Greenwood claims 'greatest Lion you've never heard of' may be better than BOD

In a career that saw him play on three British and Irish Lions tours and win a World Cup with England, Will Greenwood played alongside some great centres.

From Brian O’Driscoll to Jeremy Guscott, the 55-cap England international played with some greats of the game. So it is some accolade for him to describe former Wales midfielder Allan Bateman as “possibly the best centre I ever had the pleasure to play with.”

The dual-code international Bateman was part of the 1997 Lions squad alongside Greenwood, who at that point was yet to make his England debut.

While the Englishman did not feature in any of the Test matches as the visitors triumphed over the world champions, he partnered Bateman in the midfield in some midweek tour matches.

@rugbymates Allan Bateman the greatest @Lions Rugby you’ve never heard of 🦁🇬🇧🇮🇪#rugbymates #britishlions ? original sound – rugbymates

The hard-hitting centre known as “the clamp” left an indelible impression on the former Leicester Tigers and Harlequins centre, so much so that he recently described him as “one of the greatest Lions you’ve never heard of.”

Greenwood paid homage to the former Great Britain rugby league international on TikTok recently while in the gym, as he regaled Bateman’s weightlifting advice. While it is not the advice that any strength and conditioning coach would endorse, that was of course not the Welshman’s job, he was a professional rugby player and one that is held in very high regard by his former team-mate.

“So I went on three Lions tours, ’97 was the best,” Greenwood said in the clip. “A lad called Allan Bateman, one of the greatest Lions you’ve never heard of.

“Laughed at everyone doing squats and cleans, he said ‘lads, it’s just chins and dips’.

“Possibly the best centre I ever had the pleasure to play with.”

Bateman did not feature heavily in the series win over the Springboks, but did come on from the bench in the third Test to play the final 40 minutes of the series in a match the Lions lost 35-16.