Peter Bills: The Best Man For The Lions Captaincy?
There are three obvious candidates for the Lions captaincy, writes Peter Bills, and one of them may have gained the inside running after last weekend.
Ireland’s ‘wear your heart on your sleeves and dig deep’ victory over Australia in Dublin last weekend did many things.
It exposed the brittle element at the heart of the current Wallabies, and ensured Ireland captain Rory Best would celebrate his 100th cap in rousing style. But it did something else too.
Beating Australia means Ireland have recorded victories over South Africa, New Zealand and Australia all within the space of the last six months. Best has led Ireland’s fighting men to all three victories and inevitably, his name must now be on a very small short list of candidates to lead the 2017 British and Irish Lions to New Zealand.
For me, the Lions captain will probably come from these three candidates: Wales’s Sam Warburton, England hooker Dylan Hartley and the Ulsterman, Best. It’s hard to see anyone else in the frame at this point.
What could decide the issue, of course, is what happens in the Six Nations Championship which begins on February 4 next year. Right now, you’d have to say that Ireland and England will start that tournament as joint favourites. Whoever comes through could supply the Lions captain.
Beating New Zealand earns any side priceless currency. Ireland’s confidence levels arising from that memorable win over the All Blacks in Chicago clearly helped drag them over the line against the Australians in Dublin last weekend.
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Lions selection committees down through the ages have liked nothing more than an Irish forward to lead the Lions. Ever since prop Tommy Smyth led them to South Africa way back in 1910, Lions selectors have been eager to appoint Irish forwards as leaders.
Prop Sam Walker was captain for the 1938 tour to South Africa, hooker Karl Mullen led them to New Zealand in 1950. In 1955, lock Robin Thompson was in charge in South Africa followed four years later by another Irish hooker, Ronnie Dawson.
In 1974, the legendary second row Willie John McBride took charge for the record breaking tour of South Africa and in 1983, another Irish hooker, Ciaran Fitzgerald, was chosen as leader of the tour to New Zealand. Finally, in 2009, lock forward Paul O’Connell became the latest Irish forward to earn the Lions captaincy.
By no means all were inspired choices. Frankly, some were hopeless and should never even have been on the tour as a player, never mind captain.
But whatever the circumstances, Lions selectors love Irish forwards as their leaders. And Best is making an increasingly compelling case to win the top job.
Both Warburton and Hartley have been bedevilled by injuries in the first few months of this season. And in Hartley’s case, he is being increasingly pressed for the England place by the excellent Saracens hooker Jamie George, a player who could well make the Lions tour himself.
The durable Best is a quiet sort of man who leads by example. He would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t cheerfully volunteer for himself. But crucially, he has improved out of all recognition as a player in the last 18 months.
The sight of him hauling down Australian centre Reece Hodge as he set his sights for the line in the second half last weekend was an inspirational moment. His line-out throwing is now consistently good and his work in the loose, formidable.
Best would be a superb captain, doubtless respected both by his own players and the tough New Zealand opponents. Being an Ulsterman, he has learned two crucial qualities – never take a backward step but understand the value of diplomacy.
In some respects, it might appear absurd automatically to make the leader of the Six Nations champions Lions captain. If there is a better candidate elsewhere, then choose him. But history tells us that is so often the outcome. Which may mean that Ireland v England, the final game of the 2017 Six Nations Championship, could have an almighty amount riding on it.
It could decide the Six Nations Grand Slam or Championship title, the Triple Crown and the Lions captaincy.
Potentially then, not too much resting on the outcome of a single game. Hard hats are already flying off the shelves in Dublin stores at the prospect of that match in the city.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments