When the Lions were Lions

Australia’s rise, in the 90’s, as a world power in rugby union is aptly is illustrated by Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen’s response to the naming of the British Lions squad to tour his country in June.

Macqueen rates Martin Johnson’s Lions as the best combined outfit he's seen. "Basically it has no weaknesses," he is reported to have said. "On paper it's probably the strongest team we’ve seen come over and that's because it’s based on a very strong England team."

It’s the kind of response you would expect from a man whose country only recently became part of rugby’s elite, for in South Africa and New Zealand these Lions do not even begin to compare with teams of yesteryear.

In our estimation far and away the best Lions team to emerge from the fair isles were those of 1971 and 1974 that toured New Zealand and South Africa respectively.

They were captained by John Dawes and Willie John McBride and when it comes to possessing truly world-class individuals they were far ahead of the class of 2001.

In fact, one of the great debates is which of the teams, who became the first to win series in the countries they toured, was the better – 1971 or 1974?

Like many such retrospective arguments there is no acceptable solution and most discussions end with the compromise that the ’71 team had the best backs and the ’74 side the best forwards. Certainly, a combination of the two teams would have resulted in arguably the best touring team ever.

So, while the current crop of the best of British have outstanding players such as Keith Woods, Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio and others, such as Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Hill and Brian O’Driscoll who might aspire to become legends, the team does not have the depth of truly international class individuals of their predecessors in the 70’s.

Dawes’ 1971 Lions had the like of Barry John, David Duckham, John Bevan, Gerald Davies, Mike Gibson, Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Mervyn Davies, Sandy Carmichael, Ray McLoughlin and Willie John McBride who were among the best of their age and “youngsters” such as Gordon Brown, Derek Quinnell, Fergus Slattery and Ian McLauchlan to give it incredible strength in depth.

Then in 1974, when the like of McBride, JPR, Edwards, Mighty Mouse, Davies, Quinnell Brown and Slattery had matured into season campaigners along came new faces such as Andy Irvine, Phil Bennett, JJ Williams, Roger Uttley, Tony Neary, Ian McGeechan, Fran Cotton and Bobby Windsor in was surely the golden age of British rugby.

It is my contention that the newest Lions team and its immediate predecessor, to South Africa in 1997, does not possess anywhere near this spread of formidable players.

The like of Jason Leonard, Rob Howley, Scott Gibbs, Jeremy Guscott and Neil Jenkins are obviously major figures but can you rate them alongside the like of Edwards, McBride, JPR Williams, John, Gibson, Davies and Davies?… I think not.

Be that as it may two things don’t change – the Brits continue to overestimate their own ability and treat tours to the southern hemisphere as though they’re going to war.

Remember the horrifying revelations of that video, “Living with Lions,” that came out after the 1997 tour. Well it seems the Lions are again preparing to have physical intimidation high on the agenda.

Sky TV has produced television promos showing the like of Martin Johnson and Keith Woods with computer-added fangs and snarling like Lions while their manager Donal Lenihan, who presided over the fighting Irish who toured here in 1998, had this to say when he was asked what he was looking for in a Lions player. "When he gets a kick in the bollocks, he will stand up and come back." As we know the Lions, they get their retaliation first!

Then there’s the hyperbole of the Press, such as this statement by Stephen Jones of The Sunday Times: "Don't bother me with claims for the World Cup. Lions tours are the true pinnacle of rugby."

He would say that of course, a northern hemisphere team never having won the World Cup…