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'I have to go on this trip' - What it means to be selected as a British & Irish Lion | Spirit of Rugby - Ep1
In a new series of short films, RugbyPass shares unique stories from iconic British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in proud partnership with The Famous Grouse, the Spirit of Rugby.
In episode one of Spirit of Rugby Jim Hamilton talks with John Bentley, Ian McGeechan, Jeremy Guscott, Matt Dawson, Rob Kearney and Rob Wainwright about their recollections of British and Irish Lions selection ahead of the tours of South Africa in ’97 and 2009 and what it meant to them.
JOHN BENTLEY
“I get so emotional talking about it,” said Bentley, who toured in 1997. “You get four countries, like nothing else in the world, came together as one. They put all their differences to one side. The atmosphere and the build-up to games, just to be a player, to put yourself in the position to experience that camaraderie we generated, the belief. ”
“My wife said I couldn’t go. She said I couldn’t go, it’d be selfish. I had a rugby league contract to pursue. The contract that we signed was pretty ordinary, and I don’t like talking about money but it was a significant contract and I was a full-time rugby player.
“She said ‘You’ve got four months at Halifax. You need to honour that, not go on so bloody swan song tour. What if you get injured in your first game and break your leg? You have a young family.’
“I sat on it for two days and I turned to her and said ‘There are some things in life that are far greater than money. I have to go on this trip’. She said ‘fine, we’ll support you’.
JEREMY GUSCOTT
“To me, it means everything about rugby. You have to be selfless, you have to give every single part of you, every secret, every bit of knowledge you have about rugby, you have to give it on that Lions tour.”
Guscott recalled how he found out he was a Lion in 1997.
“The media started phoning up and saying congratulations and all that type of stuff and then the local newspaper, the Bath Evening Chronicle, wanted to do a photograph. I was a bricklayer at the time. And so they used their imagination. I was in the back garden and I had a wheelbarrow. [Headline] Jeremy Guscott makes the Lions tour.”
MATT DAWSON
“I think being a British and Irish Lion was the highest honour that I ever achieved as a rugby player. It probably gave me, in fact it definitely gave me, the best rugby memories that I’ve got.
“I was on the training fields at Northampton and we had Geech as our club coach, who was obviously the Lions coach. We were touted to be going on the tour and this was the night before and we said ‘Come on Geech, just give us a hint’. And he was having none of it.
Dawson celebrated selection with fellow Lion Paul Grayson.
“I was staying at Paul Grayson’s house. He had a video cassette player and we watched the videos of the ’89 tour of Australia in disbelief that we were going to be wearing that red shirt.”
IAN MCGEECHAN
Lions guru Sir Ian McGeechan remembers calling Paul O’Connell to ask him to captain the 2009 tour of South Africa and found he couldn’t raise the giant Limerickman.
“Well, I picked Paul O’Connell for the captain of the 2009 tour and then I rang Paul and I couldn’t get a reply, he wouldn’t reply. Apparently, he’d been bothered by an insurance man trying to sell him insurance from the UK, so when he saw a UK number he wouldn’t answer it. He thought I was an insurance man trying to sell him something.
“It is an environment that only occurs every fourth year and you’re playing opponents who respect you and respect the Lions.”
ROB WAINWRIGHT
“I couldn’t remember but it happens that my wife was in the car with me. I think I did hear it on the radio because it’s a long list and it ends with the back row and if your name begins with W, I was possibly the last person announced.
“So I probably had lost hope by the time we got halfway through the back row, I think that’s how it happened. My wife says it is, that’s the way it happened.”
ROB KEARNEY
Irish fullback Rob Kearney was one of the stars of the 2009 tour and holds his place in Lions history dear to his heart.
“It is amazing. It is something that can never be taken away from you and I think that is really important. You dream your whole life of doing something, you actually do it, that’s something you take to your grave with you.”
Tune in next week for another episode in The Spirit of Rugby series, in partnership with The Famous Grouse.
We’re so proud to be partnering with @lionsseries, @premrugby and @glasgowwarriors. Our love of rugby goes back a long way ? and we’re excited to bring you even closer to the action, and show you what it is to be the #spiritofrugby ? pic.twitter.com/m0CGhLoZDW
— The Famous Grouse (@thefamousgrouse) November 12, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Great article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
42 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
13 Go to comments