What has become world rugby’s showpiece – the British and Irish Lions tour – came very close to being relegated to sideshow status, ex-Wallabies hooker Tom Lawton says.
The Lions’ 1989 tour may be remembered for all the wrong reasons by Australians after a David Campese brain explosion capped the Wallabies’ 2-1 series loss.
However, Lawton claimed on Friday that it also ensured the now legendary Lions concept remained alive and well.
Lawton – whose 41-Test career ended in 1989 – said a quiet beer with Welsh legend John O’Shea who was still in close contact with the Lions camp revealed the true impact of the British series win.
“The Lions concept was on the cusp of disintegration from a fair dinkum club to a social club like the Barbarians,” he told AAP.
“I had one or two cold beers with (1968 Lions prop) John O’Shea in Sydney and he mentioned that the `89 tour here was a real watershed tour for the Lions.
“If they had lost against us according to him and his contacts, the Lions concept would have fallen by the wayside and not be the wonderful team that you see today.”
O’Shea had earned his own slice of history by becoming the first Lion to be sent off for foul play after throwing a punch on the 1968 tour of South Africa.
However, he firmly believed the history books would have also looked upon the 1989 Lions team unfavourably if they had not emerged victorious Down Under that year.
The record books appear to back up his claim.
The Lions ended a 15-year winless drought when they pounced on Campese’s now infamous wayward in-goal pass to seal a series-deciding 19-18 game three win in Sydney.
The Lions were due – they had lost on tour in South Africa (3-0 in 1974, 3-1 in 1980) and New Zealand (3-1 in 1977, 4-0 in 1983) before tasting success in Australia.
Lawton was unveiled in Brisbane on Friday as the latest Australian Rugby Union’s “Statesmen”, representing the 1980s decade.
Others honoured on Friday were Ernest Hills (1940s), Des Connor (1950s), Jules Guerassimoff (1960s), Stu Gregory (1970s), Dan Crowley (1990s) and Joe Roff (2000s).
The “Statesmen” program has been in place since 2008 and annually recognises one player from each decade since WWII.
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