LONG READ Series triumph but ‘vitriol’ for Gatland: 2013 Lions tour of Australia recalled

The naysayers must hide under a rock counting the days until they can pop out their mudded, bitter heads to ask if the Lions can continue. They were at it again prior to the 2013 trip, bemoaning the fact that the British and Irish Lions had not won a series in 16 years and wondering what the point of the touring side was if they were never to win?

What was the point? What indeed, apart from being a point of difference on the sporting landscape, apart from presenting a challenge like no other in rugby union, apart from the tradition and the romance and the sense of a unique challenge for a player hag-worn by the sapping familiarity of the global calendar?

Yes, now that you thing about it, what have the Lions ever done for us? Thankfully, there was once again a Red Army numbering 25-30,000 gathering at departure gates in 2013 to provide a counter-argument. As long as these people have breath to protest, and money to fund their travels, the adventure will continue, no matter what the win-loss record says.

The Lions will always be up against it on the field of play. They have so little time to get their act together, no matter that Australia is considered the lesser of the three traditional destinations. It was the same again this time for the Lions with 14 players taking part in domestic finals only 48 hours before the 37-man squad left Heathrow bound for, er, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong? Yes, there was a game to fit in en route, nominally to celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the first Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1888. The fixture against the Barbarians was one of those schemes that might have had some appeal when thought up in a committee room in the depths of winter. Stop-off for the boys, a few bob for the coffers, a chance for the coach to sift through a few candidates and so on.

The reality was that Hong Kong in June is stinking hot, so humid that there had to be extra water-stoppages fitted in during the match. The Baa-Baas were supposed to be taking it very seriously, off the booze wouldn’t you know, until they forgot that social media reaches everyone and snaps of them enjoying a beery night out at Happy Valley Races told another story. The Lions did what they had to do and won 59-8.

The old slugger Gatland knew his own mind and played to that strength. He relished a scrap, dealing with a spot of adversity and backed himself to see it through no matter the circumstances.

Warren Gatland had taken over the head coach reins for the first time, the baton being passed from Ian McGeechan who had helped restore a sense of credibility in the hard-fought 2009 series in South Africa. Gatland had a World Cup semi-final slot to his name as well as a Wales Grand Slam in 2012. Crucially, he had also been on that 2009 tour and knew what it took.

The 37-man squad had almost been a 38-man party only for Gatland to reveal that he had approached Jonny Wilkinson only a couple of days prior to the squad reveal to see if he could tour. Wilkinson demurred, for obvious and understandable reasons, given that he was heavily tied up with Toulon’s Top 14 campaign. It was the first, and far from the last, of Gatland’s curve-ball selection announcements.

The old slugger knew his own mind and played to that strength. He relished a scrap, dealing with a spot of adversity and backed himself to see it through no matter the circumstances. A front-row forward by trade, Gatland would not give an inch to anyone.  Crucially, not only did he back himself, he also backed his players. If there is one single trait that makes for a successful Lions tour – not necessarily winning, as was shown in 2009 – it is a sense of togetherness.

It comes from the top and Gatland, along with his management and coaching team, knew how to inculcate it. He had inherited those values from McGeechan and he was determined to make sure they held true on this tour. The fact that he was to stay faithful to his plans despite losing the second Test in Melbourne and decamping to the surfing delights of Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as scheduled, illustrated what a straight dealer he was.

Gatland had great faith in his 24-year-old Wales captain, Sam Warburton, despite the fact that the Cardiff back-rower would become the youngest ever to lead the Lions. It was to prove a popular choice even though there were two previous Lions captains, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, in the ranks. All three were to suffer slights and injuries during the trip. A Lions tour is an unforgiving place, pain to go with the pleasure.

A genuine sense of competition for places is the cornerstone of a happy Lions tour. The slight difficulty on a tour of Australia is finding the right standard of opposition in order to gauge claims.

There were a few eyebrows over selection as there always are. No Chris Robshaw, the fall-guy for England’s humiliation in Cardiff, no Chris Ashton or Brad Barritt either (although the Saracens centre was to play a cameo role). Dylan Hartley was there, but not for long after the England hooker was banned for 11 weeks after bad-mouthing referee Wayne Barnes during the Premiership final. In came Rory Best to take the Irish contingent to 10, England’s reduced to nine with Wales providing the bulk with 15 players. The Welsh factor was a theme through the tour.

Gatland, though, was at pains to stress that no-one was guaranteed a Test place, not even his captain. Warburton would have to earn his spurs ahead of the likes of Ireland’s Sean O’Brien. A genuine sense of competition for places is the cornerstone of a happy Lions tour. The slight difficulty on a tour of Australia is finding the right standard of opposition in order to gauge claims. That said, it has become a feature of touring in any of the countries that coaches withdraw their Test players in order to get into camp ahead of the Test series. So it proved with the Wallabies.

The Lions squad was greeted with typical understated, complimentary Aussie reaction. “Slabs of raw, red meat,’ was the headline in one newspaper. Plus ça change. The Lions were glad to get down to business and even though they had a bit more of a test on Australia’s west coast than they did in 2001, they still ran out comfortable winners, 69-17.

A game under belts (the less said about Hong Kong the better) may be beneficial on many fronts, but the flip side is that injury is a constant bug-bear. So it proved. The Lions left Perth for Brisbane with two props, Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins, already crocked. Healy also had to face the stress of a disciplinary inquiry after he was accused of biting. The case was dismissed which was little comfort to the Irishman as he headed home. Alex Corbisiero and Ryan Grant were called up, the Englishman having to negotiate a five-flight, 45-hour marathon journey from Salta in Argentina. It was to prove worth it, for him as well as for the Lions.

Forwards coach Graham Rowntree nailed the essence of a Lions tour when he said: “This sort of gig, you have to make it up on the hoof.”

A tough run-out against the Queensland Reds resulted in a 22-12 victory for the Lions while the midweek match against a Country XV proved far less onerous as the 64-0 scoreline indicated.

The Lions were fast approaching the Test series and reacting to events accordingly. Forwards coach Graham Rowntree nailed the essence of a Lions tour when he said: “This sort of gig, you have to make it up on the hoof.”

Gatland acknowledged that the back-row selection in particular was “a headache”, with Tom Croft, Dan Lydiate, O’Brien and Warburton all going well. Running a shadow XV ahead of the first Test is often the aim although injury invariably queers that pitch. The fact, though, that the Lions delivered such a commanding performance in beating NSW Waratahs by a record 47-17, was a boon. Leigh Halfpenny’s boot was becoming a dominant feature, the full-back contributing 30 points against the ‘Tahs. Jonathan Davies in the centre was catching the eye as was Alun Wyn Jones at lock.

There was a disappointing 14-12 midweek reverse against the Brumbies in Canberra, perhaps the kick-up-the-butt the Lions needed. It was a bizarre few days with a supposedly internationally retired Shane Williams being summoned from club duty in Japan to run out against the Brumbies, while Barritt arrived from his holidays in Los Angeles. Christian Wade and Billy Twelvetrees also featured.

The Test side was all-important at this juncture. George North was declared fit, a mighty boost given that heavyweights such as Jamie Roberts, Manu Tuilagi and Tommy Bowe were ruled out. It was Australia that was to suffer injury woes in the match itself with influential goal-kicker Christian Leali’ifano crocked after 52 seconds. How costly that was to prove with back-up kicker Kurtley Beale missing a long-range effort in the last seconds that would have won the match. The first chapter of the North v Wallaby newbie Israel Folau was written, with honours just shaded by the Australian and his two tries, to North’s spectacular individual one, in the hosts’ 23-21 loss.

Onwards to Melbourne, where the midweekers redeemed themselves with a 35-0 win. Never change a winning side? Not for Gatland. “You pick a team to get the job done,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

It was the right rugby decision. I would hate to think we would have made calls on trying to avoid criticism or public furore.

There were five changes (among them Geoff Parling – now an Aussie assistant coach – replacing the injured O’Connell) but they didn’t manage to get the job done, Halfpenny emulating Beale in missing a super-long kick in the closing moments that would have sealed the series.

A decider, then, once again in Sydney. First, though, R and R in Noosa. Gatland has a touch of the Brian Clough about him, doing it as he sees fit and stuff what convention says. He had promised the squad two days down-time to spend as they saw fit – and, yes, beers were drunk – and he was good to his word. So, too, on selection where he dropped the biggest selection bombshell in Lions history in preferring Jonathan Davies to the 133 caps of O’Driscoll, who he had partnered for the first two Tests, with a fit-again Roberts returning in midfield.

“It was the right rugby decision,” said Gatland. “I would hate to think we would have made calls on trying to avoid criticism or public furore.”

There was plenty of that all right with former Lions, Keith Wood and Willie John McBride, venting their critical feelings. Even Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, weighed in, calling the decision, “mind-boggling”.  You’d think he might have more serious matters to tend to.

The tension was ratcheted up for the Sydney finale. There were 10 Welshmen in a starting XV captained by Alun Wyn Jones in the injury-enforced absence of Warburton. Alex Corbisiero was restored to the loosehead and it made all the difference. The prop scored the first try, in between demolishing Wallaby Ben Alexander. The tighthead was sin-binned in the 25^th minute for scrummaging offences and never returned. If the first half was tight, the second was a romp, quick-fire tries from Johnny Sexton, North and Roberts sending the Lions on their way to a startling 41-16 victory.

Gatland had been vindicated, although at a cost. “I was shocked by what was said,” he said in the immediate aftermath. “It was vitriolic. I haven’t enjoyed the last 72 hours. It’s been tough personally.”

Tough but ultimately rewarding.