Those ancients like myself, through copious reading and watching, have an idealised picture of the British and Irish Lions that sees the side as an examplar of brilliant and thrilling back play generated by some of the greatest halves in the history of rugby.
Oh my Roger Spong, Jackie Kyle, Cliff Morgan, Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Phil Bennett and Gregor Townsend of yesteryear…
The one thing that sticks out like a large club trying to be hidden in a jacket is the fact that the 2013 British and Irish Lions is big, very big in fact, on power players and short of the gliding, stepping, twinkle-toed, electric, flamboyant assassins (and include the wraithlike England winger Peter Jackson in the club of devastating steppers, too) of the past.
In the halves with have three journeymen players, Conor Murray (Ireland), Ben Youngs (who can very occasionally make a break playing for England) and Mike Phillips (the Welsh player who is built like a loose forward and plays his halfback position as if he were one).
Max Boyce, the wonderful rugby Welsh singer, has songs and stories about the ‘Welsh flyhalf factory.’ But the factory has gone out of business for some time. The Lions flyhalves are both essentially kickers.
Owen Farrell has shown some poise as a youngster for England, especially in their splendid win over the All Blacks. But he was found wanting for flair, inspiration and leadership in the Wales 30 – England 3 Six Nations rout at Cardiff that gave the home side the championship.
Jonathan Sexton is a neat and tidy player. He is, like Farrell, still a long way off being a controller of the game.
The selection of these halves suggests to me (and to Robbie Deans, as it happens) that the Lions are going to play an attritional and confrontational game, with power rather than speed and skill being the engine of progress, until or if (and hopefully it won’t happen) the Wallabies are smashed at the collisions.
On Wednesday, before a meeting with his selectors to consider their possible Wallaby selections, Deans had a media conference with the rugby journalists of print, online and television. Generally, media conferences aren’t worth going to. But Deans was unusually frank in his assessments about the Lions.
A journalist asked him specifically about what he made of the fact that only two number 10s were selected. Deans replied along the lines that this was no surprise to him. He felt their steady qualities fitted what he believed would be the Lions game plan which would be ‘brutal’ and ‘confrontational.’
All the selections, backs and forwards, suggested to him that the Lions would be “gain-line oriented.” He couldn’t see his opposition doing much with the ball “until they mastered the gain line.” Once this ‘gain-line rugby’ got an ascendency (if the Wallabies allowed this), once “they got behind the gain line” then they “might play some rugby.”
Their tactics, he said, would be all about “earning the right to play.”
As far as he could work out, the crucial game in the selection of the Lions was the Wales – England encounter. England were monstered. They were playing for a Grand Slam but were thrashed by a Wales side (the ultimate winners of the tournament) which two years ago had won the Six Nations Grand Slam; then had fallen away; and then come back with a vengeance.
Deans pointed out that two years ago everyone expected the bulk of the 2013 Lions side would come from Wales. And now this had happened, which has its upside for the Wallabies.
The Wallabies coaching staff have a good idea of how the Lions are going to play from all of this. And with the handful of lead-up matches the Lions are playing before the Test, they’ll be able to see if there are things in their game that can be countered or exploited.
Throughout the Super Rugby tournament, the Wallaby coaches have been thinking about their team. This constant exercise, he said, was slowly but surely producing some clarity in their thinking, although there were a number of Super Rugby games still to be played before the Wallabies contest the first Test.
He said that a squad of 22 will be selected on Sunday May 19. This squad will come together on June 3. Then on June 11 another six players will be added to the squad with the first Test looming up.
The Wallaby selections will be on form. But in the 50/50 categories, the selectors would go with the players with experience of the Wallaby systems: “In Test rugby you don’t want too much learning to be required of the players.”
And this is especially true of a Lions series. He said that in his opinion the Tests against the Lions would be a more intense rugby experience than the Rugby World Cup tournament: “Don’t be surprised by the passion. This is the ultimate rugby experience.”
He said that when he played film of the 2001 series, even experienced members of the Wallaby squad were amazed at the intensity of the play and the pressure of the Lions supporters who “make a noise for their team that no one in world rugby can equal.”
On individual players, Deans was (predictably and correctly) quite cagey. I got the impression (and it was only this) that he is looking to Israel Folau perhaps in Tests after the Lions series. If Folau stayed on in rugby, Deans said, he had no doubt he will become “a legend in the game.”
Quade Cooper? “He is working hard on his game. There is a lot of competition there in his position.” I would take this as possibly a ‘maybe no.’
Kurtley Beale? “He is training hard and is in good shape… He has been part of defining moments for the Wallabies in the past, so he might be one of those 50- 50 choices… We’ll watch him with interest when he comes back.” I took this to be a ‘maybe yes.’
In general, Deans said: “we’re in a better shape in terms of player capability, even though David Pocock and Lachie Turner are out, than we were last year.” The players “across the board” were in “better shape physically” than they were last year.
This was a media conference, and as I have noted coaches don’t usually give much away on these occasions. But there was a level-headedness and honest insight about Deans’ presentation and thoughts that should be consoling for Wallaby supporters.
“Battles are won before the battle by knowing your enemy,” the Chinese military strategist Sun-Tzu claimed.
There is no doubt in my mind that Deans has a deep insight into what the Lions will be trying to do on the field in the coming Test series.
Colin N
Guest
And no response.......gutting.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Wow. Just wow.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Great backline, wasn't it? Two John Bevans played for Wales and the Lions in the 1970s. John Charles Bevan was the big winger, aged just 20, who toured in 1971. He went to league in 1973 (Warrington) and is still with us, aged 62. John David Bevan, born in 1948, toured with the 1977 Lions as back-up flyhalf to Phil Bennett. He died of cancer at just 38.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Bob Hiller, yes. The 1971 Lions never had to worry about the midweek players letting the side down. I've had the occasional delay loading more comments. Personally I would prefer the comments to run differently, i.e. most recent comment at the top, but that's just me.
Andrew C (waikato)
Guest
Spot on Atawhai, you got it.John Bevan it was and he went to League afterwards. Bevan was a brilliant footballer and THAT Lions backline (and incl Gerald Davies in the mix if you wanna) would absolutely rival ANY rugby backline EVER. Big call , but they'd make the footballers today look almost like GIRLS !!! :)
Mike
Guest
I personally tend to find South African rugby blogs to be the most realistic of all. And, in their own way, the most respectful of other nations. I mean in one sense they are not respectful of anyone, frequently describing their own players as kak, nutteloos or whatever. But generally pretty reasonable. Certainly Wallabies and ABs get plenty of respect from them (along with plenty of digs). I think the problem where the Lions re concerned is that they have such a history of losses in recent years that everyone tends to write them off. Its not a South African failing, more a human one. We too easily assume that whatever happened in the last two or ten or twenty years, is what will always happen. Sooner or later reality turns and bites us on the ...
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I stopped reading at Geraghty and Cipriani...
tonyp
Guest
Spiro is a journalist and an OK one at that but he is out of touch with NH rugby After all he chose France to win the 6 Nations! !!!!
Justin2
Guest
AUS domestic tests in 2010 playing 10 I think.
Colin N
Guest
Also, I don't quite understand why you are quite so defensive. The general consensus, when reading comments, whether it was from the South African press, blogs or websites, whatever they were, was that South Africa was going to thrash the Lions in 2009. Is that not correct? I'm not pigeonholing The Roar or Keo, just using them as examples, but most people held that opinion. I don't see how you can debate that point. You may not have held that view but obviously one person doesn't speak for the majority. For example, just to make you feel better, the general opinion in England think that we are going thrash Australia in the Ashes. I don't hold it but it doesn't mean that's not the general opinion.
Colin N
Guest
"Here is a majority of Australians with perhaps a dozen South Africans who the majority of thinks the Lions edge the forward and the wallabies edge the backs." Yes and that's an opinion held by the majortiy of people on every discussion board I've read, so what are you trying to say? You do know I'm referring to the South Africa series from 2009?
Your reasoning astounds me. The majority on Keo compared to the majority on here. Keo is a website that thrives on controversy ad bad tasting articles, it is not managed and censored in any way. So the comments on there is laughable to say the least, even the provincial rivalries on there reaches epic proportions, Here is a majority of Australians with perhaps a dozen South Africans who the majority of thinks the Lions edge the forward and the wallabies edge the backs. We aren't doing a survey, you are generalising with two different pools of posters, one Majority South African and one Majority Australian and carrying whatever perception you have of those South Africans over to the dozen here. wow. End of discussion, I can see this is going nowhere.
Colin N
Guest
So the fact that the majority of South Africans on the Keo website and the majority of people on here - allied by the opinion of the press - were writing off the Lions doesn't represent the majority? Strange logic. It's like a survey, you can't ask the whole South African population for their opinion because it's impractical, but a sample provides a general consensus and that general consensus was that they thought South Africa was going to dominate the series. If you had to ask 50 million people what they thought to form a basis for an argument, you would get nowhere. Personally, I'm not depicting who you are, I was saying that the general consensus was that South Africans thought they were going to thrash the Lions, which is true right? Good luck finding more than a few who didn't hold that opinion.
Suzy Poison
Guest
As a neutral, I have have no idea who will win the series. Bookies are favouring Lions, so far. But it's close. Lions have better forwards of that there is no doubt. But at home, Australia will rise to the occasion. Can't wait, and can't wait for the touring games either. In a way, I hope the Lions win, just to keep the concept alive. But I still think it's a 50-50 series. It will come down down to one penalty just like 2009 version. And Morne slotted a 53metre shot to claim a win. Quade, O'Conner, Kutley, , Sexton, O'Farrell and crew better be practising their kicking and drop goals?
Adsa
Guest
Mcabe had a far worse game against Ireland.
Once again from whom? You make a general statement about SOME people, I can counter you with the fact that many people from Europe said the same thing about how the Lions were going to thrash us. But the reality is if 5000 people frequent a website and they say and make outrageous statements, it is only them. Not the whole population, so you may rightfully say SOME south Africans made outrageous comments, however to make a generalisation about South Africans is simply just nonsense A while ago there was a South African on here making outrageous and ill advised comments, the rest of the South Africans here took him on about that. Now people on this site might just have an opinion that most south Africans are in fact not arrogant, but rather humble. Is that a correct assumption? No, it can't be, because there are 50 million of us, more likely only 10 million who follow rugby, but the handful of south Africans here does not depict who we are.
Colin N
Guest
There wasn't much realism when the Lions came down then.
When you have a team that is continuously in the top three in the world you have confidence in their ability to be competitive. Being realistic has to do with who you are going to face. If we face the all Blacks at home we have a better chance of beating them, if we play them in New Zealand chances are slim. Then injuries, injuries play a big role in who is available, if JP Pietersen and Habana plays we have a better chance than when Jonge Nokwe and Lwazi Mvovo plays, as firstly Habana and Pietersen have more experience and positionally they are better in defence, has better aerial skills and better in attack. Confidence has to do with belief, realism has to do with analysing the fixture, conditions, injuries and game plan. Finally the South African press is in my view more humble and realistic than anything else you find in Australia and New Zealand, most of the time, I don't see a lot of hyping of players and teams over here, if you listen to Nick Mallet and the like on Super sport in studio their analysis are always very fair, we also have Campo and John Mitchell in studio every saturday so there is always a very fair reflection of an Australian, South African and New Zealand perspective on rugby. As for public opinion, it is varied, and to generalise is very brave indeed..
Colin N
Guest
I'm not sure how you can be confident and realistic? If you were realistic, you wouldn't be confident or at least that's how I view it. You say it's the minority but it was the majority on here and it was the majority on the Keo website who wrote off the Lions in 2009. Then you have the press in the NH who doubted the chances in 09 and the press in the SH who wrote off the Lions.
Confident yes, optimistic I don't think so, I find most SA rugby fans rather realistic bordering on critical of springbok rugby, Sure like any country you get the posters who talk rubbish and speak before thinking, but that is really more a case of the minority. I was just reading a thread on another site that suggests a Lions whitewash over the Wallabies, similar to some threads 4 years ago, upon asking why not just say you believe the Lions can win, why go with Whitewash, it is arrogant and disrespectful to simply completely write off the other team. I think it very much depends on the site and the profile of posters being allowed there.