Lions tours essential in modern era
Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:01
The British and Irish Lions
The success, and continuation, of British & Irish Lions tours is essential for the future of the game of Rugby Union, according to 2009 Lions head coach Ian McGeechan and team manager Gerald Davies.
McGeechan, together with Davies, has just began a 10-day reconnaissance mission for the Lions' tour to South Africa in June and July of next year.
Addressing a media gathering in Cape Town on Friday, McGeechan said the purpose of the trip to the 'Republic' was essentially to look at their structures and at "what we want to do and how we want to do it" next year.
"It is more about the hotels and structure of our tour, what training grounds to use," the coach explained, adding: "It is also an opportunity to watch the Boks play Wales in two Tests."
He said he also hopes to watch one or two of South Africa's Tri-Nations games later this year: "In my mind it will help me to understand the type of player we're looking for in 12 months' time.
"The next 10 days are very important for Gerald and myself - as it will be the first time that I have put my Lions hat on properly," he added, referring to the fact that his club Wasps were still in action up until last weekend's Guinness Premiership Final.
Both McGeechan and Davies were at pains to stress the value of Lions tours, despite the disastrous 2005 trip to New Zealand - which saw the All Blacks whitewash the Lions 3-0.
Davies admitted that there would be people looking back to what happened during the 2005 trip to New Zealand - when everything crumbled around head coach Clive Woodward - and no doubt questioning the value of future Lions expeditions.
"We are looking at the 2009 Lions," said Davies.
"Some people have looked back at 2005 to see what we're going to do in 2009, but there is no point in looking back over your shoulder.
"It is much better to look at the present and see what we are likely to achieve in 12 months' time."
He was adamant that the Lions remained a "terrific brand" and the concept is something that should "survive forever".
"It is not only important for us, the four countries that represent the Lions, but in the current conditions that the world game is in, the southern hemisphere countries need the Lions," the team manager said.
"I think if it [the Lions] were ever to go it would be a sad day, it would leave such a vacuum in the game if the Lions did not exist."
Davies also spoke of the "terrific enthusiasm" in South Africa for the tour and pointed to the "large and substantial number of people from the United Kingdom" that would follow the tour next year as reasons why these tours should continue.
"The value of the Lions is essential for the future of the game," Davies stressed, "that [long tours] is one of the values of the Lions."
He continued: "As one hard-nosed journalist recently described it, 'It's the one last great rugby adventure', and that's how we should look at it and the value it brings to rugby football.
"The public wants it, the players want it and everybody attached to rugby wants the Lions to survive."
Wasps boss McGeechan expressed similar sentiments, saying that players were already talking amongst themselves about the possibility of being in the picture for the Lions tour.
"The South Africans want to be here or want to be in a position to play against the Lions," the coach said. "When you have that effect on players, in both camps, then there must be something good about it."
He also spoke about the value of 'an old-fashioned' tour in the professional era, where short two-week trips and one-off Tests have become the norm. In fact, these days, a four-week tour - even without midweek matches - is regarded as a long trip.
"The players see it as a different challenge, totally, to anything they will ever do as a professional player," said McGeechan, the mastermind behind the Lions' series win in South Africa in 1997.
"[Because] it is only every four years - or 12 years in the case of South Africa - they see it as something very special in their career if they get to be part of it."
By Jan de Koning
