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Keith Wood suggests 4th tour option can save the Lions from 'shame of shames'
Keith Wood believes it would be the “shame of shames” if the British and Irish Lions are severely damaged by the serious problems facing this year’s tour to South Africa, the former Ireland skipper instead claiming that delaying the Test series for four years may be the best option.
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At present, there are three possible scenarios due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic – proceed with the scheduled July tour to South Africa without fans, stage a Test series in Britain and Ireland, or move the tour to Australia.
The Lions board is scheduled to announce its decision midway through February having consulted the various stakeholders, but for the Lions to delay their South African tour until 2025 would require Australia to agree to put back their tour by four years.
A member of the series-winning 1997 Lions tour to South Africa, Wood told RugbyPass: “Because of the extraordinary problems this year a Lions tour may become a pale version of what it normally is and that may be the least worst option. I cannot see it in South Africa with all the travelling and the need for bubbles.
“The Australian option seems fraught with complication, quarantine and potential player welfare issues. It also has a different time zone and the commercial contracts will be impacted. There is nothing easy in any of this.
ICYMI: The skipper of the famed 1974 British and Irish Lions recently wrote a no-holds barred introduction to a compelling new book that counts the costs of professionalism in rugby ?https://t.co/aSJ2Fm7eOi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 29, 2020
“We could end up with something in Britain and Ireland and people will say it’s not the Lions, but it may be the most viable option this year. In truth, I believe the Lions needs supporters at the games and if this is not possible it may require delaying the cycle for four years.”
A 2001 Lions tourist to Australia, Wood is acutely aware of the ramifications of delaying the tour until 2025, but his strong family ties – his father Gordon was also a Lion – makes saving the most famous touring team for future players absolutely crucial.
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He added: “There is heart and head here. The Lions is commercially one of the big brands in rugby and emotionally it brings together supporters from four countries which is unique in international sport and you want to preserve that.
“However, the Lions is being consistently squeezed and my fear is that if it goes too far from what is a touring side with 30,000 fans to games at home with no fans, will it keep its special place in rugby’s hearts?
“And if the Lions loses its allure that would be the shame of shames. It could be better to say, ‘Let’s delay the Lions cycle by four years with the tour to South Africa taking place in 2025 and push everyone back and preserve what is an incredible spectacle’.
“I don’t think you can put the tour into another year because that would drive the unions mad, the clubs mad while changing World Cup preparation cycles.
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“My father went on the Lions tour in 1959 and it was four months playing Canada on the way and Australia and touring New Zealand, so not every Lions tour has to be identical. I like innovative thinking and I don’t dismiss things out of hand, but we are living in unprecedented times and have to think differently.
“When you talk about the tour you put in so many caveats because we don’t have all the information on how Covid-19 is changing and how different countries are adapting its laws to deal with the crisis.
“I hope the guys sitting in the room weighing it up with the lawyers and the commercial people are able to say there is a justification to play the tour this year safely, while also protecting the future of Lions tours. That is a near-impossible decision to make.”
'The data gives you a highlight and an indication but sometimes you still need that gut feel and the best thing is to just watch a player or be there'@heagneyl ???caught up with Ian McGeechan earlier this year #ICYMI https://t.co/Q7hrZTI9TG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 31, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Havili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
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