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The British and Irish Lions are unique in sport.
The US pick all-star teams to play one-off pro-bowl inter-conference games, but these games against similarly prepared teams are not desperate battles. ‘Plays’ and tactics are kept simple. Entertainment is the key factor.
Some players often take the opportunity to treat the trip as a holiday, won as an honour, and don’t really put in the effort they would for a regular season game. Note that the gridiron conference game is in Hawaii.
The Gaelic Football vs Aussie Rules games, although serious and often violent, are one-off jollies for the lads. These are challenges, right enough, but are way short of the intensity of the Lions tour.
Occasionally, an all-star cricket team or World XI will be assembled and play a game.
Rest of the world squads come and go, but there’s not much passion in there. No playing for the jersey. Not many put it down as their lifelong ambition to be selected, even if it is the pinnacle of their career.
No, there is nothing quite like the Lions.
It’s the ultimate accolade for a Scot, Irishman, Englishman or Welshman to be selected for the Lions. Veterans talked in hushed reverence about when they got their first red jersey. It’s awe-inspiring.
The Lions big challenge is to meld together 37 guys who’ve never played together. They won’t ever play again when the tour finishes. There’s no ‘next season’ where a team or player can improve.
It’s not an international team. There’s no promise of a fair crack next time round. Next time round is four years away, so who knows where you’ll be?
Not only that, but they have to be split into into two teams: a first XV and a second XV for the midweekers. Everyone has to stay motivated, even if they’re in the B Team.
One minute, you’re at the top of your game, selected for the elite British and Irish Lions. But in no time at all, you’re not in the side, not even on the bench.
But you’re still there, making the protein shakes for the heroes out in the battle. How do you get your head around that?
So, Gatland has to keep the squad happy, motivated and in harmony. But he’s in a situation, which although it has some precedence, is as close to unique as you can get:
– No other sport does it.
– The team have never met each other.
– The last time your team was here was 12 years ago.
– It’s all so different.
– Replacements are thousands of miles away.
– And it’s the off-season anyway.
– And they’re all beat up from a tough regular-season schedule.
Difficult to do in a far-away country with a hostile press, big tough rugby players out to get you and an angry public baying for glory from their team.
He has to win.
If he loses, there’s all the more pressure. His own press turn hostile too, his own big, tough rugby players gate him and he can feel his own public baying for glory from their team from halfway around the world.
And then he has to do the press conference, the training session and the journey to the next venue.
Not easy.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.