jason Robinson is convincedthat a diminutive Welshman with asimilar panache for the soft-shoeshuffle can waltz his way across theSouth Africa line many times in thecoming weeks.

Shane Williams may have struggledthis season to live up to the tallreputation imposed upon him thisseason, but, as far as former Englandand Lions hero Robinson is concerned,the 2008 IRB Player of the Year willshine in the 2009 Lions spotlight.

Robinson, a playing colleague of

Williams on the 2005 tour to NewZealand, says: “I always love watchingShane play. He is fantastic, the kind ofplayer I can really relate to. He’s gotspecial talents and he excites me everytime I get to see him in action.

“People compare us because of hisrunning style and his size. That’s acompliment to me because he’s one ofthe best wings in world rugby and areal entertainer who the crowd love tosee. He is also a nightmare for defences,even the Southern Hemisphere powers.

“When he’s on the top of his form hecan destroy teams. He doesn’t have toprove anything to anyone. He’s had hisfair share of injuries, which affect us allover the years. But he’s bounced back

from those and is still such a majorplayer on the international stage.

“I’m sure the Springboks wouldrather the Lions hadn’t picked him.They know just how tricky an opponenthe is to keep quiet. They will know youjust can’t give him an inch of space, orhe’s gone and you’ve conceded points.

I played against Shane a few times forEngland and it wasn’t something Ienjoyed. I preferred to play againstsomebody who was bigger becausethere was a lot more to grab hold of!You struggle to defend against Shanebecause there will always be periods ofbroken play in a game. When he getsthe ball he is just able to pick off

YOUcould safely expect the IRB Player of the Year tobe confident of gaining certain selection for the

2009 British Lions Tour to South Africa. Wrong.Shane Williams feared the worst when Welsh legend and

tour manager Gerald Davies read the names of those luckyenough to be awarded the greatest honour that can bebestowed upon a British player.

The Welsh wing, and just about the best player on theplanet in 2008, was with his Ospreys team-mates taking abreak from training at the WRU headquarters near Llantrisantwhen the squad was announced in April.

Williams, named IRB golden boy just four months earlier,believed his pretty average form in the Six Nations would countagainst his selection, despite that IRB crowning, selection as2008 RBS Six Nations Player of the Year, and record number oftries for his country in steering them to two Grand Slams.

The 32 year-old Welsh wizard recalled that moment ofanxious suspense on April 21. “Some of the boys had beenupstairs watching television. They came down and told uswhat was happening, which was a bit difficult because someof the players were selected and some not.

“It was quite a strange way to find out. There was noinkling or indication prior to the announcement that any of uswould make the tour. So, if you say I was relieved, it wouldbe an understatement.

“I knew, with a few niggling injuries, that myperformances were not as good as I wanted, yet I felt itwas going well at the start of the Six Nations.

“I played very well in the Scotland game; toreligaments in my ankle and missed the England game;got back for the French game for which, if I’m honest, Iwas not 100 per cent fit; and struggled after that.

“I would be the first person to admit I was not playing aswell as I have been but I’ve got back a bit of form recently andhave started to play some decent rugby again. I’m moredetermined than ever to be very successful on this tour.

“Of course, it was a relief whether you are playing well ornot. Just to be there (in the squad), you don’t really care - youare there. I have not been playing at the top of my game andI knew a lot of boys were playing better, I never assumed Iwas an automatic choice for the squad.

“I knew how I had been playing prior had nothing to dowith it, it was whether or not the coaches felt I would be the

right selection and I knew that from day one.“So even when people started putting in their own British

Lions teams and my name wasn’t in there, I didn’t pay anyattention at all because I knew, week in and week out, thatthings could change.

“So, yes, of course it was a relief. I’m just grateful now that I’vebeen given the chance to go. I’m very hungry to play and I’mgetting back to full fitness, so I’m really excited about this tourand I want to go over there and show everyone I am the rightperson to do the job and the selection was the correct one.”

A house stacked with trophies is testament to hiscredentials and, even at the wrong side of thirty (32), hiscompetitive edge remains razor sharp.

“As a professional rugby player, I always want to do better.I felt I played very well in the season before the awards andduring the 2008 Grand Slam.

“When I was asked in interviews, I said I could play betterand I knew I could. I know now I can play better again.

“I don’t like losing and I’ll be open and say that. Forinstance, if I go playing tennis today, I will want to be betterat it tomorrow. That’s just the way I am and that’s the way Ihave always been, very competitive. Unfortunately, I can’thave it any other way.”

An on-form Williams is a proven match-winner - just askSpringboks wing sensation Bryan Habana, who has been

skinned by the Welshman twice in the past few years. The pairare friends off the field but, on it, that relationship isforgotten. Hostilities are set to be resumed on June 20 at theABSA Stadium, Durban.

Surely, Habana, the man who once raced a cheetah, haslearned a few lessons about Williams from those two drubbings?

“Probably my left-foot step,” says the Ospreys ace. “A lotwas made of the Williams-Habana thing and it is great, but I’msure Bryan will have forgotten that now.

“The reason why Bryan and I have this kind of rivalry isbecause we have such mutual respect for each other. I think


»

»

The DestroyerBy Jason Robinson

WILLIAMS

} I knew my form had been poor~


WILLIAMS

SO WHAT DOES IRB GOLDEN BOY SHANE WILLIAMS

MAKE OF HIS LIONS SELECTION?

What a relief!

Bryan is a great player and I hope he thinks I am prettygood as well.

“We have met each other several times now, I’ve playedagainst him enough and shared a room with him when wewere with the Barbarians. He is a great guy and we get onreally well. But, when we are on the field, it is war and I willbe determined to do the same thing again this time.”

Habana is a huge asset to the Boks, a player who can turna game on its head in an instant, but the world champion’spose threats from all parts of the field.

Williams admits: “They are a very good South African side,very physical and with a big backline full of pace - and a back-row also full of pace.

“Physically, we are going to have to match them. But whatthe Lions have got at the moment is a good selection ofplayers. We have not gone for the big, physical, robustplayers. They have a lot of pace behind which I think, eventhough South Africa have a very good defence and quick back-three, we can certainly compete with and beat.

“I think the contest in the pack will be enormous. We havepicked a big, attacking front row, whoever plays. PaulO’Connell is going to bring a structured line-out game, whichyou need against South Africa because they are very good atthe set-pieces, especially defensive lineouts, winning a lot ofthe opposition ball. They are athletes as well.”

There are key players all over the park. “Certainly for SouthAfrica you have players like Schalk Burger, while Jean DeVilliers is a key member of the side. Where else do you look?Bryan Habana behind the pack, who has hit some formrecently, JP Pietersen is playing very well. I could be here allday naming them, to be honest.”

Williams points to one area of weakness in the Boks line-up hebelieves the Lions could target. Ruan Pienaar, favourite for the fly-half hot-seat as replacement for the legendary Butch James, whois missing completely from the Springboks squad, lacks thenecessary experience to fill the key position, says Williams.

“You want to target people who are lacking in experience,especially in these massive games. I’m not saying Pienaarwill be without confidence, but lack of experience can bringlack of confidence.”

Williams reckons the key confrontation will be the battlebetween Pienaar and the Lions No10. “Outside-half is the most

influential player on the field, whether it be Stephen Jones,Ronan O’Gara or someone else. The games these days are wonand lost at number ten. Maybe, South Africa’s inexperience inthat position gives us an advantage over them.”

The appointment of Welsh coaches Warren Gatland, ShaunEdwards and Rob Howley as assistants to McGeechan is also ofbenefit, Williams claims.

“We are used to their methods. We know what to expect


WILLIAMS

»

Above: Williams

forwards and even some outside backsand skin them.

I think he is just brilliant to watch -and I would like to think there was amutual respect between us. Shanecertainly deserved to be the IRB Playerof the Year last year. He was fantasticand his achievement was almost greaterbecause he was so small. We all see thebig striding wingers about now, buthere we have the little pocket rocket.

There is always a place for a playerlike Shane if you have the ability. Hegets people on their feet and peoplewant Shane Williams to get the ball. I,too, want that now as a spectator. Iwant to see guys like Shane with theball in his hands, in space and doingwhat he does best. A talent like thatyou are never going to stop, whateverthe size, and that is the great thingabout rugby.

“It is still the only sport where itdoesn’t matter what shape or size youare. You can be fat, thin, short or tall

and there is a position for you in rugby.”Some critics felt Williams was

fortunate to make Ian McGeechan’s 37-strong tour squad with is own formsuffering in disappointing Ospreysteam, who finished well behindMunster in the Magners League andwere embarrassed by the Irish outfit inthe Heineken Cup.

But the 32-year-old has always been abig game player. And, having played inthe ill-fated 2005 tour to New Zealand,he showed just how devastating he canbe then with a record-equalling five-tryhaul against Manawatu.

That is clearly why McGeechan felt hehad to take the tiny tornado fromSwansea - who has had to battle backfrom elbow and shoulder surgery in thelast two years - with him to play on thehard and fast South African pitches.

Robinson, who was a rugby leaguelegend before he switched to union, isthat rare beast, having played for theLions in both codes. His status as a Hall

of Fame rugby player is secure.Robinson, who won 51 caps for

England, could easily have been talkingabout himself instead of ShaneWilliams. He was English rugby’s greatentertainer. But it was on the Lionstour to Australia in 2001 thatRobinson, as a recent union convert,really made his name. His outrageoustry in the first Test victory over theWallabies, when he skinned full-backChris Latham, at the Gabba inBrisbane, will live long in the memory.

Robinson played alongside RobHowley in that Test series defeat to theAussies, since when his former team-mate has gone on to help coach Walesand is now preparing to do the same forthe Lions in South Africa.

“Rob knows what it takes and had theexperience of not just playing for theLions but captained them as well in aTest. That is vital because you need toknow how the players are affected andhow to get the best out of them. You

from them. We know their personalities and how they work.That is advantageous for us and, in saying that, there are a lotof Irish players also who have worked with this trio, especiallyWarren, who was in charge of Ireland from 1998-2001.”

World Player of the Year, Grand Slams, Triple Crowns, BBCWales Sports Personality of the Year, 2009 British Lion. “It is thepinnacle. I am immensely proud. It’s the cherry on the cake.

“I’m really excited, can’t wait to get there and start playing.

It’s a great country, a beautiful country, and every time I’veplayed out there, I’ve really enjoyed myself. I enjoy playing ataltitude. I enjoy the surface because it is like a running track forme and it certainly suits my game with nice big open fields.”

Can McGeechan’s Lions of 2009 emulate McGeechan’swinning Lions of 1997?

“I think it will be really tough, but we’ll take the series 2-1.I’d hate to be too confident and say 3-0!” •


need to have been in their shoes. Thatwon’t bring you success on its own, butit helps. He has spent time at Wasps andI am sure there is a good partnershipbetween him Warren Gatland, ShaunEdwards and Ian McGeechan.”

“Hopefully, the guys can repeat whathappened in South Africa in 1997. TheLions are unique and the experienceisn’t just for the players who play forthe Lions. I was speaking to BryanHabana recently and he is really excitedabout facing the Lions.

“It’s twelve years since they havebeen there and the South Africanplayers don’t get to experience theLions as much as we do. The playerslucky enough to go can really putthings right out there. Look at thecoaching staff and you can really see itworking together.

“There wont be any egos and theywill just want to get the best out of theplayers they have. Ian has been thereand done it. His name goes hand-in-

hand with the Lions and they will bemore determined than any othercoaching team.

“When you look at the squad theyhave chosen it’s certainly a bunch ofplayers who won’t shirk the severephysical demands of touring SouthAfrica. They wont be intimidated orfrightened about facing a team who arethe world champions and haveimproved since winning in France.

“I did think the captaincy would go toBrian O’Driscoll, but Paul O’Connell -who played in all three Tests againstNew Zealand in 2005 - is an impressivefigure. He will command the respect ofeveryone involved. Leaving out the likesof England’s Delon Armitage and MarkCueto, plus Wales scrum-half DwyanePeel and skipper Ryan Jones, was asurprise. But they should not give uphope completely of being involved.

“The Lions have six brutal tourmatches before the first Test gets underway in Durban. So there’s so much very

tough and intense rugby and training toget through, and I’d be amazed if thereweren’t a few casualties along the way.

“So, a few of those guys who were notpicked in the original 37 may well endup getting a taste of the Lions in SouthAfrica anyway. It’s just not feasible tobelieve that the whole squad will get tothat opening game with the Springboksunscathed. Being battered, bruised andblooded in the build up to the Tests ispart of the fun of being a Lion! Mymessage to those who have missed thecut is stay fit and keep a phone handy -you may still be needed!

“Selection is just the first step butcoming home with a series win is adifferent matter. I like the mixture ofMcGeechan’s squad - and if he can getthem to gel like we did to beat the Bokstwelve years ago, you just never know.”

SHANE WILLIAMSadmits he almost quitthe game seven years

ago. He was unfit, overweight, and his social life was a mess,writes Gary Baker.

He recalls: “The year 2002 was not a happy one. Playing for Neath,I was getting injured quite regularly. I lost a bit of form, and wasbeing criticised for being too small.

“I kind of had the world on my shoulders. I let it get to me. I puton weight. I struggled to be fit for matches because I was notplaying. My social life was mess. I was going out pretty much twice aweek because my head had gone.

“I got up in the middle of the night once. I just couldn’t sleep. Iasked myself ‘shall I give-up the game?’.

“I need to kick myself up the backside and grow up. I needed toget fit, get back into the Welsh squad and prove a few peoplewrong. I have never looked back. It was the biggest decision I’vemade. Life-changing.”

That moment of self-analysis through troubled times is typical of aplayer who has remained level-headed throughout all the glitz andglamour of rugby fame. Shane remains faithful and grateful tolifelong friends living in his home village on the edge of theBrecon Beacons, despite his celebrity lifestyle.

“I’m a down-to-earth guy, really, and I still live in the same areawhere I grew up. Most of the friends I have got I played football andrugby with. The majority of them I was in primary school with.

“So there are still the same faces, still the same mickey-takingwhich keeps my feet on the ground. They haven’t treated me anydifferently from day one to now. They still make fun of me and Iwould not have it any other way.”

A decent footballer, Shane was once due to play in a cup final for

Cwmamman Utd. But when asked by local rugby club Amman Utd toturn out for them, he made the choice of kicking an oval ball.

He recalls: “Eirion Rees, Cwmamman’s player-manager, and a five-a-side teammate to this day when I get the time, still takes the mickand says ‘I still think you made the wrong decision’.

“Who knows? I could have been playing for Man United! But it wasprobably one of the best decisions I ever made. I had a great gamefor Amman. I scored five tries and had a couple of pints afterwards.”

Lyn Jones, the former Neath coach, has been mentor and guidinglight to Shane throughout his career.

“I owe a lot to Lyn Jones (ex-Neath coach). When I was playingsecond-choice scrum-half, I had the opportunity to play on the wingin one of the games and never looked back.

“That was down to Lyn. I worked with him for nine years and I gotto know him as well. A lot of what I have achieved is down to him.”

Then there is the Great Redeemer himself, Graham Henry, theformer Wales supremo who picked him back in 1999.

“Graham was like an uncle to me in the way he treated me. I wasone of the youngsters, one of the kids, but he really did look afterme. He gave me my big break when a lot of people said I should nothave been there. I have a lot of respect for him. He gave me thatchance and I hope I have repaid him in the performances I have putin over the years.”

Outside rugby Shane runs a property business with fellow Ospreyand Welsh captain Ryan Jones. His wife Gail is expecting a secondchild and companion for two-year-old Georgie.

“I have not got the personality to be sat behind a desk 24/7. I’msure I will have my finger in a few pies in the next few years but I’mjust enjoying everything about rugby and life at the moment. I am avery lucky man.”

Why I wanted to quit


HIS DADWATCHED RUGBY

FROM A CAGE, HIS MUMWAS BANNED FROM

PLAYING HOCKEYFOR HER

COUNTRY, SONO WONDER

BRYANHABANA

ENJOYS…

My Long Walk to Freedom

BRYAN HABANAonce famouslyattempted to

out-run a cheetah. He failed narrowly to achieve his objective.So what chance a pack of slower, less explosive Lions in theirattempt to tame the Transvaal tornado?

Not much if you listen to the millions who cherish andworship Habana, a national treasure back in his homeland.Jonah Lomu used to snort and run over flattened victims -Habana merely smiles and runs past them!

Yet, stopping a man who can blast ten seconds flat for the100 metres is certainly something Ian McGeechan and hiscoaching staff will be working hard to prevent up to theopening Test in Durban on June 20.

Developing a master plan will be one thing, executing itanother! The All Blacks and Wallabies have tried and failed inthe past. And the home countries have suffered enough at thefeet of the lightning fast Habana since he made his Test debutagainst England at Twickenham five years ago when he scoredwith his first touch of the ball.

Habana is star material. The player, who says he owes hislove of rugby to the sight of Francois Pienaar raising the WebbEllis Cup to the heavens to the roar of millions South Africanson that emotional day in Johannesburg in 1995, couldcommand a king’s ransom if he woke up one morning, lookedin the mirror and said to himself: “I fancy playing in theNorthern Hemisphere!”

A stampede of clubs would clamour for his valuablesignature, and the highest bidder would need to break thebank. Sadly, these days that would probably put the Frenchone jump ahead their English rivals.

Not that Habana will even contemplate walking out on hishomeland in order to ply his trade in the GuinnessPremiership. For the fastest wing on Earth, who cannot wait toshow off his explosive skills in the forthcoming series with theLions, insists with a cheeky smile: “I don’t think I will evercome to England to play club rugby because the weather istoo gloomy, too rainy and too cold over there. I’m a SouthAfrican boy and enjoy switching off completely at 3.30pmwhen the sun goes down.

“I don’t think I will be going anywhere soon. But, whoknows in the future. The South of France can be fairly warm!But there’s also the little matter of playing for theSpringboks. If I’m going to carry on doing that it’s probablybest for me to be appearing in South African club rugby andunder the boss’s nose.

“The Lions coming over here only happens once everytwelve years. Its the pinnacle of a rugby player’s career toplay against the Lions. We lost the last one in 1997 and,hopefully, we can put the record straight this time. It’s a

dream for me to be part of a Boks team to defeat the Lions.That would be special.

“But I’m not taking my place for granted. None of us can.Not with Peter de Villiers in charge. If he’s not happy with yourperformance one week he wont be afraid to drop you the next.But I really, really want to ensure that I am in the startingfifteen for the opening Test in Durban. That’s going to be sucha magical, exciting occasion for the whole of South Africa.

“We’ve done well since Peter took over. He has kept themomentum going we had under Jake White. I get on well withPeter. I’ve known him since my U21 days. He has the ball andchain at the moment and is carrying it well! We’re worldchampions and everyone wants to beat us. That’s how it is andwe have to accept that challenge every time we walk out thereonto the field. I’m sure the Lions would love to put one over us.”

Dad Bernie Habana - a former lock who played for the oldSouth African Rugby Union - sewed the seeds of rugby love forson Bryan when he took him on a 2,800km round road tripfrom their Johannesburg home to Cape Town to see theopening game of the 1995 World Cup against Australia.

Bernie had been banned from playing rugby after he wasspotted watching the white South Africa side take on theBritish and Irish Lions when they toured in 1980. He wasreported to the Union. That day Bernie had been cheering onthe Springboks, a no-no in the non-white section of the crowd,where the majority cheered the opposition. For Bernie, 1995symbolised the end of segregation in sport. And then camethe 1995 World Cup, which he simply could not miss.

Apartheid ended and Bernie was delighted his son fell headover heels in love with the game. And Bryan Gary Habana, whowas named after former England football hero Bryan Robsonand Manchester United’s South African-born goalkeeper GaryBailey, swapped the round ball for an oval one.

Bryan, who at 26 has been capped 46 times, recalls: “Thatwhole experience, missing school for the first time and drivingdown to Cape Town on a two-day trip, picking up hitch-hikers- as weird as they seemed - with my dad driving way abovethe speed limit, it was so special. Then seeing Pieter Hendriksand Joel Stransky score those tries in that opening gameagainst Australia, seeing grown men cry with the new SouthAfrican flag painted on their faces. “There was an Afrikaansguy sitting in front of us and when we won he gave my dadthis big hug. The next day the face paint was still stuck to mydad’s top. My love for rugby grew out of watching FrancoisPienaar and the World Cup in 1995. I had never played rugbybefore grade seven at secondary school. I always took part inathletics, as a sprinter.

“As I followed rugby more and more closely, my heroes


HABANA

} I sometimesget scaredpeople lived insuch times~

Above - Left to Right:Habana says his love ofrugby grew from themoment FrancoisPienaar raised the WorldCup in 1995. He alsosays his parents gavehim christian namesinspired by BRYANRobson, the footballer,and GARY Bailey, the exManchester Unitedgoalkeeper.

g Walk to Freedom»

became the Australia scrum-half George Gregan, South Africascrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen, and All Blacks JonahLomu and Tana Umaga. I also had great admiration for VictorMatfield and Bakkies Botha. All those players made rugbyspecial in their lives and left the game in a better state.”

Bernie remembers: “I had been exposed to rugby where, ifyou went to watch a game of white rugby, you sat in a littlepigeonhole thing among the white spectators with fences allaround you so they couldn’t throw things at you. Whereas in1995, all those fences had come down and we were one.

“Taking Bryan to live that moment was important, it justseemed like the right thing to do. I wanted him to see howmuch it could help to have one cause. Because in South Africa,prior to 1994, there were separate causes. One was fightingfor freedom and they were called terrorists, the others wereprotecting their freedom and they were terrorists. Yet all of asudden we had unity.”

When South Africa trounced England 42-6 last autumn,there was a comparable feeling of history. Not for the scoreline, or the achievement, but because the team on the pitchfinally reflected the identity it claimed to represent - therainbow nation. South Africa finished the game with an all-black front row - a remarkable image in itself - with RickyJanuarie taking man of the match. On the sidelines seven ofthe 12 backroom staff were black, among them the managerand the head coach. How things have changed!

Bryan insists: “The rest of the world wants to know aboutcolour. For me it’s like, colour, what is that? People askwhether I am proud to be coloured. I’m proud to be SouthAfrican. I’m proud that I’m doing something amazing...something that makes a difference. I’m South African, I’m notcoloured, I’m not black. Even though the colour of my skin willportray something to certain people, to me I’m South African.I don’t understand black.

“Now we have 12 players of colour in the Springbok set-up,and looking back I think, ‘Jeez, you know if Chester Williamshadn’t made a statement, or given his all, would I be sittinghere today? The more you grow-up, the more you startthinking about those things. You wonder what it was like, tohave to take a different bus or train, or not be able to walkaround the streets after dark. I sometimes get scared thatpeople lived in such times.

“Their upbringing and my upbringing were totally different.They had it a lot harder than me, my dad not being able to goto rugby games, my mom having to be in the coloured hockeyside, not being able to go on and represent her countrybecause of her colour. It would have been heartbreaking forme if I had had all this ability and not been able to play formy country and make a difference to so many peoples’ lives.

“We didn’t talk about it over breakfast. My parents tried toshelter us as much as possible from all that segregation. Ionly understood it in the latter stages of the apartheid era.It goes so much deeper than what happens on the rugbyfield. Whether it be Bakkies Botha or Tendai or RickyJanuarie, no matter the colour of their skin, who they are orwhere they’ve come from, it’s great to see how the differentenergies gel, and how captain John Smit manages that. He’sgot guys from different provinces - it could cause tension -and he’s got to make it work. I think if John was black hewould still be the captain he is now.”

Habana’s meteoric rise to fame and glory was as quick asthe man himself. And it was certainly no surprise to those whohad watched him run defences ragged beforehand that hetook centre stage in the 2007 World Cup.

He equalled Jonah Lomu’s tournament record of eight triesand Habana was simply irresistible and unstoppable. Hescored four tries in the 59-7 win over Samoa in Paris and twomore against Argentina in the semi-final.

Later in the year he scored an amazing winning try in theSuper 14 Final later in the year. Hardly surprising then that hewas named the IRB’s 2007 ‘Player of the Year’.

No doubt the bookies will make him short odds to become“Player of the Series” when the Boks and Lions go head-to-head in Test battle on June 20. •


HABANA

He’d have crushedWells’ Olympic dreamBryan Habana’s ability to run 100 metres in 10 seconds flat would havebeen quick enough to have won him Olympic gold medals at theMunich, Montreal, and Moscow Games.

His best stopwatch time is unratified by the athletics authorities, but,unofficial or not, his personal record of 10 seconds for the Olympicmovement’s blue riband event would have been good enough to haveshoved Britain’s Olympic hero Allan Wells into the silver medal positionon the rostrum at the Moscow Games of 1980.

Based on the Habana’s best time over 100m, these Olympic resultswould have been feasible:

1972 Munich 1 Bryan Habana (SA), 10.0; 2 Valery Borzov (SOV), 10.14; 3 Robert Taylor (USA), 10.24.

1976 Montreal 1 Bryan Habana (SA), 10.0; 2 Hasely Crawford (TRI), 10.06; 3 Don Quarrie (JAM), 10.07.

1980 Moscow 1 Bryan Habana (SA), 10.0, 2 Allan Wells (GBR), 10.25, 3 Silvio Tartabull (CUB), 10.25.

»

Above: Habana


AAir travel was used for the first time to transport the 1955 Lionssquad to South Africa, shortening the trip by a month.

BBishop of Bloemfontein was the appointment granted OxfordUniversity and Lions forward Walter Carey when he decided to stay onin South Africa after the 1896 Lions tour.

CClarke, The Boot, kicked six penalties in the All Blacks first Test defeatof the Lions in July 1959, yet left the pitch to a storm of jeers. Don’skicking, as always, was flawless, but the Lions had scored four tries totheir hosts’ zilch, and that was not good enough for the Dunedin crowd.

DDr Doug Smith, manager of the 1971 Lions, forecast his team wouldwin two Tests, lose one Test, and draw one before the squad lefthome for Australia and New Zealand. His prediction was spot-on.

EEllis Park, Johannesburg, built in 1928, hosted a record 100,000 crowdfor the Test between South Africa and the British Lions in 1955.

FFarrell, Jimmy, strongman and cornerstone of Ireland’s powerful packin the 1920s, played all five Tests on the 1930 Lions tour to NewZealand and Australia.

GGreen shirts were worn for the first time by the Springboks when theBritish Isles toured in 1896. The Lions have worn an all-red jersey since1950. The 1988 tour shirt was a hooped red, white and blue mix.

HHigh Definition will be used for the first time on a Lions tour when SKYscreen all the 2009 Lions tour matches in South Africa in the newlyavailable pinpoint sharp system.

IIrish Tribune newspaper columns suggested the nearest some of thenine Irish international players should have come to making the 1983Lions tour to New Zealand was “Dublin Zoo”. Hopefully, that appraisalexcluded the manager, Willie John McBride.

JJordan’s autobiography is the favourite book of Gethin Jenkins, theBritish Lions and Welsh prop, according to “Power of 4” brochurepublished for the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand. Compare that tofellow tourist Ollie Smith’s choice of the heavyweight Lord of the Rings.

KKing prawns followed by steak is the favourite dish of Stephen Jones,the British Lions and Wales fly-half. John Sheridan, the England prop,and the luckless Tom Shanklin, who withdrew from the squad afterdislocating his shoulder, both go for steak also.

LLions is a great concept, according to Lawrence Dallaglio. He says: “Youspend four years kicking lumps out of each other, then you get put intoa hotel together and a few weeks later you’re up against one of thebest teams in the world. Fantastic.”

MMedia consultant on the 2005 Lions tour to South Africa was AlastairCampbell, press secretary to Tony Blair when the former Prime Ministerbecame leader of the Labour Party.

NNinety-nine (99) was the call to arms given by Willie John McBride tosignal his permission for the 1974 Lions to ignore the ball and thumpthe nearest Springbok. As Willie John said famously on that tour: “Getyour retaliation in first.”

OOpposition from the British Government and groups opposed tosporting contact with the apartheid regime in South Africaovershadowed the build-up to Billy Beaumont’s 1980 Lions tour. Butthe four home unions committee, which organised Lions tours, gavethe go-ahead, despite the political unrest.

PPapillon is Brian O’Driscoll’s favourite book. Whether the 2005 Lionstour captain liked the film of the book is not recorded. Lions tourskipper Paul O’Connell lists his favourite move as “The Da Vinci Code”.

Favourite dishes - King prawns, busty Jordan & beefsteakChef Neil Perry’s King Prawns

AN A-Z GUIDE TO 121 YEARSOF LIONS TOURS TO THE

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE COUNTRIES

A-Z

QQuicksilver Irish flanker Fergus Slattery was denied a try in the finalTest of the 1974 Lions tour when referee Max Baise claimed he hadblown the whistle by the time the Lions openside forced his wayacross the Springbok line.

RRugby World’s poll of rugby players in 2003 voted Gareth Edwards(Wales and British Lions) the greatest player of all time. The legendaryscrum-half went on three Lions tours, in 1968, 1971 and 1974

SSpringboks have been playing international rugby since 1891, whenthe British Isles toured South Africa. They agreed to be called the‘Springboks’ for the Lions tour of 1910.

TTelevision audiences around the globe of 220million armchair rugbyenthusiasts are forecast to watch the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa.

UUncapped Will Greenwood was selected to tour South Africa in 1997with Martin Johnson’s Lions squad before he had been selected toplay for England.

VVictoria Crosses were awarded 1896 Lions tourists Tom Crean andRobert Johnston when they served with the Imperial Light Horseregiment in the Boer War.

WWorsley Joe (England, Wasps, British Lions) says: ‘All the players formthe four home countries regard a Lions tour as the biggest honour inthe game.”

XXenophobia was never an issue on Lions tours to South Africa whenapartheid ruled. Rugby enthusiasts among South Africa’s blackcommunity tended to support the visiting Lions more than they didthen all-white Springboks

YYoungest member of the Lions tour party is Leigh Halfpenny, theCardiff and Wales wing, born on December 22, 1988. Ironically, hemade his international debut against world champions South Africa.

ZZimbabwe - then known as Rhodesia - played a one-off Test againstthe 1974 Lions. Prime Minister Ian Smith attended the post-matchfunction. Fergus Slattery and Dick Milliken spotted an unlocked Bentleyon the forecourt as they left the shindig and did a lap of the hotelgrounds in the limousine they borrowed.


, busty Jordan & beefsteak

A-Z

AN A-Z GUIDE TO 121 YEARSOF LIONS TOURS TO THE

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE COUNTRIES

A-Z

Clockwise from top left: Don Clarke, Jordan, Alistair Campbell (with Clive Woodward), The 1955Lions team, Steve McQueen, Victoria Cross.

THIRTY-FIVEyears after Willie John McBrideadopted brutal tactics to beat

the Springboks, it seemed appropriate to discover what tacticsthe greatest of all Lions captains would adopt to beat theworld champions in 2009.

The 1974 Lions, who became known as the Invincibles onthat infamous unbeaten tour, decided to confront theintimidatory tactics they expected South Africa to employ byperfecting the ‘99 Call’ to arms.

The idea was for McBride to call give the infamous versionof the 999 emergency dial-up whenever he spotted theSpringboks physically abusing one of the Lions players.McBride’s demand for a ‘99’ was the signal for every Lionsplayer to forget the ball and thump his nearest Springbokcounterpart. Hatched by McBride and coach Syd Millar, thetheory was that no referee in the world would have thecourage to dismiss an entire team for throwing punches oncommand at a specified moment in a match.

The controversial tactic was tried for the first time againstEastern Province in Port Elizabeth, and sprung most notablyagain on the Springboks in the third Test, a match rated oneof the dirtiest in rugby history. Packing their side with primebeefed-up enforcers, South Africa were guilty of starting thetrouble when Lions hooker Bobby Windsor was kicked byJohannes van Heerden. Fights broke out all over the groundand celebrated Lions full-back JPR Williams ran half the lengthof the pitch to land a haymaker on the Natal bullyboy.

McBride, bobbing and weaving like a prize-fighter, meted outhis own brand of corporal punishment in that notorious brawlthat did nothing for the reputation of rugby union as a dignifiedsport. But coach and captain never wavered at the time and thelegendary Ulsterman defends to the hilt still the tactics usedthen three decades after the most successful tour in Lions history.

As the Lions prepare to counter the best pack in the world,McBride believes the team that emerges triumphant in theforward battle will go on to win the Test series.

So, is the 99-Call still a relevant tactic for Lions captain PaulO’Connell to call on this tour? “The principles are the same” says

McBride. “Get your retaliation in first. We knew in1974 we had to get the scrum right, which wedid. We knew that physically we had got to be asgood as they were. We took them on, toe to toe,never taking a backward step.

“The 2009 Lions have to do the same. SouthAfrica are the world champions. Not only arethey physically as hard as nails, they arementally tough also.”

A key feature of the Lions success was theynever contemplated the possibility of defeat andpicked several Lions vastly experienced fromparticipating in the winning Test series againstNew Zealand and Australia three years earlier,said McBride.

“Key figures were Gordon Brown, MightyMouse McLauchlan, Fergus Slattery, and MervynDavies, a hardcore of experienced Lions, whoplayed better in South Africa than on theprevious tour.. And we had skillful backs,including Gareth Edwards, Mike Gibson, PhilBennett, Ian McGeechan, Dick Millican, AndyIrvine, JPR Williams and JJ Williams.

“The word got round that you don’t mess with

Get yourretaliationin first By Bill Day


McBride ‘I cherish so manymemories of 1974. To this day, Ifeel I adopted 29 brothers on thattrip. Those men stood alongside mein every situation we encountered.Nobody had to be disciplined. Wehad a hell of a lot of fun. You don’tbuy that brand of loyalty’

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER WILLIE JOHN MCBRIDE LED THE MOST

BRUTAL TOUR IN LIONS HISTORY, GUESS WHAT THE ULSTERMAN

WANTS FROM PAUL O’CONNELL’S SQUAD?

these Lions guys. They almost took out Gareth Edwards in onematch and the South Africa psyche is the same today. Youhave got to hit them, and hit them hard. Someone once said‘You might score more points than South Africa, but you havenever beaten them’.”

McBride is keen to dispel the notion that his squad were ill-disciplined in 1974. “You cannot play the game of rugbywithout discipline. Anybody who has played rugby will knowthat if a member of the opposition steps out of line, to runaround on a revenge mission is a futile waste of time whenyou should be playing rugby.

“Our tactic was to sort out an opponent immediately,together, and get back playing rugby. Get your retaliation infirst, was my principle. The 1974 tour results (P22, W21, D1,Pts 729-207) are the results of a disciplined side. You don’twin as we did if you are ill-disciplined.”

But McBride does concede a few red and yellow cards wouldhave been waved at Lions transgressors had they facedmodern referees. Asked how his squad stayed within thedisciplinary laws that applied in those days, he replied: “Inmany ways we didn’t stay within the laws of rugby. If theytransgressed, we sorted it out and then got on with the game.”

Despite the malevolent nature of relationships on the pitch,McBride speaks highly of the South Africa players he faced ona brutally contested tour. “They were all Boer farmers. I lovedthem. They were brilliant men, great off the pitch. But then Iwas a different animal off the pitch.”

McBride is not entirely convinced the current Lions forwardsare as strong mentally and physically as they were in his day.“I was a farmer’s son. I could work the fields for 12-18 hourdays. It was all work. It took a week to plough a field with twohorses. You made a living, you didn’t make money. But wewere fit. That is how you built strong men then. You don’tbuild strong men by taking them to the gym for an hour everyday. Today, they come off the field tired, and more often thannot, before the final whistle.

“Discussing this very issue with my good friend Colin‘Pinetree’ Meads recently, he told me: “If they’d hadreplacements in our day, I would have told the coach to ‘stuffthe f - - - - - - game right up his arse.’ You weren’t allowed toget hurt in our day. If you got a knock, you pretended to beokay. You needed mental strength.”

Management strength alone should dictate are moresuccessful tour under Ian McGeechan than the beleagured2005 campaign in New Zealand under Sir Clive Woodward.

“I have my trust in this management. McGeechan is one ofthe best man managers you will find anywhere in the sport.He listens. He listens to players and other coaches and thenmakes his judgments. He doesn’t rule roughshod over players.I really don’t know what Woodward was trying to do on thelast tour. I don’t think he knew either.

“Why did he take that Downing Street guy DuncanCampbell? I wore the Lions tracksuit and I saw him addressingthe team. I was nearly sick. We did our own media work onthe 1974 tour. A press conference of 20 minutes everymorning. Never had a problem. I had a great respect for therugby press of my day. There was no need for spin, but I doadmit there was a responsible press in our day and anirresponsible press, some of it inflammatory.”

McBride, a key member of the HSBC panel of legendssupporting the Lions tour as principal partner, forecasts a 2-1series win in the Lions favour. “My only concern is the front-row.Wales is the nearest I’ve seen to a decent scrummaging team inthe Six Nations. The team that scrummages best on this tour willbe the team that lifts the trophy.” All of it, of course, performedwith strict adherence to the laws of the great game! •


REFEREES

}Hit them and hit them hard~


SIMON SHAW - ONLY SURVIVOR FROM THE 1997 TOUR…

The Monster is back!

ROALD Dahl could easily have modelled his BFG on SimonShaw.....as big as they come. As friendly as they come. Andcertainly as tall as they come! And, just like the cult bookfigure, the 6ft 8in, 19st second rower harbours the off-fielddemeanour of a man who could softly pick up a butterflyfrom a branch and not damage it’s fragile wings.

Yet stick the same tough-as-oak tower on a rugby field infront of a bunch of aggressive, antagonising rivals, he turnsinto a monster not to be riled. Therefore it’s little surprise thatthe likeable “Shawsey” managed to book himself a seat onthe plane to South Africa......with extra leg room and a goodview to boot.

Now what he really wants is to taste what it feels like todon the cherished red jersey in a Test. For despite being theonly surviving member from the 1997 Lions touring party toSouth Africa, Shaw is yet to get the nod for “the big ones”.

Shaw admits: “I’ve had a few bloody battles with theSpringboks before wearing an England jersey. But it would beunbelievable to actually do that for the Lions. It was greatgoing to South Africa twelve years ago and then New Zealand.But, naturally, you want to get your name on the Test teamlist. You don’t want to just be seen as a midweek player whoisn’t good enough to be in the games that really matter.

“Hopefully, I can change all that this time. But all I can dois throw myself into training and the warm-up games if I’mpicked and let the management do the rest. I’d love to play aTest because this is certainly going to be my last Lions tour.Unless there is room for a nearly fortysomething next time!”

Facing the Springboks would be just another challenge fora man used to putting his head in where it hurts most - and

where there is no hiding place for the faint hearted. He insists:“South Africans like to work hard and play hard. It’s in theirnature. You know what to expect from them because theyhave not changed the way they play the game much over theyears. They have just got a little fitter and probably betterprepared for Tests.

“Even the warm-up games against the local South Africansare usually something of a war. Each team you face wants togive you a really tough time so that you’ve got nothing left forthe Tests.

“They’ll want to prove a point and try to have some sort ofbearing on the series itself. It’s a huge thing for an oppositionto get a scalp. Given the physical nature of the challenge, andthe hard grounds out there, it does make it extremely difficultto come through unscathed.

“There were a lot of casualties on the 1997 tour. And, theodds are, there could well be a few casualties along the wayon this latest trip. You just have to hope you are not one ofthem. Because there is nothing worse than working yoursocks off in training and giving it everything only to pick up asilly injury that ruins it all.

“Saying that, you cannot run out onto the pitch thinkingabout your own self existence. You have to think positively,clearly and be ready to put your body on the line. ThisSpringbok pack is as formidable as they come. They’ve gotbetter since the 2007 World Cup final. South African packsused just to be about size. This lot have got skills, too.

“They may want to pack you off as soon as possible withyour tails between your legs, but the South African people arealso very welcoming. They will let you know what they think

about you. And they will be in your face quite a bit if thingsdon’t go well. But you don’t get anywhere near as muchabuse off the pitch as you do in New Zealand. They love theirrugby - and they love winning. There’s nothing wrong withthat.”

Shaw, born in Nairobi, didn’t take up rugby until he was 16years old after his family moved back to England. He made thefirst of his 50 England appearances against Italy in 1996, andwas called up to the Lions’ tour of South Africa the followingyear, but failed to appear in the Test side.

He was a late replacement in England’s World Cup winning2003 squad after Danny Grewcock suffered an injury, earninghim an MBE for his success despite not playing a game. Hewas also a replacement in the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealandafter Irish lock Malcolm O’Kelly aggravated a groin injury.

Shaw possesses an array of club trophies including fourPremiership titles and two Heineken Cups and is also the onlylock to have ever scored a Premiership drop-goal.

But he has also endured plenty of ups and downs during acareer which has defied many a doubtful critic preparing towrite his rugby obituary. Despite being condemned as too old,too slow and too cumbersome for the fast and furiousinternational scene, he is still a mountainous force to have onyour side. As England have found out twice to their benefithaving reviewed their decision to put him out to grass. Formercoach Brian Ashton recalled Shaw to help lift England’sflagging 2007 World Cup campaign. He had such an influenceon proceedings that the team went within a couple ofcentimetres of Mark Cueto’s boot of retaining the trophy.

The Wasps lock then muscled his way back in from theoutskirts to ensure his country’s latest Six NationsChampionship campaign was far more promising andsuccessful than it threatened. Yet it is no surprise that, with hisgood friend and Wasps boss Ian McGeechan at the Lions helm,Shaw is now relishing the prospect of locking horns once moresome McGeechan insists: “Shaw is one of the most skilfulforwards I’ve ever coached. He knows exactly what is neededand what will be expected of him in South Africa. He hasevery great attribute a world class second rower needs andmore. That’s why he was selected for his third Lions tour.

“When you look for the model Lions forward, you look atsomeone like Simon. He will be going when others aroundhim will be feeling the heat. When I put his name on the teamsheet I know what I am going to get - good, honest endeavourwith total commitment. You cannot ask for more.” •


SHAW

Caption

e Monster is back!

}Even warm-ups are like war~


CAPETOWNis a beautiful place that isadmired and can certainly

inspire. Nestling beneath the stunning Table Mountain, thepicturesque port is the perfect setting for producing a littlepiece of magic and mastery.

Well, on June 21, 1997, the favourite holiday destinationfor many Brits was rugby paradise for Matthew JamesSutherland Dawson, who became one of the Lions’ mostunlikely heroes.

Little “Daws” - a 24-year-old slip of a lad with no priorclaims for legendary status - was transformed into big Mattthe knife, cutting through the home side’s defence, feigninghere, side-stepping there and leaving opponents flat-footedand destroyed in his wake. His magnificent solo try not onlyhelped the Lions pull off a stunning victory against the oddson the day but it injected the real belief and confidenceneeded to go on and clinch the series in the Second Test.

Dawson, who began the tour as third choice No9, willalways be remembered for that individual piece of magic inthe 25-16 victory which silenced a stunned Newlands Stadium.And when the scrum-half had finished dancing around a totallybemused Springboks team, he went out to strut his stuff in thecrowded bars and clubs along the famous waterfront.

A broad grin covers his face as the World Cup winner recalls:“See it? I can almost touch it! Eat it! It’s even clearer now thanit was on the night - when it happened so quickly it was a bit

of a blur. It was certainly a blur for the Springboks anyway!The look on the faces of the South African players as I feignedto pass infield was something I will never forget. What theywere thinking and calling me at the time I don’t know. But I’msure there were a few choice words in there. It just took themby complete surprise.

“For me it was as if the whole thing happened in slowmotion - time just stood almost still as I ran towards the tryline. I kept expecting someone to grab me, leap on me frombehind, and stop me. But no-one did. Their feet seemed stuckin cement and so were their minds. There were about sevenminutes left and Tim Rodber turned to me and called the“solo” move which would change my life forever.

“They had scored two tries but thanks to some SouthAfrican indiscipline and Neil Jenkins’ golden boot we were stillwithin a point of them. Rodders was always ‘picking andgoing’ because our game plan revolved around setting closetargets. But he kept getting munched all the time. So whenwe were awarded a scrum 35 yards out from the home linehe came over to me and said: “Daws, just go, mate. I’mgetting bashed. Do a solo.”

“It was a move we had rehearsed in training. The scrum-halfwould break blind and then have the option of feeding thewinger on the outside, or the number 6 inside. Flanker RubenKruger had been constantly breaking his binding on the shortside and I had been pointing at it all match to try to get refereeColin Hawk to penalise him. This time, perhaps, sensing theref’s stare, Kurger held firm. I saw my chance and went. I gotround Kurger and then past their number 8, Gary Teichmann.Iuean Evans was on the right wing, and he cut inside on a runI didn’t even see. He always ribs me that he would have beenin under the sticks, but he went so early that I had no chance.

“Lawrence Dallaglio was also in no position to take a pass.So, on my own, my only chance of avoiding being smashedinto touch by either Teichmann, scrum-half Joost van derWesthuizen or full-back Andrew Joubert was to throw a dummyand give myself a couple of yards to work with. So I threw it -a theatrical, over-the-top number - to precisely nobody. As I didso I started slowing down, and to my amazement the Boks

stopped. Even Joubert, coming across, hitch-kicked. I couldn’tbelieve they had all bought it, the suckers.

“It was a score which won us the match and convinced usall beyond doubt that we could go on and win the series. It’scertainly stands as the single most memorable moment of mycareer. Even now people ask me about it. They know exactlywhere they were when I touched down, what pub they werein watching the game, how they reacted, even how drunkthey got! That is special. To be involved in a game and then tocreate that one moment which triggers a memory that willstay with people for life is very, very special. I feel veryprivileged to have done that.

“Yet, to be honest, at the time I scored it felt no differentto scoring for Marlow Under-8s. I had no perception of how bigthe game was. I was third choice, scrum-half, then secondchoice and then thrown into the team. It all happened soquickly. I hadn’t had time to think ‘Oh my God, this is thebiggest game of my life”. It seemed no big deal to mebecause I had gone on the tour with no great expectationsfrom either myself on anyone. I was half expecting to watchmost of the games and be more of a fan in the dug-out.

“There was even the suggestion that I only made the tourpart because Ian McGeechan was my club coach atNorthampton. I was dropped by England the previousAutumn and then ruled out of the 1997 Five Nations byinjury. I went to South Africa behind Wales’s Robert Howleyand Austin Healey.”

Dawson is adamant that if the latest Lions party to fly to thedark continent is to be remembered in the same glamorous,glorious way, they too must find an unexpected hero fromwithin.....or two or three. For as the man who went on toinspire England’s 2003 World Cup victory over Australia inSydney insists, the big stage needs a big moment.

HOW A THIRD CHOICE TOURIST

PERFORMED A SERIES SAVING MIRACLE Matt’s magic try

}Their feet were stuck in cement… and so were their minds~

Below: Caption?Bottom right: Anothercaption?

He says: “Rugby has changed so much since 1997. Playersare fitter, stronger and faster. They certainly are better paidthese days! But one thing that will never change - that’s howto win special matches with special plays. If you’re going toturn a game on its head, or change the direction, you haveto use your instinct and be one jump ahead of theopposition. A piece of magic or inspiration can can act as acatalyst for the rest of the series. Whether it’s a scrum-halffeigning passes and catching people cold, or a fly-halfkicking a drop goal in the last minute, or a wing grabbing aninterception and running half the length of the field, itmakes no difference. It’s all about that split second of amatch which, if the player concerned is prepared for it, canalter the whole occasion and even a tour.

“I would love to see that happen in South Africa - a Lionsplayer who may not be one of the big names or predictedsuccesses, suddenly emerge as the unlikely hero. People willexpect the likes of the Brian O’Driscolls, Ronan O’Garas andShane Williams’s to do extra-ordinary things out there. But ifsome lesser heralded guy can grab the bull by the horns andshine through it would be superb.

“The Lions will also need to reproduce the kind of specialunity and camaraderie which we had in 1997 and was evidentthrough the decades before that. If you are to have anychance of going to a fanatical, passionate and very proudplace like South Africa and win a Test series, you simply have

to have every player singing from the same hymn sheet.“National differences, club differences and everything else

flies out the window. You’re just a bunch of decent rugbyplayers going on tour to do a very tough and demanding job.You must fight for one and other on the field and thencollectively celebrate your successes or commiserate yourlosses off it as well.

“I’m very optimistic and excited about the prospects of the2009 Lions chances. The right ingredients are in place off thefield. And I feel their is enough player talent in British and Irishrugby to give the Springboks a real good battle.

“The Lions have the perfect management set-up withMcGeechan the ideal brain in charge of the coaching and thelikes of Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley hisassistants. It’s a line-up which tells you the Lions meanbusiness - and it will make the Springboks sit up and takenotice. “Gerald Davies knows what is needed in his role asManager and it all bodes well for an enjoyable and fun tour aswell, I hope, is a successful one. It certainly needs to be afterthe mess of four years ago when everything that could gowrong on and off the field just did.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Lions to get back to whatthey do best and erase the memory of New Zealand. SouthAfrica are the World Champions and have so much natural,amazing talent in their backs and forwards. But if the Lions canget it right we should see another magnificent occasion.”•


} It stands as the single most memorable event of my career~

’s magic try

DAWSON


BRITISH LIONS tour history hasbeen laced with

controversial incidents involving referees and playersprepared to indulge in foul play, some of it condoned by teammanagements. The appointment of neutral match officials forthe three Test series in South Africa is the product of acatalogue of infamous moments that have coloured, andsometimes desecrated, previous tours.

No incident has been more explosive than the spear-tacklethat sidelined Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll from the rest ofthe New Zealand tour in the first Test at Christchurch in 2005.

The flashpoint moment, with the Test less than twominutes old, marred the series and did more than anything toundermine a campaign that ended in the most emphaticdrubbing in Lions history four years ago.

The tour, led by England’s World Cup winning coach Sir CliveWoodward, is remembered as much for that controversialmoment when O’Driscoll was spear-tackled by All Blackscaptain Tana Umaga and hooker Keven Mealamu as for themorale sapping defeats suffered in all three Tests.

Hardly surprising then that referee neutrality governed IRBreferee selection committee discussions concerning theappointment of the referees chosen to control the 2009 Lionstour to South Africa.

IRB referee manager Paddy O’Brien said: “We met with theLions and South Africa team management and all were in favourof the appointment of neutral match officials for the Test series.”

The IRB also announced a strong match official line-up forthe seven provincial tour matches. The panel is merit-based,featuring IRB high performance referee panel members.

South Africa’s Marius Jonker takes charge of the first matchbetween the tourists and a Highveld XV in Rustenburg on May 30.

New Zealander Bryce Lawrence has been given charge ofthe first Test in Durban on June 20. The second Test in Pretoriaon June 27 will be controlled by top French referee ChristopheBerdos, and Australia’s Stuart Dickinson will referee the thirdTest in Johannesburg on July 4.

Wayne Barnes (England), one of Britain’s leading referees,takes charge of the match between the Lions and the FreeState Cheetahs at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein on June 6;Nigel Owens (Wales) refs the match against a Coastal XV atNelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth on June 16; and AlainRolland (Ireland) takes the match against the EmergingSpringboks at Newlands, Capetown on June 23.

This time the IRB are hoping for none of the brutality thatmarred the abortive 2005 tour. But Lions history shows thatcynical and sometimes reckless play, and mistakes by matchofficials, can erupt at any time in these head-to-headcontests between the British Lions and the SouthernHemisphere countries. This is a potted history of the bad andsometimes downright ugly episodes that have wovenunexpected drama into the history of Lions tours...

‘Rugby football is a game for a gentleman of all classes, but never for a bad sportsman of any class’

MALICE AND MISCHIEFA HISTORY OF FOUL PLAY AND REFEREE MISTAKES ON LIONS TOURS

1938 TourTHE Springboks have been guilty of some pretty unsporting moments downthe years, but this time their sportsmanship could not be faulted. The Lionspenalty kicker Charles Grieve (Scotland and Oxford University) struck a 40yard kick between the uprights in the last Test. Badly positioned, thereferee was not prepared to acknowledge the penalty was truly struck untilthe Springboks, to a man, indicated the kick was successful.

1962 TourThe second Test ended in controversy when unsighted referee Ken Carlsonfailed to award what looked to be a perfectly respectable pushover try byKeith Rowlands that would have wiped-out the Springboks fragile 3-0 lead.

The Whistle blowers

1968 TourJOHN O’SHEA became the first Lion tourist to be sent off ina Test that became known as the Battle of Springs. O’Sheawas pelted with fruit by the Springboks supporters as heleft the pitch. He was also punched in the face by aspectator, at which point the Lions players waded in toseek retribution for the plight of their stricken teammate.

1971 TourCELEBRATED Lions coach Carwyn James refused to rubberstamp the New Zealand RFU’s choice of referee for the firstTest, claiming to have once seen the match official raiseboth arms in apparent celebration of a penalty convertedby New Zealand’s Fergie McCormick. James managed topersuade the host union to employ John Pring, a highlyrespected international referee in that period. Pringperformed so well he became the first and last referee toofficiate in all four Tests of a Lions series.

1974 TourTHIS was the famous tour in which Lions captain Willie JohnMcBride instructed his squad to “Take no prisoners”. It wasalso the tour that bred the infamous “99” call to arms, aninstruction that blatantly infringed the laws of rugby unionwhen signalling each player to forget the ball and thump arival Springbok.

The tour spawned another controversial McBride phraserequesting his players to “Get your intimidation in first”.The Third Test - known as the Battle of Boet Erasmus -became one of the most violent ever witnessed as theLions waded into their Springbok opponents. JPR Williamsfamously ran half the length of the pitch to land a punchon Moaner van Heerden, and several “99” calls were madeas the Lions saw-off the challenge by adopting siegeconditions.

1993 TourTHE first Test in Christchurch began with a highlycontroversial try awarded New Zealand. A high kick byGrant Fox was caught by Ieuan Evans, who fell over theline still holding the ball, with Frank Bunce clutching it also.Evans never let go of the ball, yet the referee awarded thetry to New Zealand from a distant vantage point.

The referee, Brian Kinsey, dropped another clanger whenawarding New Zealand an outrageous penalty with only aminute left on the clock. Grant Fox capitalised on themistake by booting the winning points.

2001 TourTHE Aussies’ tactic of targeting a key Lions player forroughhouse treatment ended Richard Hill’s tour whenNathan Grey pinned him with a late tackle that resulted inthe Lions’ flanker playing no further part in the tour.

2005 TourTHE first Test at Christchurch was just a minute old when aspear-tackle by All Blacks captain Tana Umaga and hookerKeven Mealamu dislocated Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll’sshoulder and put him out for the whole tour.

Not only had they destroyed the Lions main attackingweapon but had also the lynchpin of the tourists defence.Sir Clive Woodward, the Lions coach, reported the affair tothe IRB citing commissioner, William Venter, who decidedon the basis of video footage available not to refer thematter to the disciplinary tribunal. •


but never for a bad sportsman of any class’REV WALTER CAREY, OXFORD UNIVERSITY AND BRITISH LIONS 1896 TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA

REFEREES

Rowlands, a fair man, maintained well into retirement that the ‘try’ shouldhave stood.

The disallowed try resulted from the moment South Africa werepenalised for a crooked lineout throw on their own line. As the Lionswheeled the scrum, Rowlands fell on the ball, but to the undisguiseddisbelief of some Lions players, the referee disallowed the try, claiming hewas unsighted.

That controversial decision, and others, became vital evidence for thosefinally achieving a fairer choice of match officials many years later whenneutral referees were appointed for international matches.

1966 TourLOST all four Tests on the New Zealand leg in a series marred by poormanagement and questionable All Black tactics, some of it attritional, muchof it infringing the laws of the game. Many Lions players suffered kicks tothe head and broken noses from stiff armed tackles that went unpunished.

e blowers

he’sTOUGH he’s

EXPERIENCED he’sFUNNY


NO ROOM FOR FAVOURITISM ON LIONS TOUR, BUT WARREN GATLAND EXPLAINS…

Why i’m backingAlan Quinlan

GATLAND

MAKEno mistake, Warren Gatland has thick All Blackblood running through his veins. Born in

Hamilton and educated at Waikato University, “Gats” won thefirst of his caps 21 years ago for the team he hero-worshippedon the other side of the world.

But when the 45-year-old former hooker gets off the planein Johannesburg for the start of “the biggest challenge yet inmy coaching career”, he will be as desperate for the Lions tocreate another piece of magical rugby history as anyonereared on the British Isles or Ireland.

That is down to the fact that Gats has become part of theNorthern Hemisphere rugby scene as he was a player in theSouthern Hemisphere. Having coached Ireland, Wales andWasps, he has built up an affinity with this side of the sportingglobe which he admits gives him plenty of reason to want tosee world champions South Africa humbled on home soil.

Gatland has the stiff task of making sure the experienced,hard-nosed Lions forwards out-muscle and out-perform theirSpringbok rivals on the unforgiving pitches that have been thegraveyard for many avisiting pack over the years.

It’s a challenge he is relishing as much as anything else hehas done in his highly successful career. And any questions ofhis loyalty to the cause are very swiftly dismissed with disdain

He insists: “Whatever job I have done in my career - whetherit was with the Irish, or at Wasps, or currently with Wales, I havegone into it with total commitment and desire to do the best Ipossibly can. And I have entered into all my positions ready togive my heart and soul to the people I’m dealing with orworking for. It’s the way I am. I like to think I gave everythingas a player, and have carried on that way as a coach.

“I have a big affiliation now with the British and Irishpeople because of my time in this part of the world. I’ve beenlucky to coach two fine countries and a major English clubside. So I feel a big connection here having got to know somany of the players and people involved in the game.

“The Lions is an institution. It’s been part of the magic ofworld rugby for such a long time. Tradition is very importantin a game like ours and maintaining that tradition,standards and enjoyment side of things is so vital. I’ve hadplenty of big challenges in my time and this is right upthere. It’s exciting to be involved alongside guys like Geechand Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley - guys I’ve know for sometime now and respect totally.

“We have to ensure the players run out for the first gameready to move mountains for the red jersey. So there’s plenty ofpressure on us and plenty of expectation from so many people.We all accept there has been a bit of a gulf between the northand south for a number of years. All of us involved in the gamehave been trying to close that gap as much as we can.

“South Africa are very strong right now. They were by farthe best team in the World Cup and have progressedand improved since then in so many different areas.It’s very difficult to find any weaknesses we couldexploit. But the Lions have always had a competitivepack of forwards - and if you can win the battles upfront then anything can happen in Tests.”

Gatland gives his firm backing to Ian McGeechan’s decisionto ultimately pick the 36-strong squad on form rather thanreputation or potential. It meant plenty of heartbreak forplayers who, like Gatland’s Wales’ captain Ryan Jones, missedout when twelve months earlier they were firm favourites tobe selected.

He insists: “There was no favouritism in the selection of thesquad at all. Players have been picked purely on form andthat’s the way it should be. It’s not about countries andcaptains and names. It’s about best players and bestcombinations. You can’t cover every single base but we’vetried to cover as many as we can. The proof will be in theeating. Once we’re out there and the first game is under waywe will then see whether we got it right or wrong.

“There was also the challenge of trying to keep the squaddown to a limited size. And, with so many players bothforwards and backs banging on the door and demanding to bepicked, that wasn’t easy. We had to disappoint a lot of people.But the main objection apart from sheer ability was to makesure we have people who are good talkers, good mixers andhave both character and personality. I can see plenty ofpersonality in this squad.

“Alan Quinlan is certainly someone who would havebrought something extra to the tour. Exactly the kind ofperson we were looking for in a tourist, tough, experienced,with a great sense of humour. Even though some players willnot be involved in the Tests, you need proud guys in SouthAfrica to pull-on the Lions jersey happy they were selectedfor the squad, willing to fight for places, be supportive ofeveryone else, who won’t throw their toys out of the pramif not selected for the Test side. That’s what makes a Lionstour successful.

“It’s a pretty big pack we’ve picked. Whether or not theyare big and strong enough to deal with the Springboks we’reabout to find out. But it certainly looks good on paper.

There’s a nice balance in the front row, second row andback row. You have guys who can scrummage and guyswho can carry the ball well. It’s about mobility withpower.

“Nathan Hines is someone who can carry the ball aswell as make holes in the opposition with his foraging

runs. As can Simon Shaw who I thought was outstandingfor England when he came into their team during the Six

Nations. Shaw made a major difference to the England packand the results showed during the tournament. He is a big

man who has played in big Finals and tournaments before- and his experience will be invaluable.

“The same can be said about Alun-Wyn Jones and PaulO’Connell. They have been there and done it all before.So we wont be lacking in experience or know-how.

“If you pick the best players from each nationyou’ve got to be able to go there with someconfidence and belief that you can win a series.

We’ve got some size, speed and confidence.Hopefully, we can all gel together and enjoya winning time in South Africa.” •



WHENJohn Bentley stepped on the gas, movedthrough the gears and roared into Lions

history, the whole of South Africa felt the shudder and thunderof his power and skill.

There was nothing subtle about the way this tough-as-old-boots Yorkshireman went about dismantling the hosts - but itwas impressive and inspirational to watch.

“Bentos” switched from Midweek wannabe to Testsensation - and went on to help Ian McGeechan’s squadtriumph against the odds in the Boks backyard.

He raced over the line seven times in total including a hat-trick against Free State and a stunning 70-yard mazy run forone of the finest tries ever scored by a Lion. An achievementmade even more outstanding by the fact he had taken the bigleap from bit-part player on the tour to a Test starring role.

And, as far as Bentley is concerned, the rhythm and beat ofthe 2009 party to South Africa will once more be set by themidweek brave hearts who all want to emulate him insupplying the management with further selection headaches.

The Lions have six warm-up games before the First Test atDurban’s ABSA Park on June 20. And Bentley insists: “It’s soimportant that the midweek side sets the tone of the tour.

“If you can get a winning run and habit going up to theTests it makes life in the games that really matter so mucheasier. It sets the standards for the Test team to live up to andbetter. That’s how it was in 1997. Because we did so well itput pressure on the rest of the guys who were consideredcertainties for the Tests. You suddenly had guys knocking onthe door and determined to break it down.

“The victories and heroic performances of that midweekteam meant everyone in the camp walked around with asmile on their faces and a spring in their steps. We knew wehad already made a statement to the South Africans - and weknew they then feared what the Test guys could do. Themomentum had been established and things just lifted offfrom there.

“I remember the midweek side was labelled a bunch ofdirt-trackers. But we never had any dirt-trackers in our side.We were all fighting to force our way into the Test side. LuckilyI did just that.

“South Africa is a fantastic country to visit and play rugby inbecause they worship the game there. They were the reigningworld champions in 1997, yet they rather arrogantly went intothe first two Tests against us without a recognised goal kickerThey picked Henry Honiball at outside half before introducingPercy Montgomery for the third Test. Percy kicked the goalsin the final game and steered the Springboks to victory, but bythen we had won the series. That was 12 years ago and theyhave been waiting ever since to get their revenge.

“That third test victory may have eased some of the pain forthe Springboks and their fans after losing the series, but thereis pressure also on the Lions to deliver again after only onevictory in their past six Tests. The Lions will always be strongand will always have a special place in the rugby world. But Idon’t think they can afford to lose a third series in a row andhead to Australia in four years time without a win in 16 years.

“There is an opportunity for a group of players to putnorthern hemisphere rugby back where it was 12 years ago.That would be fantastic. After what happened in New Zealandit will do the whole Lions tradition the world of good to havea very successful and enjoyable tour to South Africa. It is goingto be a tall order to win there, but it certainly can be done. We

weren’t supposed to beat the world champions, but we pulledand blended together, worked hard and achieved somethingvery special.

“We spent the first week on tour really gelling and gettingto know each other. We became a team very quickly becausewe knew we simply had too in order to have a chance ofbeating a very good South Africa side. To be picked for theLions in the first place was magnificent. I knew I was in witha chance even though England weren’t picking me because I’dhad a few conversations with Fran Cotton about the tour.

“He said I was in their thoughts and that it was down to meto play well for Newcastle and convince the selectors. Butthen to be given a start in the test matches was unbelievable.

“Jim (Telfer) and Geech (Ian McGeechan) told us all we hadthe chance to make history before that second Test. They saidthat in years to come we would meet each other again and beable to exchange a knowing glance - it was a fantastic feelingand every time we meet up we know what we have achieved.

“ Things have changed since 1997. Some things for thebetter but some for the worse. Yet the basics are the same.You simply must be able to play rugby and, just as important,you have to have characters and personalities in the team.Even when things go bad and it’s not looking good you needpeople to be able to smile and keep going. Adversity can sortout the men from the boys - but on a Lions trip you all haveto be men who are pulling together and facing up to howtough it is.

“The Lions have the right men at the helm and Geech hasassembled the right coaching team to work with him. I’mpleased he has decided to take a smaller squad than fouryears ago and there are some other key changes. The fact theplayers will all be flying out together is one of them, as is thefact they will be sharing rooms.

“There is such a short space of time for the players to bondtogether that it is vital there are no splits in the camp andnobody flying solo. We made sure that players from differentcountries roomed with each other and worked hard tobuilding unity within our group in 1997.

“I can remember going to the first training session beforewe left and all the rugby league boys (Dai Young, ScottQuinnell, Alan Tait, Allan Bateman, Scott Gibbs and myself)tearing into everyone. Martin Johnson commented on theintensity of the training and it was all aimed at setting astandard for the tour ahead. It certainly seemed to work andwe worked very hard in training for the whole tour.

“Without a doubt Clive Woodward took too many players in2005. In 1997, Fran Cotton, Jim Telfer and Geech picked playerswho had just come back from rugby league and from outsidethe Premiership in England. That was abold move. The one thing that Geechalways does is pick players who are inform. He doesn’t pick on reputation.

“Twelve years ago the Lionsmanagement were very focused on thetype of player they wanted and werevery clever with the players they took.The Boks were a very good side thenand they are again now.

“It’s going to be very tough but Ibelieve that if anyone can lead anothertouring squad to South Africa and winthere it is Geech.” •

UNLIKELY LIONS HERO JOHN BENTLEY REVEALS HIS RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Men only please

Left to right: Captions


BENTLEY

}Facing 16 winless years,there is pressure on the

Lions to deliver~

SHAUN EDWARDShas a simplephilosophy

to rugby life, just as he has to life in general. And it issomething which every member of Ian McGeechan’s Lionssquad would do well to observe in South Africa.

It reads: “You have to be prepared to suffer to succeed. It’sthe same in every walk of life. Nothing comes easily. No pain,no gain. If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, to gothrough the pain and suffering, both mental and physical, youprobably won’t make it.

“Jesus suffered on the cross in his life and that’s a realitythat inspired and helped me in the good times and the bad.”

Defence coach Edwards will be as blunt and brutal with hismessage to the touring party, which hopes to bring the worldchampion Springboks down to earth, as he is with those heputs through their paces on the training field with Wasps eachweek. His hard work and real sense of desire, determinationand dedication to the game he loves so much - both Union andLeague - have seen him to success over the years. It’s helpedhim climb the ladder from club to Lions coach in eight years.

His playing career with Wigan and Great Britain, and thenlatterly his coaching life with Wasps and then Wales, has beensuccessfully built on plenty of the kind of blood, sweat and tears.The kind that will be needed in the velds and playing fields ofSouth Africa. Edwards, 42, knows just what physical prowess isneeded to strong-arm the Springboks into submission havingseen them full on in his Wales post at the end of last year.

He insists: “Being a Test Match animal is about many things:skill, strength and fitness; aggression and commitment; courage.And that thing that Mike Tyson’s coach, Cus D’Amato, used to talkabout - the ability to channel fear. You do it, then you have to doit over and over again. The Springboks are not world champions

for nothing. They have shown that special blend of beingphysically strong, skilful and clinical. They have beaten up goodopponents over the years, especially on their own territory.

“In recent times, they have had a very good bunch of backsto finish off the good job their forwards have done. We haveall seen how good the likes of Bryan Habana and J.P.Pietersen can be when they have a ton of ball in emptyspace. Jantjes, de Villiers, Pienaar, Januarie are all veryaccomplished and dangerous runners. But they cannot do anysuch damage without their forwards dominating. And theydon’t come much tougher than Bakkies Botha and VictorMatfield. They are still playing at the top of their gamesjudging by what they did last Autumn.

“You can bet they will be lying in wait and chomping at thebit to face, whatever the Lions can throw at them in theforward line. But with three of the Welsh coaches involvedwith the Lions you can also be sure that the lessons of losingto the Springboks - when we felt we should have won - willalso be hammered home.

“For example, we know that against the brilliant SouthAfrican scrambling defence it is not enough to have 60% ofterritory and 60% of possession if you don’t make it pay. Ourfeeling at the end of the autumn internationals was that itwas a shame they ended when they did. Wales felt that onlyby playing against the southern hemisphere would we get upto their level. Which is why, in the run up to the 2011 WorldCup, there will be more fixtures arranged.

“The coaches from the other Six Nations looked at thevideos of what happened last Autumn and that’s why we sawa series of internationals which were fought less in thetrenches and more in open field - which is a fair preparationfor those players who were eventually picked with the Lions.


If yourest,you

rustHOW A FAMILY TRAGEDY TAUGHTLIONS DEFENCE COACH SHAUNEDWARDS THE POWER OF PRAYERAND A POWERFUL WORK ETHIC

} I was out of work for 18 months. Buying a newspaper was the highlight of my day~

I’ll bet the odds on the Lions will be a whole lot closer by thetime we play our first match on May 30 - and a whole lotcloser still when the first Test comes around on June 20.”

Edwards was brought up as a devout Catholic by his parentsin Wigan and used to pray before each game. He drew uponhis religion to try and avoid the bad luck experienced by hisfather, whose career was ended at the age of 24. Hopefully, hewon’t need to call upon any divine intervention when the Lionstake on their Springboks rivals in the three Tests.

He says: “I used to always pray before a game, not to winbut to give thanks for the chance to play and that no onewould get injured, after what happened to my father.Meditation certainly helps you switch off a bit. It’s somethingI try to do 30 minutes a day. If I don’t do it for three to fourdays then I get quite stressed. I’ve had no blinding light, butevery now and then you get a feeling of peacefulness overyour mind and body and it is blissful. If you could bottle that,I’m sure lots of people would. It does not come easily. Prayingtakes your mind off yourself, and it’s something that Iencourage the players to do.”

Edwards became even more embroiled in his religion afterthe death of his 20-year-old brother in a car crash in 2003. Italso helped him to keep the faith when it appeared he had

become a forgotten rugby figure when his League playingcareer came to an end after so many successful years withWigan. “I am a big believer that to rest is to rust” he says.

Edwards exclaims: “I remember Phil Vickery signing hislatest contract and saying he felt very fortunate because a lotof people were losing their jobs at the moment. Well, that’sexactly how I feel. I’m very grateful I’ve got jobs at themoment with Wasps and Wales - and, of course, the pleasureof going to be involved with the Lions in South Africa. Youcould say I’m very lucky in my work right now. Rugby hasalways been my life and now I’ve got the best of all worlds.

“It’s worked out very well with Wasps. They were goodenough to allow me to help Gatts (Warren Gatland) out withWales - which was a fantastic opportunity for me at anotherlevel of the game. But now I’m about to step up an even higherlevel with the Lions. It’s a real dream to come and somethingthat I see as such a massive challenge to my ability.

“It’s and exciting time for me right now but it hasn’t alwaysbeen like this. I know the other side of the coin when I reallywas at a low ebb and wondering what the future held. I wasout of work for 18 months after I finished playing rugby andthey were dark days. For me, just walking to the shop to buythe paper was the highlight of my day. That’s how grim it was.But in life things can change this way and that way. You justnever know what’s around the corner. So if ever I get toostretched in my current role I quickly think of how it could be.”

Edwards is certainly relishing teaming up with good friendand old Wasps ally Gatland in their roles with the Lions. Forsome reason the men who were born half a world apart - onein Wigan, the other in Hamilton, New Zealand - get on like ahouse on fire and usually share the same rugby beliefs. Edwardswill knock the backs into a steely shape, while Gatland willmake sure the forwards have enough huff, puff and power tomake life too hot for their Springbok rivals in the boiler room.

Edwards admits: “We’ve built up a very good understandingand friendship. He knows me inside out and I think I know himpretty well. He knows what he likes and knows how to get it.I think Gatts and I get on well because we’re fairly similar inour outlook to life. He doesn’t like being a brave loser. He likesbeing a winner. We certainly had some good and enjoyabletimes together when he was Wasps Head Coach. Hopefully,we can have even better ones with the Lions this summer. It’scertainly going to be an experience never to forget.”•


EDWARDS

Top: Caption?Above: Anothercaption?


DREAM XV

15 JPR WILLIAMS (WALES)Tests: 8 (Tours 71,74)SUB: ANDY IRVINE (SCOTLAND)Tests: 9 (74,77,80)JPR on the charge was a sight tobehold. A strong runner, he couldunsettle any defence. Aggressivetackler, rock-solid under a high ball.Fearless and as competitive as anyrugby international. No great kickerbut once landed a drop goal from 40yards to draw the fourth Lions Test in1971. Key figure in the two greatLions teams of 1971 and 1974.

Irvine had devastating pace andexceptional leadership qualities. Aformer Scotland captain, he hadsuperstar status and is now ahighly respected ambassador forthe game. Wonderful on thecounter attack.

14 GERALD DAVIES (WALES)Tests 5 (68,71)SUB: IEUAN EVANS (WALES)Tests 7 (89,93,97)The quicksilver Davies was amainstay of the great Welsh sidesof the Seventies. The cutting edgeof one of the finest Lions backdivisions of all time. Effective andfearless. Now, a highly respectedjournalist and rugby ambassador,highlighted by his election for asTour Manager of the 2009 Lions.

Evans was a world class wingerin one of the worst Welsh sides inrugby history. Solid in defence,outstandingly quick, with a greattouchline dummy. Made threeLions tours.

13 BRIAN O’DRISCOLL

(IRELAND)Tests 4 (01,05)SUB: SCOTT GIBBS (WALES)Tests 5 (93,97)The Irish captain made an indeliblehallmark on the Lions dynasty byscoring one of the greatest tries intheir history against Australia in2001, Great defence, flair attacker,astonishing eye for a gap, andpace to breach most defences.

Gibbs was arguably the greatestsingle influence on the 1997 Lionsseries victory in South Africa.Strong as, yes, a Lion. Os du Randtstill carries the scars of his mightychallenge in the Durban Test.

»

THE PRIDE OF LIONS XVAND A SUBS BENCH TO DIE FOR

Dreamfifteen

Is this theultimate

British Lionsdream teamof all time,

with IanMcGeechan

in charge, ofcourse?

COACHIAN MCGEECHAN (SCOTLAND)


12 MIKE GIBSON (IRELAND)Tests 12 (66,68,71,74,77)SUB: JERRY GUSCOTT (ENGLAND)Tests 8 (89,93,97)

One of the greatest ever Lionsthree-quarters. Created fiercemental and physical presence withdisciplined fitness level. Five Lionstour testament to his reliabilityand consistency.

Guscott dominated Englandteams for a decade with lovelyrunning skills. Outstanding tackler.Who will forget his drop goal Lionsseries winner in 1997?

11 JJ WILLIAMS (WALES)Tests 7 (74,77)SUB: JASON ROBINSON (ENGLAND)Tests 5 (01,05)

JJ was a Welsh sprint champion.Scored a brace of tries in two Testson the 1974 Lions tour.Devastating on the hard Springbokgrounds. A revelation for Wales intheir golden years, though nevergiven the legendary status hemerited alongside the Edwards’,Bennetts’ and JPRs.

Billy Wizz made outstandingstart to his Lions career with afamous try in the first Test inAustralia in 2001. Scored another inthe final Test and went on to starhandsomely in England’s World Cupwinning campaign. Quick, nimble,best sidestep in rugby.

10 BARRY JOHN (WALES)Tests 5 (68,71)SUB: PHIL BENNETT (WALES)Tests 8 (74,77)

John was a Lions legend whoretired too soon. Between 1970-72he was the world’s finest rugbyplayer. Subtle running skillsenabled him to snake throughtackles with deceptive turns ofpace and direction. A ghost in thered of Wales and the Lions. Lovelyhandling skills and kicking accuracythat lasered on its target. Hedominated everything on the 1971Lions tour.

Bennett’s ill-luck was to haveenjoyed an outstanding careerthat coincided with John’s last twoyears. Brilliant attacking player,with adhesive handling skills anda sidestep that ran Lionsopponents ragged on theInvincibles tour of 1974.

9 GARETH EDWARDS (WALES)Tests 10 (68,71,74)SUB: CLIFF MORGAN (WALES)Tests 4 (55)

Rugby legend dictates thatEdwards has to be the greatest-ever player to pull on a Lions shirt.A colossus on three Lions tours in1968, 1971 and 1974. Who willforget the barrel chested number 9peeling off the base of the scrumto burst through defences with amomentum that was unstoppable.Strong, fast, lovely hands,courageous, committed, and agentleman.

Morgan was a genius in attackand in producing dogged defence.Best remembered for his stunningLions performances with that 9-6defeat of the Springboks atCapetown in 1955 stillremembered as his finest hour.Fast and elusive, brave, with anever say die attitude.

8 MERVYN DAVIES (WALES)Tests 8 (71,74)SUB: DEAN RICHARDS (ENGLAND)Tests 6 (89,93)

Merv The Swerve had no greatphysique, but his strength, paceand athleticism compensated forlack of muscle. Effective in attackand defence, he was great in anaround the lineout. No playerdistributed better ball than Daviesfrom the set-piece on the 1971and 1974 Lions tours where hewas an ever-present in the Testpacks. Who knows how good hecould have become had his careernot been curtailed by a brainhaemorrhage in 1976.

Deano’s immense physique,success as controller-in-chief of therolling maul, and unique sense ofanticipation when judging the bestmoment to intervene, he becamean ever present in Tests on the1989 and 1993 tours. A majorinfluence on both tours.

7 FERGUS SLATTERY (IRELAND)Tests 4 (71,74)SUB: RICHARD HILL (ENGLAND)Tests 5 (97,01,05)

Dynamic, larger than life figure,Slattery was a cult figure in theSeventies. Made his name on the1971 Lions tour, but peaked in1974 with brilliant displays againstthe Springboks. Barnstormingperformer, fusing fire, speed andaggressive commitment to hisrenowned fitness levels.

Hill became gave exceptionalperformances in the first two Testsin 1997 and was named man ofthe series in 2001. An EnglandWorld Cup winner, he was anotherstar performer to succumb toinjury on the 2005 Lions tour.

Dreamfifteen


6 LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO

(ENGLAND)Tests 3 (97,01,05)SUB: ROGER UTTLEY (ENGLAND)Tests 4 (74)Dallaglio reached his zenith on the1997 Lions tour. Stood toe to toe inbattle with the Boks. Never gavean inch. Hard man, physicallyintimidating, a winner. Crocked onthe 2001 (knee) and 2005 (ankle)Lions tours, he never quite fulfilledhis ambitions, but few couldquarrel with his greatness.

Uttley was a magnificentblindside flanker as he proved onthe victorious 1974 Lions tour toSouth Africa. Strong, fearless, anoutstanding England captain, hebrought a physical presence to theLions tourists. Another whose Lionscareer was blighted by injury.

5 MARTIN JOHNSON

(ENGLAND)Tests 8 (793,97,01)SUB: JEREMY DAVIDSON (IRELAND)Tests 3 (97,01)Jonno established himself as a Lionafter winning only one Englandcap. Dominated the lineout withMartin Bayfield on the 1993 tour toNZ. Outstanding performance in thewinning second Test. Reached hispeak as captain of the triumphant1997 Lions tour. Colossal strengthand an intimidating opponentwhen employing all his Lionsexperience to lead England to the2003 World Cup.

Davidson gave impressiveperformances on two Lions toursbefore his career was curtailed by aknee injury. Absolutely outstanding,at blindside flanker or lock.

4 WILLIE JOHN MCBRIDE

(IRELAND) CAPTAIN

Tests 17(62,66,68,71,74)SUB: GORDON BROWN (SCOTLAND)Tests 8 (71,74, 77)

The greatest of all Lions captains,and, in his way, even moreinfluential than Gareth Edwards,regarded as the greatest-ever Lion.The Enforcer, guiding light,inspiration, a leader second to none,McBride was made for Lions touring.Tough, physically hard anddisciplined. The most cappedforward in Lions history, playing 17times for them overseas. Strongscrummager, powerful mauler, theman who ordered his players to ‘getyour retaliation in first’.

Brown was a magnificent touriston the epic 1971 and 1974 tours.Scored eight tries on the lattertour. Unmoveable in the scrum,sure in the lineout, andsurprisingly fluid in the loose. Onlyforward to gain selection for allthree Lions tours in the Seventies.

3 GRAHAM PRICE (WALES)Tests 12 (77,80,83)SUB: IAN MCLAUCHLAN

(SCOTLAND)Tests 8 (71,74)A member of the famousPontypool front row with CharlieFaulkner and Bobby Windsor, Pricewas immensely strong and apowerhouse on three Lions toursin 1977, 1980 and 1983.

Mighty Mouse’s gladiatorial spiriton the 1971 Lions tour rewardedby a vital try in the first Test. Hewas an ever-present again fouryears later in South Africa. Smallfor a prop, but remarkably strong.

2 KEITH WOOD (IRELAND)Tests 5 (97,01)SUB: JOHN PULLIN (ENGLAND)Tests 7 (68,71)

Wood’s bullocking charges, effortand aggression eclipsed the Bokson his sensational tour in 1997. Noplayer gave more effort than thecourageous, ebony tough Irishmanin the decisive second Test atDurban. A true sportsman, but awarrior in battle.

Pullin, former England captain,became the world’s best hooker inthe early Seventies. Heroic on the1971 Lions tour. Rugged andstrong, a perfectionist when itcame to set-piece play. First choicehooker on the Lions tour of 1968and in 1971 proved himself to beworld class.

1 FRAN COTTON (ENGLAND)Tests 7 (74,77,80)SUB: SYD MILLAR (IRELAND)Tests 9 (59,62,68)

At tighthead or loosehead, Cottonwas versatile and technicallygifted. One of the fittest Lions ofhis generation. First choice attighthead on the winning Lionstour of 1974. Played three of fourTests in NZ three years later atloosehead, and toured again withthe Lions in 1980. Lions tourmanager 1997, a tribute to hisgreat playing and leadership skillsin the famous red jersey.

Millar made three Lions tours.Powerful prop with ever consistentperformances. Highly mobile andclever. He won nine Lions caps.

DREAM XV

ROBHowley is a firm believer in using your head whenit matters most - especially when the pressure

hits boiling point in the heat of rugby battle. So it’s no surprisethat the ex-Wales and Lions hero is adamant that the recipefor success in South Africa is driven by brain power as much asit is by sheer brute strength and brawn.

Howley was certainly renowned for playing the game withskill, style and plenty of the old grey matter. And, whileWarren Gatland and Graham Rowntree hone the physicalprowess of the forward brigade, the quietly spoken Howleywill be working hard to instil some “intelligent rugby”


“They didn’t put their hands up”JAMES HOOK, DANNY CIPRIANI, SAM VESTY…

The 38-year-old Bridgend-born former scrum-half claims:“It’s that fine balance isn’t it? Be physical when you have tobe physical but also be smart and intelligent when theoccasions arise and do the right things at the right time. TheSouth Africans are good at outwitting their opponents.Therefore we have to beat them to the punch and out-smartthe Springboks in every way we can.

“The physicality and the efficiency at the break down isgoing to be key against South Africa. And our ability to movethat Springbok front five around is also so important to ourchances of getting on top of them.

“You also need intelligence, continuity and real pace tomake inroads into their defence, which is as good as there isin world rugby. If you look at our backs it’s good to have thebalance and the pace as well as the steppers on the hardgrounds to create opportunities and take those opportunities.”

How highly does the Lions backs coach rate the No9s, whohave been chosen to follow in the illustrious footsteps ofhimself, Gareth Edwards, Matt Dawson and the like? Howleyinsists: “The competition for the scrum-half jersey is as fierceas it is for any position. We have some very talented and highquality performers pushing for a starting place in the First Test.

“Before injury ruined Tomas O’Leary’s chances of playingany part in the Lions tour, he was excellent for Ireland in theSix Nations and again was outstanding for Munster againstOspreys in the Heineken Cup. His combination with RonanO’Gara seems to work very well at club and internationallevel. He has matured over the past twelve months becausehe has been given that opportunity by the Irish, having spentso much time as understudy to Peter Stringer.

“Harry Ellis has been playing for a very in-form team in theGuinness Premiership and Heineken Cup. He has certainly gotthat x-factor and shown what he can do at international levelwith England. He has quick hands and a quick brain - which isessential for any top No9. Mike Phillips is the same. He alsocan do special things in and around the scrum and he hasshown with Wales that he can provide outstanding service forthe backs to feed on.

“When you consider the likes of Mike Blair, Danny Care andDwayne Peel failed to make the squad, it proves just howstrong we are with our No9s. We took into account how thoseplayers performed in last Autumn’s international games ratherthan just the Six Nations. It would have been wrong to forgethow they did against the Southern Hemisphere teams.”

Howley revealed the only real disappointment when itcame to selecting the different positions concerned the fly-halves where the decision was made to take just two ratherthan the usual three the Lions have called on in the past.

He says: “We wanted to go with three No10s and, asselectors, we were disappointed that the third No10 did notput his hand up to be picked. We watched the likes of JamesHook, Danny Cipriani and Sam Vesty, but then we had todecide whether it was worth taking an extra fly-half whomight just be going along for the ride. We felt it better thatanother player in a different position would be a better choicerather than someone who wasn’t really going to beconsidered for a place unless of injuries.”

The Lions certainly had the reverse headache when it cameto the centres with so many outstanding players vying forplaces on the plane. And, according to Howley, this is an areawhere the team can flourish against the Boks.

“Brian O’Driscoll, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts and RikiFlutey can all play No12 or No13. They are players known fortheir strength, speed and power. We also have Luke Fitzgeraldwho can switch inside from the wing and, along with KeithEarls, I think we have plenty of options in that area.

“It’s the same with the wings. There is probably a little lessexperience in the players we are taking than perhaps onprevious tours, but the quality in depth is still there with excitingrunners like Leigh Halfpenny, Ugo Monye and Tommy Bowe.”

Howley played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, captaining hiscountry in the process until he left the field injured againstAustralia in the dying minutes of the quarter-final.

After making his Wales debut in February 1996, he wasselected for the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa. Only to missout on playing in the 10 games because of a shoulder injury,robbing the side of one of its’ main inspirations and architects.Having made his Lions debut in Australia in 2001, captainedthe team and playing in the first two Tests, he was then ruledout of the final one with a broken rib.

He moved from Cardiff to Wasps before a wrist injurybrought his playing career to a halt in 2004 at the young ageof 31, having played 59 times for his country, 22 as captain.

No-one understands better than Howley the real emotionalextremes as well as the good and bad fortune which canafflict players in a relative short space of time, especiallywhen hopes and expectations run high at the beginning ofsuch a potentially historic tour.

He insists: “Rugby life can lift you sometimes, but it can alsokick you when you least expect it. I found out how difficult itcan be to work so hard and train so hard only for all that to beblown away by an injury.

“But you just have to get over it and fight back. Injuries arepart of a rugby career. We all know we’re going to get injuredat some stage or other. Unfortunately, for me it happened attwo very important times with the Lions. But I’m still veryproud and privileged to have represented the most famousrugby team in the world.

“It’s would be a dream to be part of a series win in SouthAfrica as a member of the coaching staff. That feat alonematched anything I did as a player.”•


HOWLEY

Above: Caption?

t put their hands up”

Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace Stadium

RustenburgMatch: 30 May v International Highveld XV

Capacity: 42,000

SpecialFeatures: Renovated to boost capacity by 4,000 for

Lions tour

Climate: 16deg C (60F)

History: Opened for 1995 World Cup. HostedScotland’s matches.

Lions Watch: $45m stadium upgrade completed March2009. Nightlife limited but lively near thebus station. Big screen televised sport atPalm Lodge. Sports cocktails served atCafe Voices. Backpacker bar at TravellersInn in Leyds Street. Citrus and tobaccogrowing area. A host city for 2010 FIFAWorld Cup. Check closing-time. Last ordersat 9.30pm sometimes.


THE SEVEN VENUES CHOSEN TO HOST THE BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS MATCHES AND THE COMPLETEMATCH-BY-MATCH TOUR ITINERARY CONTAINING DATES, VENUES, AND INTERESTING FACTS FOR

CONVERSATION PIECES SHOULD TOUR FOLLOWERS BE LOST FOR WORDS…

BATTLEGROUNDS

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BATTLE GROUNDS

Coca-Cola Stadium

JohannesburgMatch: 3 June v Golden Lions

Match: 4 July v SOUTH AFRICA

Capacity: 61,000

SpecialFeatures: Hosted record 100,000 for Lions Test 1955.

Lions had already won series when theylost here in 1997.

Climate: 16deg C (61F) for the first fixture, a shadehotter for the Test.

History: Built 1928, scene of SA World Cup triumph 1995.

Lions Watch: High altitude could favour the Boks on thisground unless Lions properly acclimatised.Remind locals of British and Irish concernover the crass decision to drop the stadiumname ‘Ellis Park’ in this commerciallydriven age. $US 1.5billion has beeninvested in tarting-up the city centre for the2010 FIFA World Cup. Hire car best form oftransport, but don’t obey traffic lights onred at night for fear of car-jacking attack.Avoid walking at night unless in group orwith the Lions front row. Metrobus servicebut taxis best. Lost and the worse for wear,please adhere to location tip that giantHillbrow Tower is near city centre, andBrixton Tower to the west of the city. Killingtime? Do Township Tour at Soweto.

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Vodacom Park Stadium

BloemfonteinMatch: 6 June v Cheetahs

Capacity: 48,000

SpecialFeatures: Bloemfontein Zoo is one of

the few animal parks in theworld offering sleepoverfacilities.


History: Lions the first internationalteam to play here in 1955.

Lions Watch: J.R. Tolkien ( author of Lordof the Rings and The Hobbit)born here 1892. BritishOlympic athlete Zola Buddlives in the City of Roses.Mention Allan Donald, alocal boy who made good inTest cricket. But don’t dwelltoo much on the late HansieCronje, whose captaincy ofSouth Africa ended inbetting scandal disgrace.Visit Franklin Game Reserve.Designated 2010 FIFA WorldCup venue. Founded in 1846as a British Army fort.

Absa Stadium

DurbanMatch: 10 June v Sharks

Match: 20 June v SOUTH AFRICA

Capacity: 60,000

SpecialFeatures: Renovated in 2008 for 2010

FIFA World Cup


History: Scene of Jeremy Guscott’sseries winning droppedgoal in 1997. Purists stillcall it King’s Park.

Lions Watch: Buses run frequently in thecity. Combi (group) taxispopular. Try the beach stripwith facilities for swimming,snorkelling and canoeing. A“Sundowner” at Joe Kool’s onthe beachfront is consideredcool. Zack’s is a decent venuefor a postmatch drink. Nobetter place to get lost on aday off than the Valley of1,000 Hills, a nature reserveclose to the city. Sub tropicalclimate. Average 320 days ofsun per annum.

Newlands Stadium

CapetownMatch: 13 June v Western Province

Match: 23 June v EmergingSpringboks

Capacity: 51,000

SpecialFeatures: Scene of Matt Dawson’s

Test-winning Lions try 1997.


History: 1896 British Isles touristsarrived at Capetown toolate in the day todisembark. The Boksofficials were so keen tolay-on a welcome they tooka boat to the liner anchoredoff-shore and held anofficial reception on board.

Lions Watch: South Africa’s most populartourist destination.Metrorail travelrecommended and busservices frequent. Beachesbrushed by ice-cold Atlanticocean. Look no further thanCamps Bay for classy diningat competitive prices.Waterfront venue popularfor shopping and winingand dining. Try a winetasting excursion toStellanbosch Park andFranschoeki. Eagle-eyedrugby fans doing coastalwatch should spot KillerWhales off-shore.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Port ElizabethMatch: 16 June v Coastal XV

Capacity: 48,000

SpecialFeatures: Hosting seven football

World Cup matches 2010.

Climate: 20dec C (68F)

History: Lions have won four Testsin Port Elizabeth. SAplayed first-ever Test inPort Elizabeth.

Lions Watch: Main bus terminal inMarket Square. Metrorailservices frequent.Watersport capital of SouthAfrica but beware of a‘Freddie Pedalo’ late nightincident. Many fine beaches- and plentiful too. Home ofSouth Africa’s car industry.

Loftus Versfeld

PretoriaMatch: 27 June v SOUTH AFRICA

Capacity: 45,000

SpecialFeatures: Stadium renovation

completed in January 2009.


History: Rugby first played on thissite in 1906. Lions scoredfamous victory here in1955 in drawn Test series.

Lions Watch: High altitude could favourmore acclimatised SouthAfrica. An audience withWelsh Lions last Septembercelebrated the 1955 Lions’famous 9-6 Test victory atthe Loftus Versfeld. Held inCardiff, the HSBC reunionwas attended by packmembers Bryn andCourtenay Meredith, andRussell Robins; and wingGareth Griffiths. Pretoria railstation, good for local trainsand as terminal for thefamous Blue Train. Citystreets lined with Jacarandatrees. Church Street (due tobe re-named) is one of theworld’s longest straightstreets in the world andgood test of late-night toursobriety in attempting towalk a straight line. •


BATTLE GROUNDS

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Health Warningto Springboks

THESEBEASTS AREDANGEROUS

Adam Jones6ft 0ins 20st 0lbs

Euan Murray6ft 1ins 18st 9lbs

Phil Vickery6ft 2ins 18st 4lbs

Gethin Jenkins6ft 2ins 18st 7lbs

Andy Sheridan6ft 4ins 18st 7lbs

WHENit comes to specialist knowledgeof the more ugly and brutalaspects of forward combat, few

players command more respect than Graham Rowntree, theunsung member of the Lions tour coaching squad.

The ex-Leicester, England and Lions prop has not spent 17years of blood, sweat and ferocious commitment to earningthose trademark cauliflower ears without buildingconsiderable knowledge and understanding of the dark arts inthe boiler room.

So, no one is better qualified than Rowntree to describewhat the Lions will need from their forwards if they are tocrush “the biggest pack on the planet”.

Rowntree, who toured South Africa in 1997 and received asecond Lions call-up for New Zealand four years ago, has beenenlisted by Ian McGeechan to put the shine and finishingtouches to the forwards alongside Warren Gatland.

He says: “You could say we have decided to unleash thebeasts on them. We’ve selected a massive pack to take on thebiggest pack on the planet.

“We’ve picked two fairly big props because we couldn’t findtwo as small as the ones which went to South Africa twelveyears ago! On that occasion, I thought Tom Smith changed theway propping was going around the world because of hisbuild and his carrying and scrummaging game. And PaulWallace bossed Os du Randt very well. That was a big part ofthe reason why the Lions won the series.

“But for this tour, the sheer nature of the place we’re goingto and the players the Springboks have picked means we havehad to pick some big guys as well. And it’s important those bigguys can work outside the set-pieces as well. So we havelooked very closely at work rates and the guys contributionsall over the field.

“The South African forwards are huge but they can alsoplay rugby. And they showed just how strong and athleticthey are in those internationals last Autumn. So ourselection reflects that fact. We have picked some big guysto meet that challenge.”

The Lions certainly have gone LARGE all over the pack - butnone more so than in the front row department. Adam Jones(6ft and 20st), Euan Murray (6ft 1in and 18st 9lb), Phil Vickery(18st 4lb and 6ft 2in), Gethin Jenkins (18st 7lb and 6ft 2in) andAndy Sheridan (18st 7lb and 6ft 4in). These are the granitecornerstones upon which the Lions management hope to builda triumphant campaign on the rock-hard Veldt playing surfaces.

Rowntree’s objective is to ensure the Lions come out ontop in the scrum. That department, he says, is where thebase for success is built and where British and Irish teamscan usually always hold their own against the SouthernHemisphere countries.

He insists: “It’s no good being big and strong if yourtechnique has flaws or you don’t have that extra bit of nous inthe scrums and mauls. All the best scrummagers have addedan extra 10 per cent on top to allow them to put one over theopposition. It comes with experience and being clever as wellas very determined.

“Take Phil Vickery for instance. He has been a master in thatdepartment for many, many years. Guys like him don’t needtelling what to do or teaching. He knows it all and does it allout there on the field. That’s why Phil has been at the top forso long. Some people might have been a little surprised to seehim selected for another Lions at his age. But I am not. He’sstill as good as anyone around when it comes to winningthose little battles that matter.

“Phil made the most tackles and effective clear outs of allthe front row in this year’s entire Six Nations championship.You just can’t argue with that. He’s a joy to coach. He’s like an18-year-old. People like that we need around and I can’tspeak highly enough of him.”

Also included in the 37-man British and Irish Lions squadare fellow England forwards Simon Shaw (the only survivor of

the Lions’ series-winning squad of 1997), Joe Worsley, AndrewSheridan and Lee Mears.

“Simon brings a huge amount of experience and physicality tothe game and that’s just what we need. Joe has been probablyour stand out forward in the RBS 6 Nations with incredibledurability in terms of the amount of positions he can play.Sheridan’s game has progressed. Injury and lack of game timeaffected his form in the Investec Challenge series, but towardsthe end of the Six Nations, and since then, he’s performed well.

“And Lee Mears just brings an accuracy to that hooker slotthat is unmatched and his work rate is second to none.”

“It’s a tremendous honour to be asked to becomeinvolved with Geech’s coaching set-up. Having experiencedboth the highs and lows of Lions rugby as a player I amdetermined to be part of a winning set-up in 2009 andrelishing the opportunity to work with the other coaches tomake that happen.”

McGeechan. “He brings with him a direct approach and anunderstanding of not only what we are looking to achieve asa coaching group but also an understanding of the Lions ethos.

“The scrum will be an intensely contested area in SouthAfrica and we’ll need to be technically accurate at scrum timefrom the moment we arrive. It is crucial to have a forwardpack that are technically as good as they can be against arenowned set of South African forwards.” •


Captions

}We’ve gone massive~SAYS GRAHAM ROWNTREE

ROWNTREE


Face ‘em toe to toe

RUGBYfanatics will always point out proudly thatwhen it comes to success size definitely

does matter. But the same cannot necessarily be said aboutLions tours to the other side of the world.

Take Sir Clive Woodward’s extra large invasion party toNew Zealand in 2005 which failed miserably and was sentpacking with tails between their legs by Dan Carter, TanaUmaga and company.

The controversial decision by England’s World Cup winningcoach to enlist a brigade of soldiers, generals and health andfitness experts that even Sir Winston Churchill would have beenproud of, was ridiculed well before lift-off. And, as it turned out,size proved to be more a short-fall and hindrance than a help. Itcertainly didn’t boost the enjoyment of the whole sorry affair.

More than 50 players got to wear the Lions jersey duringthe ill-fated trip, which also saw captain Brian O’Driscoll’scampaign ended by that alleged ‘spear tackle’ shoulder injuryso quickly and also Lawrence Dallaglio also cut down by injury.

Cynics had warned beforehand of bad tidings - and they weresadly proven correct as the Lions were ripped apart in thethree Tests while disharmony and discontent simmered off it.

It’s something that still rankles with Lions legend GarethEdwards’ who is adamant the 2009 tour to South Africa willhelp mend the damage done four years ago. That’s as long as

they stick to the tried and trusted Lions formula - quality, unityand equality rather than size. Welsh scrum-half legend Edwardsexclaims: “The last one just wasn’t like a real Lions tour at all. It

was more like an army invasion! “So many players. So manycoaches. So many specialists for this and specialists for that. Ithink I was one of the few who wasn’t asked to go!

“It was a bit of a mess from start to finish and things justseemed to get worse as the tour went on. It certainly didn’tstart well with the injuries to O’Driscoll and Dallaglio. But I

THE SECRET OF CREATING A WINNING BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS TOUR…

Lions Capers• PRIVATE GOLF WITH GARY PLAYER - AND 3,000 OTHERS

• SEASICK OFF THE CAPE

• WILLIE JOHN STRETCHERS INJURED PHIL BENNETT

}Woodward’s tour was more like a circus~

think the problems started well before then. The biggestdisappointment for me was the way it was done. It turnedinto more of a circus with so many people around and clearlythe atmosphere and general feeling amongst the squadwasn’t what you expect on a Lions tour.

“Lions’ tours are all about having a fantastic, never-to-be-forgotten experience being involved in a great tradition andupholding that proud tradition of making friends and havingfun off the field and playing fantastic rugby on it. Things wentwrong last time and it was a low point as far as the Lions wereconcerned. But it was never going to be the end of the Lionsas some people suggested it might be. They are much biggerthan just one disappointing tour. Fortunately there will be only35 players going on this tour. And I am both positive andconfident that this tour to South Africa can help rebuild anydamage done to the Lions brand by the events of 2005.

“The professionalism is relatively new in the tradition of theLions tour so it is different nowadays from when I toured in theSeventies. But nothing else has changed. It’s still a group ofplayers from Ireland and the British Isles representing this partof the rugby world and going over to take on another part ofit. This will be one of the biggest drawbacks for the Lions tourin comparison to tours that took place, certainly in our time.

“One of the big challenges for Ian McGeechan and hiscoaching staff is that in the quick turnaround they’ll have toactually marry these guys into a team. Kindling team spirit istherefore a major issue for them, but McGeechan knowsexactly what is required to bring a Lions side together. It’s anuncanny thing, one minute you’re playing in a blood and gutsgame against the Irish or the Scots or the English; then all ofa sudden you come together. There’s something special aboutthe Lions though. It’s quite difficult to explain why or how theycome together. But once you get the jersey, the socks, and allthe different colours together, everybody seems to get on thesame wavelength.

“I’ve experienced some wonderful team spirit in Lions teamsthat I’ve been part of, and it transcends the countries and thebackgrounds and all the little problem areas that we’re awareof. The lads also know what the honour of representing theLions actually means. The spirit is born out of great traditionand history and the achievements of past Lions teams.


GARETH EDWARDS

Caption

NOT WANTED BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK, BUT PETER DE VILLIERS SAYS…

»

m toe to toe

Captions

“All of a sudden then you have a team that’s come together... whoplay for one another and lay their lives on the line. It’s a wonderfulconcept. Although we were absolutely focused and determined to getthe job done, Christ we had some fun. That was part of what it was allabout. The difference is that we had time to do it. We were away forthe best part of three-and-a-half months in South Africa in 1974.

“There were 22 games in total and two weeks, three in one case,between the four Test matches. That gave us the chance to enjoy acouple of braais (barbeques), dip our feet in the Indian Ocean and getaway from it all. Now that I think about it, we even had a mid-tourbreak, where we spent the best part of a week in the Kruger NationalPark on safari. We almost needed another pre-tour preparation stintafter that to get back on track. Also I think it helped that nobody wasguaranteed a place in the Test team back in 1974. You could see theformation of the Test side building up, and when that crucial selectionwas announced there were a lot of disappointed players who hadn’tmade it. But the important element was that they all knew that theyhad a decent chance to get into the side. There was no doubt that thestrength of the ‘74 Lions was the quality of the guys trying to get intothe Test team. That kept everyone honest.

“As a member of that Test team, McGeechan understands thespecific chemistry that underpinned that historic tour. He understandshow difficult, and essential, it is to recreate that environment in theprofessional age when visits are shorter and more intense. And healso understands this: the best fun to be had as a Lion is to participatein a winning series.”

Edwards won 53 consecutive caps for Wales, including 13 as captain.He is also Wales’ youngest ever skipper, appointed in February 1968against Scotland at the mere age of 20. In the 10 seasons he playedfor Wales, they won seven Five Nations titles and collected three GrandSlams. He went on three tours with the Lions - the first of which wasthat legendary 1971 trip to New Zealand and the second a verymemorable and triumphant one to South Africa three years later. Andhe has plenty of funny anecdotes of that particular campaign.

Edwards recalls: “”In Port Elizabeth, after the third Test, the wholesquad went fishing. Billy Steele was violently ill even before the boatleft the dock but, of course, nobody gave a damn. All we did was crackopen the beers even though the poor guy was dying. When we gotabout three miles out we dropped anchor. Within five minutes therewere another two guys hanging over the rails, within 10, there werefive more, until virtually everybody was throwing up, including myself.Thank God the Springboks couldn’t see us moaning and groaning. Theymight have fancied their chances in the remaining matches. “I’venever been so glad in my life to see Bobby Windsor getting sick andtelling the captain that, if he didn’t pull up anchor right now and returnto harbour, he would be the next man overboard.

“In the second Test, Phil Bennett ripped open his instep when hecaught Ian McCallum’s stud trying to sidestep the Springbok full-back.Benny had been the star of that game and we couldn’t afford to lose

him. “Don’t leave now, Benny,” Willie John McBride, the skipper,pleaded. “I need you.” Anyway, Benny stayed on but couldn’t walk fora few days afterwards, so Willie John carried him round on his back.One night, after a few beers, some of the boys decided to go afterWillie John. He got wind of it and set off crashing through the bush stillcarrying Benny on his back with the lads after him. The trouble wasthat Willie John forgot he was carrying Benny, and when he ducked togo under the branch of a tree Benny caught it. The poor lad wasknocked senseless. It almost killed him!

“One of the great memories of my career followed a phone call fromGary Player who, a week previously, had won the Open at RoyalLytham. “Player was a big rugby fan and he wanted to take some ofthe Lions out to thank them for coming to South Africa at such adifficult time politically. Mike Gibson, Gordon Brown and I volunteered,and we set off for what we thought was a quiet four-ball at theKillarney Golf Club in Johannesburg, which was where Player spent hisearly years as a professional.

“The game was meant to be a secret, but when we arrived about3,000 spectators had turned up. I’ve never been so nervous in my life,but to be in the presence of Player was truly special. His demeanour,approach and attitude on that golf course was something I’ve neverforgotten. And, to cap it all, he invited the three of us back to his ranchto have dinner with his family.”

But can the 2009 vintage enjoy themselves off it and just as muchand also be as successful on the field? Edwards insists: “I have nodoubts that the Lions can win out there. They have to believe they canwin. It’s going to be tough. Probably tougher than any tour that hasbeen before. The Lions are facing the world champions who will bevery well prepared and keen to prove they deserve to be rated thebest around. It’s such a very abrasive confrontation whenever the Lionsgo to South Africa. It’s all about sheer strength, power and aggression.Their forwards love to give the opposition are good going over - and ifthey get on top of you it’s very difficult to turn things round.

“You need to stand toe to toe with these guys and don’t give an inch.You need a pack able to win the big moments and set up thefoundations for the backs to do their damage with the ball. South Africahave exceptionally good players in key positions. Their forwards arerobust and backs are very skilful. I very much like the Victor Matfields,Bakkies Bothas of this world who are very formidable opponents.

“They have a strong tradition of producing guys like this who arehardened battlers and seem to enjoy the physicality of the whole thingso much. In all, the Springbok pack looks very solid and secure. Andtheir backs are pretty impressive and dangerous as well - as theyshowed when they won the World Cup in France. They can strike atanytime and from anywhere on the field.

“South Africa will probably be favourites because they will haveplayed together and they will be confident they will be betterprepared. But I believe there is ample time for the Lions to get a goodteam together and challenge them.” •


GARETH EDWARDS

Gareth Edwards Fact-FileWALES AND BRITISH LIONSBORN: JULY 12, 1947, PONTARDAWE, WALES SCHOOL: MILLFIELD

POSITION: SCRUM-HALF

WALES CAPS: 53 (88 POINTS).AT 20 BECAME WALES’ YOUNGEST EVER CAPTAIN. 13 TESTS AS CAPTAIN

DEBUT: 1967 V FRANCE

LAST TEST: 1978 V FRANCE

CAPS FOR LIONS: 10 (3 POINTS)

OTHER HONOURS: CBE (2007)

DID YOU KNOW: EDWARDS NEVER MISSED A TEST THROUGH INJURY

Above: Habana

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