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Cheers Cheers to to the the reigning reigning World World Champions. Champions.
The Best of both worlds
CONTENTS Shorts
11 EDITOR’S NOTE 12 MESSAGE FROM SA RUGBY 14 MESSAGE FROM THE LIONS 16 MAGIC MOMENT 81 LIONS STATS 138 TOUR SCHEDULE Columns 82 Mick Cleary Biltong on the side, Steyn centre stage
95 Mark Keohane The old man tipped the Lions to win this one
106 Scott Gibbs South Africa’s rugby fanaticism is infectious
114 Beast Mtawarira Bok scrum to spoil Lions’ appetite for revenge
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CONTENTS
24
Features
24 THERE’S NO BIGGER THRILL THAN A LIONS’ HUNT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Profiles 36 Bok captain gets Durban reboot
Touring the Republic still takes veteran rugby writer Stephen Jones’ breath away
Siya Kolisi has been revitalised by his move from the Stormers to the Sharks
30 WHAT MAKES THE LIONS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
38 Beast academy graduate
Springbok players and coaches can’t wait to experience the Test series of a lifetime
Steven Kitshoff is more than ready to assume the mantle from Tendai Mtawarira
84 RUGBY’S GREATEST ADVENTURE The Lions toured South Africa 11 times during the amateur era, from 1891 to 1980
41 Little Kolbe casts long shadow
96 ECSTASY, AGONY & REDEMPTION
The diminutive Cheslin Kolbe is set to
The Lions roared in 1997 and were able to hold their heads high after an epic battle in 2009
make a huge impact against the Lions
108 RAMPANT LIONS SELDOM DENIED The best of Britain and Ireland has dominated South African provincial opposition
116 TRAP BAIT AWAITS TOURING LIONS
44 Red alert: Power & finesse
84
Midfielder Damian de Allende is a big weapon in the battle for momentum
The local Lions could test the tourists despite being in a rebuilding phase
47 Rookie vs grand master
120 YOUNG GUNS GET RARE SHOT AT LIONS
series with little experience as a head coach
Jacques Nienaber will go into the Lions
The Cell C Sharks’ rising stars will be out to make a name for themselves against the Lions
50 Powering the engine room
124 DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR LIONS
Maro Itoje is set to play an important role
The Vodacom Bulls are targeting another famous win, this time under coach Jake White
in the forwards battle against the Boks
128 CAPE TEMPEST AWAITS LIONS
52 Foundation for success
The DHL Stormers should challenge the Lions at Cape Town Stadium even without their Boks
Ireland tighthead Tadhg Furlong will be the cornerstone of the Lions scrum
132 OUT OF AFRICA
55 Primed to perform
The nine South African-born players who have represented the Lions
134 OLD SURVIVORS, NEW CHALLENGE Having played in the 2009 Test series, Alun Wyn Jones and Frans Steyn are back for more
41
Dan Biggar’s balanced game makes him a top contender for the Lions No 10 jersey
58 Scottish glint to Lions armour Stuart Hogg aims to put his disappointment of the 2017 Lions tour behind him
61 Out for vengeance Lions head coach Warren Gatland has some old scores to settle with the Boks
124 8 World Cup 2018 Guide FourFourTwo.com
64 Lions squad Everything you need to know about the pride of Britain and Ireland
EDITOR’S NOTE
A sporting experience like no other An increasingly unique attribute of rugby is the sport remains firmly fastened to some time-honoured traditions of its rich history. Where many of football’s international rivalries have steadily deferred to the televisionstoked appetite for club competitions, rugby still most cherishes clashes where the pride of a nation is at stake. The English Premiership, European Champions Cup and Super Rugby have all grown considerably in popularity, but most supporters wouldn’t hesitate to trade success in these competitions to see their country emerge victorious in the Six Nations or Rugby Championship. The World Cup and the British & Irish Lions tour stand alone as modern-day fixtures of the rugby calendar that require teams to pack for more than a month away from home.
Though the prize of the World Cup is world champion status, a tournament that was born in 1987 cannot compete for gravitas with the 133-year history of the Lions
In an era when delayed gratification is passé, a protracted journey to foreign shores only underlines the tour’s reputation as rugby’s greatest adventure. Though the prize of the World Cup is world champion status, a tournament that was born in 1987 cannot compete for gravitas with the 133-year history of the Lions. It’s telling that eight of the nine World Cups have been won by the southern-hemisphere giants the Lions have been hunting since 1888. Warren Gatland’s third tour as head coach of the Lions marks an important milestone in international rugby’s return to normality from a global lockdown. And the timing of the series – presenting the Springboks with their first serious challenge since winning the 2019 World Cup – promises to add an enthralling chapter to the tale of the Lions following the Webb Ellis Cup to the Republic. Gatland will lean heavily on rugby’s most-capped international as Alun Wyn Jones endeavours to defy his detractors and subdue a steely Springbok tight five. Siya Kolisi will lead the Boks under firsttime head coach Jacques Nienaber, both determined to hand the Lions their first series defeat with Gatland at the helm, and their first since they last visited South Africa. Buckle up for a sporting experience like no other, at a time like no other.
Editor Zelím Nel
Zelím Nel, Editor
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SA Rugby GM: Communications Andy Colquhoun Consulting Editor Simon Borchardt Group Art Director Stuart Apsey Contributing Writers Mariette Adams, Mick Cleary, AP Cronjé, Scott Gibbs, Dylan Jack, Stephen Jones, Mark Keohane, Oliver Keohane, Craig Lewis, Beast Mtawarira Production Manager Rushaan Holliday Deputy Production Manager Maggie Wasserfall Ad Traffic Controller Sajidah Allie Ad Designer Manager Brumilda Fredericks Ad Designers Abduraouf Bessick, Dionne Wicks Director of Sports Sales Niall Meegan Advertising Sales Roy Lategan, Paul Stubbs, Neville Todd, Calvin Maconchie, Reuben Freemantle, Zaid Haffejee, Ari Kasimov Chief Executive Officer Kevin Ferguson Managing Director Tony Walker Production Director Bilqees Allie Financial Director Lindsey Makrygiannis HR Director Rizqah Jakoet Chief Technical Officer Adrian Brown Legal Director Tracey Meegan CEO’s PA Kovi Naidoo Photography BackpagePix, Gallo Images, Cover Photo Supplied
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The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide 11
MESSAGE FROM SA RUGBY
Ready to write the next chapter There have been times in the past year when it seemed unlikely that I would be able to utter these words: It is with very great pleasure that the South African Rugby Union welcomes the British & Irish Lions to our shores. As the world has been battered by the pandemic with the distressing loss of millions of lives, so, at a much more trivial level, has been the planning for this Castle Lager Lions Series. The idea that it might be hosted in Australia or the UK floated into the public consciousness at various points and there was speculation that it might not take
Mark Alexander, South African Rugby Union President
LEE WARREN/GALLO IMAGES
Here we are, despite all the challenges and the torments of the past months, welcoming the red-shirted heroes of Britain and Ireland
place at all. But here we are, despite all the challenges and the torments of the past months, welcoming the red-shirted heroes of Britain and Ireland to write the next chapter in a rugby story that goes instantly into the folklore of our sport. That it will be a very different tour is now a given: Willie John McBride didn’t have to live in a bubble nor did John Smit sit on the side of a field wearing a face mask. There were those who suggested that the tour should simply be cancelled as the likely absence of crowds would render the event meaningless. But the players from both sides wanted to play, the vast majority of rugby fans want to share in folklore unfolding before their eyes and now we are ready to turn the page. Welcome, the British & Irish Lions!
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MESSAGE FROM THE LIONS
World champions provide the ultimate contest I will always remember Sir Ian McGeechan on my first Lions tour, in New Zealand in 1993. We all walked in for the first team meeting and – you do it by habit – I walked in with all the English guys. It was the same with the Irish, Scottish and Welsh guys. We all sat in our own little groups. McGeechan said, ‘Guys, you are British & Irish Lions now. When you walk in through this door, you’re not an Englishman, you’re not a Scotsman, you’re not an Irishman or Welshman, you’re a British & Irish Lion’. He told us to go back out and come back in as British & Irish Lions.
Jason Leonard, British & Irish Lions chairman
DAN SHERIDAN/GETTY IMAGES
It’s going to be a huge challenge to play against the Springboks this year, maybe more so than in 1997 when I toured with the Lions
That was a big moment for me and quite powerful. You might be a very proud Englishman but you are representing everybody in Britain and Ireland. I think what defines the Lions, and its uniqueness, is giving players a chance every four years to come together for one goal. Knowing more than likely that group of players will never get the chance to tour together again. It’s a unique moment in time in that aspect, it really is, and that’s what makes a Lions tour so special. For me, it’s the pinnacle of our game to represent the Lions. Whether that’s as a player or an administrator, it’s something I’m honoured to be able to do. It’s going to be a huge challenge to play against the Springboks this year, maybe more so than in 1997 when I toured with the Lions. They were world champions when we faced them in 1997 and it will be the same in 2021. Representing the Lions is huge and facing the current reigning world champions is the ultimate contest.
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OFFICIAL BRANDY SUPPLIER TO THE SPRINGBOKS
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MAGIC MOMENT
SPRINGBOKS 3 LIONS 12 NEWLANDS, CAPE TOWN 8 JUNE 1974 Photo: Getty Images Legendary Welsh scrumhalf Gareth Edwards prepares to kick from a scrum during the first Test of the 1974 series, which ‘The Invincibles’ won 3-0.
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18 The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide
MAGIC MOMENT SPRINGBOKS 12 LIONS 10 BOET ERASMUS STADIUM, PORT ELIZABETH 28 JUNE 1980 Photo: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images Naas Botha’s boot played a decisive role in the third Test of the 1980 series. The flyhalf’s kick to the corner led to fullback Gysie Pienaar’s late try and he then converted from the touchline in windy conditions.
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SPRINGBOKS 15 LIONS 18 KINGS PARK, DURBAN 28 JUNE 1997 Photo: Getty Images With four minutes left on the Kings Park clock and the scores locked at 15-15, centre Jeremy Guscott wrote himself into Lions history with a series-clinching drop goal.
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MAGIC MOMENT
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SPRINGBOKS 28 LIONS 25 LOFTUS VERSFELD, PRETORIA 27 JUNE 2009 Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images Springbok replacement flyhalf Morné Steyn showed nerves of steel to kick a stoppagetime, series-winning penalty from 53m out as fullback Frans Steyn looked on.
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MAGIC MOMENT
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ULTIMATE LIONS EXPERIENCE
THERE’S NO BIGGER THRILL THAN A LIONS’ HUNT IN SOUTH AFRICA
I
t seems rather hollow at present to claim that not only is the Lions tour of South Africa the biggest thing in rugby (yes, World Cups included), but also that it is for me, the biggest thrill in any sport and at any time. In many ways the 2021 tour will be a skeleton affair, pared down with some of the socialising and mixing with hosts sadly missing, with the party probably corralled into itself in some kind of bubble, and the remoteness means that Warren Gatland and his party may miss some of the real joys of touring. And perhaps worst of all, the 30 000-plus visitors from the northern hemisphere will be fretting at home in their lounges watching on television. So cruel for them, and South Africans, for the owners of all the tourist attractions and bars and shops. Covid has been so deadly in terms of its toll but it has also been the most horrendous interruption
of normal life, of all the things we love. As I write, no one could be entirely sure how the tour will turn out. But even with the skeleton tour, nothing could ever make me change my mind. South Africa is the most spectacular, most devilish, most amazing and most infinitely varied place on the planet. I have been outrageously fortunate in being able to travel for my job all over the world, but no place has ever come close for stirring the emotions. It also challenges everything you think you know about humanity, race, politics, suffrage, crime, governmental corruption and natural beauty. Dangerous? Well of course it can be, with so much crime, and for the visitor there are difficulties in assessing where you should go and where you should not go. If that sounds alarmist, even paranoid, then better alarmed than unprepared. And the rugby? Each of the traditional Lions touring venues have their own attractions but
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again, South Africa stands well ahead. It is obvious that incoming Lions tours contribute to the host rugby union and also to the national coffers – those 30 000-plus fans bring down an awful lot of disposable income with them. But in South Africa, you get way more in return. The Lions receive a bigger and a warmer welcome, and while every South African follower would be desperate for the Springboks to beat them, there is another factor in play. It is called respect. You always feel that the Lions are respected throughout South Africa, the sense that this is one more epic chapter in the long history, is always there. Australia is different because it is not remotely as big a rugby country, so the Lions can be lost in the landscape – although the attendances for the games on the last tour of Australia were outstanding.
CAMERON CAMERON SPENCER/GETTY SPENCER/GETTY IMAGES IMAGES
HE HAS ENJOYED A SPORTS-WRITING CAREER THAT SPANS FIVE DECADES, TAKING HIM TO THE FAR REACHES OF THE PLANET, BUT STEPHEN JONES DOESN’T HESITATE IN NAMING THE LIONS TOUR TO SOUTH AFRICA AS THE PINNACLE OF SPORT
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
ULTIMATE BOK LIONS EXPERIENCE PERSPECTIVE
South Africa is the most spectacular, most devilish, most amazing and most infinitely varied place on the planet
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ULTIMATE LIONS EXPERIENCE
In New Zealand, they really can never get over their panic that the All Blacks might be beaten, and on some of the tours of New Zealand there has been a bitterness in the reaction to the Lions, a total lack of respect for the traditions, that can make touring there a trial. I have been at stadiums in New Zealand where the Lions were booed on to the field. Despicable. Last time out in New Zealand, the Lions disrupted their own preparations by wandering around the country watching a galaxy of different haka, both on and off the field of play itself. Some of us have always felt that it is the home side which should show respect for traditions of the visitors and that did not happen. My first tour to South Africa as a reporter was in 1984, when a weakened England team, controversially, came down for a two-Test series. That was in the time of apartheid, and the various unsettling images were striking. People say that there is racial tension in other countries and of course there is, but that was nothing compared to the lack of democratic right and the oppression, or to the visible stuff – the vote, the roping off of different areas of beaches for different races, only allowing people of colour into hotels if they worked there, and all the rest.
ALEXANDER JOE/GETTY IMAGES
While every South African follower would be desperate for the Springboks to beat them, you always feel that the Lions are respected throughout South Africa But even then, there was a sense that the history of South Africa is not easy to tell, it is neither black nor white nor coloured, nor any shade in between because it is so complicated. It did seem to outsiders to be an alien place in those years, although the respect for South African rugby, so big and so powerful and so intense, began to grow from an early stage. Even though in their time of banishment from the game you all made up your own laws! And even back in 1984 you could find alternatives. I remember wandering with the late Terry Baron, a journalist, round market stalls and finding cassettes by Johnny Clegg and Juluka, the start of a lifetime love and collection of South African music. I have found The Indestructible Beat of Soweto anthologies, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens and all the way along to Chicco Twala and others in the more recent past. It just drives me nuts when before big rugby matches, you play all the ear-splitting American guitar bands who have all the subtlety of a kick in the testicles when you have such a beautiful canon of your own music. For the England Test in Bloemfontein in 2018, with Siya leading the Boks and with Beast playing his 100th Test, it was all mind-losing heavy metal. Until, just before the anthem, they played ‘Pata Pata’ by Miriam Makeba. Beautiful contrast.
Possibly the return of South Africa to international competition in 1992 was the best assignment of decades reporting sport. It was easy to see that decades of problems still lay ahead, and easy to find people in the streets who wanted to sing ‘Die Stem’ and not the new anthem, and who wanted to wave the old flags. But what was even more obvious, both then and in 1995 at that stellar World Cup, was the rising body of opinion which grasped the notion that a process had started which could not be reversed, and that in their own separate ways, everyone had to be carried along with it. The symbolism of Nelson Mandela’s podium dance, the brief spell of sheer joy in and around the streets and across South Africa, gave you some insight into the love of rugby but also the depth of forgiveness. The Lions tour of 1997 will always be the greatest for me; it was played to the sound of thunder. It was one of the greatest and most gladiatorial sporting contests that has ever been staged. There is no doubt that the Springboks felt gutted that they did not win that series, but Sir Ian McGeechan, the head coach, and Jim Telfer, had an excellent and hard-nosed squad with them and only two years after the game had gone professional, they
had chosen a number of union players who had gone to rugby league and then returned, so that they knew what professional rugby was. That may have given the Lions a priceless edge in the Test series and to see Jeremy Guscott, one of the people who has always made rugby worth watching, drop the winning goal was to have your own personal lack of bias tested to the full. And those Lions went down in history because they stood up to one of the biggest and most mean packs in memory in South Africa, never took a backwards step even though some of them were conceding two or three stones. And by then, as I say, knowledge of the stunning country could be extended – one joyous trip to Skukuza and a corner of the Kruger Park with some colleagues will never be forgotten – and I can still picture the dedicated guide, André, driving us around, as we watched a long and drawn-out confrontation between a large pride of lions and a gigantic herd of water buffalo; as an elephant went gliding straight through our camp. Like many parts of South Africa, it takes your breath away. And as a Welsh-born hack, no prizes for guessing the other joy of South Africa – the Zulu Battlefields are a wonderful spot to visit and also to pay tribute to the South Wales Borderers Regiment and the
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ULTIMATE LIONS EXPERIENCE
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Lions hooker Keith Wood and flank Neil Back put in a big hit on Springbok flyhalf Henry Honiball
But I suppose now that we are back where we started with history’s example – two teams going out there and blasting away at each other, with the Lions isolated without visiting fans, stuck in their own little group and determined to go into battle. That is how it was on the earliest Lions tours and that is how it will be in 2021. It will detract from the spectacle that the stadiums are not a sea of green and a sea of red. But Lions tours have so much wonderful history, and the players will know that they are extending it by their efforts, no matter the different backdrop. For years, people have been asking me which is the best Lions tour to follow. I always say, immediately, that they must save up for South Africa. I can repeat the same now, because in what will hopefully be the post-Covid years the Lions will come again in 12 years, and so many younger fans can be saving as they grow up. They will be looking forward to sport’s Last Great Adventure. Jones has reported on 10 tours of South Africa from 1984, on every World Cup including the amazing 1995 World Cup in South Africa, and every Lions tour since 1983. He has been the British Rugby Writer of the Year on six occasions and the UK Sports Journalist of the Year.
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
other brave Welshmen who fought and sometimes died at Rourke’s Drift. The glorious guided tours of Isandlwana are also so evocative. And if 1997 was the greatest win then 2009 was the most desperate defeat, and perhaps we understood then what the Springboks felt in 1997. I recently watched again that Test match in Pretoria, with the Springboks already one up in the series. Everything was against the Lions. They had been down on the Cape while the Boks had been up in Pretoria for ages. But the first half of that Test match, with the great Simon Shaw in the lead, constituted the most dominant phase of Lions play I have seen and the scrum was still pushing South Africa clean out of the game. That horrendous period where the Lions lost two props, and later two centres, and the game flipped on its head. Even then it still needed an error by Ronan O’Gara to allow the Springboks to come back and win the match and the series with a penalty by Morné Steyn – Morné was a long way out as he placed the ball, but you knew there was no way he was going to miss. And to see so many great players on their own patch, has been priceless. Some favourites among the torrent – Garry Pagel, André Joubert, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Tendai Mtawarira (his endurance was staggering), André Venter, Damien de Allende, Pieter-Steph du Toit. Of course, South Africa has its vicissitudes and frustrations for the tourists. But it will always remain No 1. If only the world of rugby had just a little more sense, if it could move with a little more speed and vision, then we could be looking forward to a full Lions tour next year – no one has ever convinced me that there was a single valid reason for not postponing this tour. But now, under straightened circumstances, the tour, as I write, looks like going ahead. It is a tragedy that South Africa will not benefit, that there will not be millions of rands flooding into SA Rugby and the national treasury itself.
The Lions tour of 1997 will always be the greatest for me; it was played to the sound of thunder. It was one of the greatest and most gladiatorial sporting contests that has ever been staged
WHAT MAKES THE LIONS THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE A LIONS SERIES IS BIGGER THAN THE WORLD CUP – DU TOIT
Pieter-Steph du Toit will be looking to put a difficult 2020 behind him and complete his return to the summit of the rugby world in the Lions series. After his key role in helping the Springboks win the 2019 World Cup, Du Toit was named as both World Rugby and SA Rugby Player of the Year, but what followed was far from ideal. Less than four months after lifting the Webb Ellis Cup, Du Toit suffered a freakish injury while on duty for the Stormers, which could have led to the amputation of a leg – a disaster averted by the timely intervention of the franchise’s medical team. A national lockdown in 2020 curtailed rugby in South Africa before Du Toit was involved in
a protracted contract saga which ended with him deciding to stay in the Western Cape. After his long-awaited return to the field was delayed by a nose injury suffered during a training session, Du Toit made his first start in over a year in the Rainbow Cup and it looked like he had never been away. As if to demonstrate what makes him such an incredible athlete, Du Toit completed the full 80 minutes in his first two games back and ranked among the Stormers’ top ball-carriers and tacklers. Having been able to put his injury worries behind him, the 28-year-old is relishing the opportunity to experience a Lions tour as a Springbok. ‘The Lions series is going to be even bigger than the World Cup,’ Du Toit said. ‘I have spoken to a lot of past players who have shared their experiences of 1997 and 2009. ‘They’ve told me that the pressure to perform and win in a Lions series is greater than
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it is at World Cup because a Lions series is only staged in South Africa once every 12 years. If you blow that chance, you won’t get another shot in your career.’ Du Toit was 16 the last time the Lions toured South Africa, but watched keenly as John Smit’s charges followed up a World Cup triumph in 2007 with a 2-1 series victory in 2009. ‘It’s a long time ago, but a couple of moments stand out,’ Du Toit recalled. ‘I can’t remember when it happened, but Heinrich Brüssow got hold of one of the Lions in the tackle and flung the player away like he was a bag of potatoes. That kind of summed up the physical approach of the Boks in that series. ‘Then there was that try by Jaque Fourie in the second Test at Loftus, where he finished in the corner to bring the Boks back into the game. That was a terrific comeback.’
DAVID DAVID RAMOS/GETTY RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES IMAGES
SPRINGBOK PLAYERS AND COACHES SHARE THEIR DEEP-ROOTED EXCITEMENT AND RESPECT FOR THE OCCASION OF THE 2021 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS SERIES
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
SPRINGBOK BOK PERSPECTIVE
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SPRINGBOK PERSPECTIVE
THE LIONS ARE A NEXT-LEVEL CHALLENGE – ERASMUS
Having been on the losing end of a series against the Lions, World Cup-winning coach Rassie Erasmus knows plenty about the challenges of facing the tourists. During his playing career, Erasmus was called up to the Springbok squad for the first time when the Lions toured South Africa in 1997. By the time Erasmus made his debut in the third and final Test of the series, the Lions had already taken a 2-0 lead, winning the first Test 25-16 and the second 18-15. Thankfully for him, it would be a memorable first cap as the Boks bounced back to beat the Lions 35-16. Erasmus is now the SA Rugby director of rugby and he knows full well the challenge facing the Springboks, one made all the more difficult given the world champions will only have contested two warm-up matches against Georgia since winning the 2019 World Cup. ‘There are players who have been to three World Cups and finished their careers with a winner’s medal and yet never got to play against the Lions,’ Erasmus said. ‘The Lions only come around every 12 years for our players and only a few of them ever have the privilege of wearing the Springbok jersey in a Lions series. ‘The Lions have not lost a series since they were last here more than a decade ago and they will present a next-level challenge.’
A LIONS TEST SERIES WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE – VERMEULEN
In their last two tours under head coach Warren Gatland, the Lions claimed a 2-1 series win against the Wallabies in 2013 and then held the two-time defending world champion All Blacks to a 1-1 draw. ‘The rugby experience for our players and public will rival that of a World Cup. Warren is a massively experienced and astute coach with a phenomenal record with the Lions,’ Erasmus added. ‘They performed extremely well on their previous two tours and will no doubt relish the opportunity to add the Springboks’ scalp to their belt.’
After winning the 2019 World Cup and leading the Bulls to a Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup double in 2020-21, Duane Vermeulen had his sights firmly set on conquering the Lions before an ankle injury in early June put his participation in doubt. Vermeulen was 23 when he squared up against the Lions for Western Province alongside Springboks Tonderai Chavhanga and Gcobani Bobo at a wet and windy Newlands during the 2009 tour to South Africa. He would face the tourists again at Newlands 10 days later, this time for the Emerging Springboks, who held the Lions to a 13-13 draw. While Vermeulen has already experienced far more than most in his 16-year professional career, he would love to get his hands on the Lions in a Test match. ‘The 2021 British & Irish Lions series is something I would love to experience,’ he said. ‘Any player would kill to play at a World Cup. I’ve played in two. A Lions tour is also very special, though, and I would view an opportunity to face that team in a Test series as a significant moment in my life and career. It would be special to face the Lions in two series, 12 years apart. Facing them in a Bok jersey would be a dream come true.’ ‘You never know what life is going to throw at you,’ Vermeulen added. ‘When I played against the Lions in 2009, I never dreamed that I would get the chance to do so again. ‘It’s just around the corner now, and I’ve got to do all I can to play myself into the Bok squad. I may have played against the Lions in 2009, but I didn’t face them in a Test. I didn’t face them as a bona fide Bok. ‘That’s a big difference, and something that’s driving me forward. I would be lucky to get there, in the sense that very few actually play in a Test series against the Lions. ‘I know that I can’t stop working for the chance to be part of something special.’
PLAYERS HAVE POSTPONED RETIREMENT TO FACE THE LIONS – NIENABER Jacques Nienaber has completed his apprenticeship under Rassie Erasmus and will be given a baptism of fire as Springbok head coach in the Lions series. Nienaber has served as Erasmus’ right-hand man for the better part of 15 years, stretching back to the duo’s role in the Free State Cheetahs’ famous Currie Cup victory in 2005. Their relationship goes back even further and this marks the first time Nienaber will be stepping out of his close friend’s shadow when he makes his belated debut as Bok head coach in warm-up matches against Georgia in July. It doesn’t get much tougher than a Lions series, with Lions head coach Warren Gatland having named a 37-man squad to verify South Africa’s status as the No 1 team in the world.
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SPRINGBOK PERSPECTIVE
on the things we spoke about during those alignment camps. ‘We have to utilise every second of the time before the Lions arrive to make sure we are well prepared for the series.’ Nienaber admitted the Lions series is held in very high regard by the players, some of whom prolonged their Test careers to ensure that they could be involved. ‘The Lions series is a special occasion that might come only come once during the career of a professional rugby player. I know for a fact there are certain players who have postponed their retirement because the tour was two years down the horizon. So I think all the stars are aligned for a great series.’
THE 2009 SERIES MADE ME WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE LIONS UP CLOSE – KOLBE
SHAUN ROY/PABLO MORANO/ADAM DAVY/ASHLEY WESTERN/GETTY IMAGES
Cheslin Kolbe will realise a dream when he lines up for the Springboks against the Lions. One of two try-scorers in the 2019 World Cup final against England, Kolbe has been through a whirlwind rise to the top after leaving South Africa for a stint in France with Top 14 giants Toulouse. Kolbe was 15 when he watched the Springboks claim a hard-fought 2-1 series victory in 2009.
He knew immediately that he wanted to be part of the Lions experience. ‘Seeing the atmosphere, the way the stadiums were packed … it was incredible. It’s a series I want to be a part of and play in those three Tests.’ The Toulouse back, who won an Olympic Sevens bronze medal in 2016, had been linked with a return to the Blitzboks for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games which had to be postponed until 2021, putting it in conflict with the Lions tour and forcing Kolbe to make a decision between the two. ‘It was a difficult one with the Lions being at the same time,’ he admitted. ‘Being a part of the Olympics in 2016 and experiencing that was incredible. Playing against athletes from all over the world and meeting athletes in the Olympic Village are the things you want to be a part of.’ In 2009, teenaged Kolbe watched as Morné Steyn slotted a 53m penalty in the final minute at Loftus to give the Springboks an unassailable 2-0 series lead. ‘Morné was playing at his home ground, so he knew the stadium and got that penalty over from past the halfway line,’ Kolbe said. ‘The moment when all the green jerseys stood up and went crazy for the winning points was one of the highlights. ‘The fact that the Lions are made up of different countries makes it so much more special because you are playing against the best. That’s who you want to perform against and how you want to measure yourself as a player.’
‘The announcement of the Lions squad was a marker in the ground in terms of international rugby coming back to South Africa, which is phenomenal for us, because we’ve been out of it for a while,’ Nienaber said in reaction to the big announcement. Gatland has, during his long stint as coach of Wales, managed to build a successful track record against South Africa in the past few years with a specific style of play. ‘One thing I do know about Warren is that he will do his homework,’ added Nienaber. ‘If you look into the past, the Welsh were a team that we always struggled against. We have one win [against them] since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final, which is the 2019 World Cup semi-final in Japan.’ In their preparations for the series, the Springboks have faced the extra challenge of not being able to play any Test rugby in 2020. Locally, the franchise teams have been able to complete Super Rugby and the Currie Cup, while the Rainbow Cup added some extra spice to the domestic derbies with the knowledge that there were Bok places up for grabs. ‘If you look at the first round of Rainbow Cup action then you will see that the intensity went up a notch,’ said Nienaber. ‘I must say we have nice relationships with our franchises, allowing us to meet the players just to align ourselves again. And the pleasing thing for me was to see how the players are working on and improving
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ULTIMATE LIONS EXPERIENCE
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
ILL W ORY HO HIST W S Y HE UGB C OA TO R C ND S IN A E RS ELV E S Y LA HEM P T E TH ITE R W
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PROFILE | SIYA KOLISI
BOK CAPTAIN GETS DURBAN REBOOT A SUDDEN AND SURPRISING MOVE FROM THE STORMERS TO THE SHARKS HAS REVITALISED SIYA KOLISI TO LEAD THE SPRINGBOKS
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outh Africa’s Mr Rugby, Siya Kolisi, is the inspirational leader of the Springboks who has made a rags-to-riches journey to the green and gold. This journey reached its apex when he captained the Boks to glory at the 2019 World Cup. Kolisi hails from the township of Zwide in the Eastern Cape and he consequently had to overcome great odds to earn a place in rugby’s professional ranks. The sight of Kolisi lifting the Webb Ellis Cup resonated with many South Africans and thrust him into the global echelon of sporting fame as he became the first rugby player ever to join powerhouse agency Roc Nation Sports. But injuries have tarnished Kolisi’s post-World Cup career. In the opening match of the 2020 Super Rugby competition, he suffered a serious
Kolisi started for the Sharks against his former side, the Stormers, at Cape Town Stadium in the Rainbow Cup
Kolisi made significant changes this year to dedicate himself to realising his full potential as an athlete
Above: Kolisi exchanges shirts with the Brooklyn Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie before an NBA game at Barclays Center in December 2019
ASICS/RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX/SUPPLIED
FAST FACT Kolisi’s autobiography, Rise, will be released in September, with a portion of the proceeds going towards community development around South Africa
significant changes this year to dedicate himself to realising his full potential as an athlete. It is ominous news for the Lions that Kolisi has looked like his old self since moving to Durban. While his debut campaign for the Sharks in the Rainbow Cup was by no means perfect, it did offer a glimpse of what he offers the world champions. The Sharks put the veteran flanker on a strict conditioning programme, the benefits of which saw Kolisi roaming in the wider channels and making energetic ball-carries. While he is not the quintessential fetcher often associated with a flanker of his dimensions, Kolisi is a highly effective all-rounder in a potent Springbok back-row arsenal. The Lions can expect a rejuvenated force to lead South Africa into the Test series.
knee injury shortly before a national lockdown kept South African players out of action for the next six months. When domestic rugby resumed in October, Kolisi only had two matches under his belt when a breakdown contest resulted in a hamstring tear that forced him back into the medical room. He recovered to lead Western Province in their Currie Cup semi-final, where they were beaten by theKolbe Sharks what31 was match played at the hasin scored triesthe forlast Toulouse in 77 historic Newlands matches. I’ll emailStadium. you a fast fact now, Stu It was Kolisi’s final match for Province as in March he confirmed a much-speculated move to the Sharks, ending a decade-long association with rugby in the Western Cape. The move presented Kolisi with the ‘fresh start’ he so desperately needed, and forced him to adapt as a leader and player in an unfamiliar, and therefore challenging, environment. Kolisi was candid about his situation on arrival at Kings Park. He admitted that consistent game time was required to settle into his stride, and to start contributing on the field as much as anywhere else. The responsibilities associated with being named Bok captain have pulled Kolisi in many directions over the past two seasons and he made
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PROFILE | STEVEN KITSHOFF
BEAST ACADEMY GRADUATE STEVEN KITSHOFF WILL TAKE UP TENDAI MTAWARIRA’S MANTLE AS THE SPRINGBOKS’ GO-TO SCRUM DESTROYER AGAINST THE LIONS
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12 The number of starts Kitshoff has made in his 47-Test career
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/CARL FOURIE/ODD ANDERSEN/CAMERON SPENCER/BACKPAGEPIX/GETTY IMAGES
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hen the Lions last toured South Africa in 2009, they were met by a force of nature in Tendai Mtawarira. Nicknamed ‘Beast’, Mtawarira already had a handful of Test caps when he was picked to face the Lions, but his international reputation was truly launched with a performance that became the stuff of legend. It was the beginning of what would be a long and successful Test career that ended with Mtawarira retiring after winning the 2019 World Cup as the most-capped prop in Springbok history. Though the Lions need not fret the spectre of Beast, his successor may cause a few nightmares. Ready to fill Mtawarira’s sizable boots is Steven Kitshoff, the 29-year-old who has finally graduated from serving as Beast’s Bok understudy. A prodigious talent, Kitshoff broke into the Western Province senior ranks at the tender age of 19. While he quickly became a bastion of both the Province and Stormers scrum, he has had to be much more patient for his chance on the Test scene.
There are few props who can match Kitshoff at the scrum and even fewer who can match him for ballcarries, tackles, turnovers and pure staying power Like so many South African players, his talents would only truly be appreciated when he moved overseas, taking up an offer from Bordeaux in 2015. It is no surprise that his Bok debut came a year later, as the Springboks secured a series win over Ireland in 2016. The prodigal son would return to the Western Cape at the end of that year and has since established himself for the Stormers as both the point man of the scrum and a team leader. A destructive weapon on the Bok bench throughout their 2019 World Cup campaign, Kitshoff is set for a promotion from the famous ‘Bomb Squad’.
Above left: Kitshoff replaces Tendai Mtawarira in the 43rd minute of the 2019 World Cup final Above: Scrumming down against the All Blacks during the big World Cup pool clash in Yokohama Bottom left: Kitshoff captained the Stormers in Siya Kolisi’s absence and is now their permanent skipper
Given how effective he has been as a replacement in Test rugby, there should be no doubting his ability as a starter. Kitshoff is one of the best loosehead props in the game. His ability and street smarts in the scrum are matched by his notable work rate around the park. There are few props who can match Kitshoff at the scrum and even fewer who can match him for ball-carries, tackles, turnovers and pure staying power. What’s more, he has effectively stepped up as a leader for his franchise. With Siya Kolisi struggling with successive knee injuries over the past couple of years, Kitshoff ensured there was no leadership void in the Stormers’ dressing room in the absence of the Bok captain. This reflects his maturity and nous, and his permanent elevation to the role in replacing Sharks-bound Kolisi was testament to how good he has been in the role. The 2009 Lions overlooked the power of Beast. The class of 2021 would be well-advised not to underestimate his successor.
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PROFILE | CHESLIN KOLBE
LITTLE KOLBE CASTS LONG SHADOW
SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES
HAVING SPENT THE FIRST HALF OF HIS CAREER PROVING HE’S NOT TOO SMALL, BOK WING CHESLIN KOLBE IS NOW THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE LIONS’ TRYLINE
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PROFILE | CHESLIN KOLBE T
FAST FACT
Kolbe’s try capped off a dominant performance from the Springboks in the 2019 World Cup final
Kolbe’s lethal attacking prowess is based on peerless footwork and stop-go acceleration as hard to convince coaches his diminutive frame wasn’t a liability. Even as Kolbe emerged under John Dobson and Allister Coetzee as a prodigious talent at WP and then the Stormers respectively, he was overlooked by the Springboks. He was repeatedly said to be too small to make it at international level by coaches and selectors and, by his own admission, ‘even players who I played with’. But everything changed in 2017 when Toulouse came calling and Kolbe decided to see out the Super Rugby season with the Stormers before packing his bags for France. It was a good decision for someone who many believed had no place in a serious discussion about the Springbok squad. In fact, he was so far from selection in 2018 that when Siya Kolisi made history in June as the Springboks’ first black Kolbe has scored 31 tries since joining Toulouse in 2017
Kolbe is a cousin of South African track and field sprinter Wayde van Niekerk, who won the gold medal in the 400m at the 2016 Olympics
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captain, Kolbe was seated among the fans in the stands to support his close friend against England on his big day. Three months later, the elusive flyer went from Bok supporter to Bok debutant against Australia in the Rugby Championship. His form for Toulouse in the Top 14 and European Champions Cup made the Bok selectors sit up and take notice while his detractors ate humble pie. Kolbe served a slice of that pie to England captain Owen Farrell in the 2019 World Cup final, capping off a meteoric rise to the peak of world rugby. A little more than one year before the showpiece event kicked off in Japan, Kolbe was uncapped at international level. Today, the short flyer casts a long shadow over Warren Gatland’s plans to conquer South Africa.
ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/SHAUN BOTTERILL/RAMSEY CARDY/SIMON HOFMANN/GETTY IMAGES
he diminutive Cheslin Kolbe has overcome great obstacles and answered critics to emerge, ironically, as South Africa’s biggest attacking threat. A player like no other, Kolbe’s lethal attacking prowess is based on peerless footwork and stopgo acceleration that makes him more difficult for defenders to grasp than quantum physics. And Kolbe’s skill set is not limited to the flashy stuff as his athleticism translates to a vertical leap that compensates for his small stature in the aerial contest for the ball, while his tenacity in the tackle ensures the 1.70m, 80kg dynamo holds his own in defence. Widely considered to be one of the best players in the game, his journey to the top was by way of the path less travelled. Kolbe’s rugby-playing ability was identified in the Western Cape schools system and his skills honed in the junior ranks of Western Province between 2009 and 2012. Fast-tracked into WP’s senior ranks, Kolbe hit the ground running in 2013 though his route to global stardom was filled with challenges. Growing up in the Cape Town suburb of Kraaifontein, on the outskirts of the notorious Cape Flats, a young Kolbe had to side-step the pitfalls that come with the territory – primarily drugs and gangs. When he finally broke through to the professional ranks – no mean feat for an aspirant player who did not hail from one of the renowned rugby schools in the region – he had to work twice
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PROFILE | DAMIAN DE ALLENDE
RED ALERT: POWER & FINESSE SPRINGBOK CENTRE DAMIAN DE ALLENDE’S WORLD CUP HEROICS WILL MAKE HIM A LARGE OBJECT ON THE LIONS’ RADAR
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De Allende smashes Japan lock Luke Thompson during the 2019 World Cup quarterfinal at Tokyo Stadium
HANNAH PETERS/BEHROUZ MEHRI/HARRY MURPHY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
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amian de Allende’s childhood dreams were filled with visions of him running out of the tunnel at Anfield in a red jersey. A die-hard Liverpool supporter who grew up idolising Steven Gerrard, he would not have been able to fathom a future that featured him as one of rugby’s best centres at the age of 29. And yet, here we are. De Allende has come of age, but his rise into the rugby hierarchy was not easily accomplished as a sport schedule that only offered football from Grade 10 saw him default to rugby on his arrival at Milnerton High School. His pace, power and natural physicality soon saw him emerge as a star of the oval-ball game on the highly-competitive Western Cape schools circuit. He rose quickly through the ranks at Western Province and made his senior debut in 2012. De Allende served his Stormers apprenticeship under Jean de Villiers over the next two seasons before being fast-tracked into the national team by then-coach Heyneke Meyer who gave the 23year-old a Test debut in 2014. Now, as he closes in on 50 Test caps, the powerful centre boasts winner’s medals from the World Cup and Rugby Championship, and is a fixture in a Springbok team that tore through England on the biggest stage in their last match. Munster quickly signed De Allende after the World Cup and he lived up to his reputation during a productive 2020-21 season, complementing a robust pack by punching holes in the midfield defensive wall to help drive the Irish provincial team in the Pro14 and European Champions Cup. There can be no denying his value to the Bok cause, and yet De Allende remains a polarising figure boasting supporters and detractors in equal measure. This may have something to do with the understated style of a man who quietly and routinely goes about thumping heavyweight runners, carrying a throng of defenders with him across the gainline and wrong-footing his rivals before firing off pin-point, high-velocity passes. With De Allende, power is a given, but he brings superb acceleration, speed and a deft offloading ability to the midfield. Those in the know appreciate his value as a weapon in the battle for momentum as he offers real stopping power in defence and almost always makes metres on attack. But, for
235 The number of metres De Allende made from 61 carries at the 2019 World Cup
someone who has previously admitted to playing on instinct, he is also tactically gifted – De Allende wields a seldom-seen kicking skill set that, when combined with his ability to identify space in the backfield, arms him with the tools to be a dangerous first receiver. He succeeded Jean de Villiers to the Bok No 12 jersey and then defended his place in the run-on side from the challenge of Frans Steyn. If there was a Midfielder’s Guild, those two would have their picture on the wall. De Allende has nothing left to prove, but playing a leading role in a series win over the Lions would finally sway the last of his critics and draw the credit he deserves. Offloading in the tackle during Munster’s Pro14 match against Cardiff Blues
With De Allende, power is a given, but he brings superb acceleration, speed and a deft offloading ability to the midfield The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide 45
PROFILE | JACQUES NIENABER
ROOKIE VS GRAND MASTER
RAMSEY CARDY/GALLO IMAGES
WHILE WARREN GATLAND HEADS UP HIS THIRD TOUR IN CHARGE OF THE LIONS, THE SPRINGBOKS’ JACQUES NIENABER WILL BE CUTTING HIS TEETH AS A HEAD COACH
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PROFILE | JACQUES NIENABER L
ike former Springbok coach Carel du Plessis, who went into the 1997 Lions series with all of one Test cap on his coaching résumé, Jacques Nienaber will guide the Boks into the 2021 series with very little head coaching experience. However, the difference between Du Plessis and Nienaber is that the latter has spent most of the past 15 seasons with his boots deep in the muddy trenches of professional rugby under Rassie Erasmus. In 2005, after serving as a physio and then strength and conditioning coach at Free State since 1997, Nienaber was called up to the Cheetahs coaching staff by old army buddy Erasmus where he steadily reinvented himself as a defence coach. Now widely regarded as one of the game’s top defence coaches, Nienaber was responsible for building the Great Wall of Newlands after he and Erasmus traded Bloemfontein for Cape Town and powered the Stormers into the 2010 Super Rugby final. Though Erasmus left in 2011, Nienaber had the ear of Stormers coach Allister Coetzee and together they cultivated a culture of tackling that, when deployed, was almost impenetrable – the Cape side finished the 2012 season on top of the Super Rugby table with a 14-2 record. Nienaber then followed Erasmus to Munster in 2016 where the pair combined to turn the Irish provincial team into title contenders before heading back to South Africa to piece the Boks back together after their worst run in team history. It was then that Nienaber switched the Bok defence to a high-speed rush, aimed at pressing hard whenever the ball is in flight, and after a bumpy start he fine-tuned it into a tool to suffocate rival teams. While there’s no doubting Nienaber’s credentials as an expert in stifling attack, it remains to be seen how well he will adjust to the demands of being a head coach. Accustomed to maintaining his defensive systems by barking instructions from the touch-
lines where he’s kneeled in a tracksuit and boots, Nienaber will now be confined to the coaching box where he’ll be seated in front of a camera in his number ones. And where before he only occasionally was required to front the media, Nienaber will now be responsible for results and accountable to a nation that expects the world champions to kick on from the success of the 2019 World Cup. Du Plessis was a late appointment who skipped into the first Test of the 1997 series against the Lions after a resounding win against Tonga. Nienaber’s first Test as head coach will come in a two-Test series against Georgia, to be played at
the same time the Lions are hunting South Africa’s top franchises. Warren Gatland, who will lead his third Lions tour in July, was head coach of Ireland when Nienaber was still massaging hamstrings in Bloemfontein – he will be keeping a close eye on the Boks in those warm-up matches, their first since hoisting the Webb Ellis Cup. Perhaps of even more interest to the Lions head coach than the on-field performances in those Tests will be the way Nienaber takes to the coaching box, manifested in his body language, substitutions, decision-making and post-match comments.
Nienaber’s first Test as head coach will come in a two-Test series against Georgia, to be played at the same time the Lions are hunting South Africa’s top franchises
In 1991, Nienaber was stationed at 1SDB in Bloemfontein – 1 Special Battalion – when he met Rassie Erasmus, stationed at the Panzer battalion in the same air-force base
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Rassie Erasmus congratulates Nienaber on his appointment as Springbok coach on 24 January 2020
JOHAN RYNNERS/GALLO IMAGES
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PROFILE | MARO ITOJE
POWERING THE ENGINE ROOM
ALEX PANTLING/CHARLOTTE WILSON/GETTY IMAGES
MARO ITOJE WILL HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY AS THE LIONS LOOK TO CHALLENGE A BRISTLING SPRINGBOK PACK
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aro Itoje is built tough, which is just as well given he will be tasked with the job of dealing with an intimidating Springbok second row, home to enforcer Eben Etzebeth. The pedigreed England lock has built a formidable reputation on the back of nine seasons as a professional. Four years after lining up for Saracens as a teenager, he made his international debut in 2016 and has since represented his country 48 times, winning three Six Nations championships and a Grand Slam, and playing in all three Tests in the 2017 Lions’ dramatic drawn series in New Zealand. The tight five is often referred to as the ‘engine room’ and it is the locks who undertake the majority of the unseen, hard work that drives a rugby team forward. It’s a job description that perfectly fits Itoje’s profile as his tireless work rate gives his team traction in general play and in the scrum while his value as a lineout jumper is well established. In general play, the 26-year-old is much more than a cumbersome battering ram. A dynamic ball-carrier, he is as likely to beat defenders with his athleticism as he is with brute physicality, and reliable handling skills allow him to function effectively as a link between forwards and backs.
A dynamic ballcarrier, Itoje is as likely to beat defenders with his athleticism as he is with brute physicality
FAST FACT As the youngest member of the Lions squad in 2017, Itoje has been looking after the Lions’ mascot for the past four years
Above: Itoje gets stuck into a ruck while playing for England against Wales in last year’s Six Nations Below left: Winning a lineout for Saracens against Nottingham in the English Championship in May
to draw on all of his experience and the leadership qualities that saw him co-captain England to the World Rugby U20 Championship title in 2014. By his own standards, Itoje had a quiet 2021 Six Nations as part of a struggling England side. Having played for Saracens in the English Championship at a level not befitting his quality as a player, a frustrated Itoje will be desperate to make an impact against South Africa having come up short in the 2019 World Cup final.
These attributes together make Itoje an authentic option at blindside flank, and his breakdown expertise has seen him considered for England’s openside role. Itoje is a nuisance to the opposition’s attacking breakdown, attacking the tackle point with zeal and effectively disrupting the speed and quality of possession to give his teammates time to build a defensive wall. The pressure he exerts on opposition continuity makes it difficult for scrumhalves to get into a rhythm of clearing the ball with any fluidity. This type of breakdown mongrel is exactly what Warren Gatland will be eager to deploy in South Africa. As is typical of any player who lives on the knife-edge of rugby’s laws, Itoje’s high penalty count has at times detracted from his positive contributions. But when he gets it right, there are few more destructive than him in the international game. To overcome the challenge of staying on the right side of the referee’s whistle, Itoje will need
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PROFILE | TADHG FURLONG
FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS LIONS TIGHTHEAD PROP TADHG FURLONG, BRITAIN AND IRELAND’S MOST DOMINANT SCRUMMAGER, HOLDS THE KEY TO VICTORY IN SOUTH AFRICA
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RAMSEY CARDY/DAVID ROGERS/STEPHEN McCARTHY/GETTY IMAGES
t is an old rugby adage that a coach builds his side around a tighthead prop. Though much has changed in the game, that truism remains as relevant today as ever. The No 3 position is the cornerstone of the scrum and, by extension, the entire team. In Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong, Warren Gatland has everything he could ask for in such a vital position. Furlong hails from county Wexford in the province of Leinster and made his Test debut for Ireland months before the 2015 World Cup. Such was his impact in that match that he was subsequently included in Joe Schmidt’s squad for the tournament. The Leinsterman has since become a mainstay of the Ireland lineup, earning 49 caps. There are few players in European rugby more decorated. In addition to winning the European Champions Cup in 2018 and the Pro14 four years in a row between 2017 and 2020, Furlong also has a Six Nations Grand Slam and three Lions caps to his name. As a player, any tighthead worth his salt should be judged by performances at scrum time. In this facet of the game Furlong is without equal in Britain and Ireland. The startling consistency with which he has dominated opposition scrums over the past
six years marks him out as an Irish great and a future Lions legend. At club level, Furlong has been the bedrock of Leinster’s European success and Pro14 dominance. His strength in the scrum has allowed both Leinster and Ireland to use their set piece as a powerful attacking platform. Setpiece dominance against the Springboks would deal a heavy psychological blow and deprive them of the territorial gains from scrum penalties to which they’re accustomed. Furlong very much adheres to the trend of modern props offering more than just scrummaging ability. At the breakdown, his size and low centre of gravity make him difficult to dislodge once he is over the ball. Gatland is renowned for placing great emphasis on the ruck contest so Furlong’s abilities as an extra
Above: Celebrating a scrum penalty during Ireland’s Six Nations match against England in Dublin earlier this year Below: Furlong shows his ball-carrying ability during the Lions’ match against the Maori All Blacks in 2017
178 The number of minutes Furlong played during the 2017 Test series in New Zealand, the most of any prop
The startling consistency with which he has dominated opposition scrums over the past six years marks him out as an Irish great and a future Lions legend breakdown threat will no doubt be highly valued by the Lions coach. In open play, Furlong is a compact and ferocious ball-carrying option. For a man of his size, he boasts surprising footwork and quickness too. His acceleration into contact allows him to generate a frightening amount of power in the close-quarter exchanges. The Lions would do well to copy Ireland’s use of Furlong as a primary runner because he is an expert at puncturing the tackle line. Furlong will relish the opportunity to go toeto-toe with the Springbok heavies. A pack able to draw on the raw power of front-row stalwarts Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane will present him with the biggest test of his professional career. As was the case in the 2019 World Cup final, the scrum contest will determine who is standing with the trophy when the dust settles.
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PROFILE | DAN BIGGAR
PRIMED TO PERFORM
STEPHEN MCCARTHY/GETTY IMAGES
WITH MAVERICK TENDENCIES A THING OF HIS PAST, DAN BIGGAR IS FINALLY READY TO EMERGE FROM THE SHADOW OF LOFTY EXPECTATIONS IN THE LIONS NO 10 JERSEY
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PROFILE | DAN BIGGAR D
Many expect to see the very best of Biggar when he runs out for the Lions in South Africa – his bravery, tenacity and physicality tempered by a collectedness to his play
FAST FACT During the 2017 tour of New Zealand, Biggar marshalled the Lions’ midweek team to victory over the Chiefs and a draw with the Hurricanes, while coming off the bench in the win against the Maori All Blacks
line, Biggar is now a more balanced player. A refined, all-round kicking game gives him the ability to control proceedings, making him a valuable asset in the fight for field position. Biggar offers the tourists the complete skill set. On attack, a remarkable ability to orchestrate the backline – the hallmark of all great flyhalves – and an almost instinctual ability to find space, identifying even the slightest weakness in a defensive line and directing the attack to exploit it. His clarity of vision and speed of decisionmaking is what stands him out as one of Europe’s
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Above: Biggar kicked 12 points in the Lions’ 34-6 win against the Chiefs in 2017 Below: Outjumping France’s Brice Dulin in Paris during this year’s Six Nations
premier attacking flyhalves, a man who always appears to be two steps ahead of everyone else. He is no slouch in defence either. The 10 position is a crucial defensive one for any team, but particularly so when facing South Africa. Biggar’s robustness in the 10 channel will give the Lions security in the knowledge that the Springboks will not be making easy metres there. Denying the Boks a platform to launch from in the midfield is vital to stopping their attack. CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/DAVID ROGERS/BACKPAGEPIX/GETTY IMAGES
an Biggar has been a polarising figure in rugby since making his Test debut at the age of 19, with some pundits tipping him to emerge as the modern-day equivalent to Wales legends Jonathan Davies and Barry John. Forced to shoulder great expectations from a young age, Biggar’s obvious talent often warranted the publicity – he became the youngest player to make 100 appearances for the Ospreys – but what he seemed to lack was temperament. This gave rise to a prevailing sense that, in spite of his skill, Biggar could not consistently perform at a level that matched his potential. He was, however, consistently overlooked in favour of his Six Nations contemporaries in conversations around Europe’s top flyhalves. But over the past few seasons there has been a coming of age for the Welsh pivot. His detractors have gradually been drowned out by growing support after each performance. A reinvented Dan Biggar now stands poised to make a run at starting for the Lions in the most tightly contested of positions. The 31-year-old has hit his prime and is finally close to escaping the shadow of lofty expectations. He has retained all the effervescence of his youth but now complements it with the experience to manage the game. Many expect to see the very best of Biggar when he runs out for the Lions in South Africa – his bravery, tenacity and physicality tempered by a collectedness to his play. Of all the elements of his game which have improved of late it is his game management and kicking that stand out. Since making the move to Northampton Saints his ability to control the flow of the game has progressed. Where once he was a maverick with an insatiable desire to attack the
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PROFILE | STUART HOGG
SCOTTISH GLINT TO LIONS ARMOUR THE LIONS’ BACKFIELD WILL BE PATROLLED BY ONE OF THE GAME’S MOST DANGEROUS ALL-ROUNDERS, SCOTLAND FULLBACK STUART HOGG
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cottish rugby has had a turbulent history with the British & Irish Lions over the past two decades as the most recent Scotsman to start a Test for the Lions was Tom Smith against Australia in 2001. Stuart Hogg will end that drought in 2021. The Scotland captain may not be the tallest in stature, but in rugby terms he is a giant. Assessing Hogg’s value to the Lions can’t be done without appreciating his attacking prowess. To describe him as elusive would be to overlook an array of factors that, combined, make him one of rugby’s most dangerous counter-attacking fullbacks. The Scotland fullback is a tricky customer when he decides to probe the line because he quickly identifies mismatches and then uses devastating acceleration and a knack for slipping tackles to take advantage of the opportunity. While he is adept at gliding past defenders with ball in hand, this does not hint at a selfish player. Regularly deployed by Scotland coach Gregor Townsend at first receiver for the way he puts other players into space, Hogg has excellent vision and distribution skills which allow him to function as a second playmaker – something
Right: The fullback captained Scotland to famous wins against England at Twickenham and France in Paris during this year’s Six Nations Below: Hogg suffered a tour-ending facial injury during the Lions’ third match against the Crusaders in 2017
CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/STEPHEN McCARTHY/DAVID ROGERS/BACKPAGEPIX/GETTY IMAGES
The Scotland captain may not be the tallest in stature, but in rugby terms he is a giant
438 The number of running metres Hogg made in this year’s Six Nations, the thirdmost in the tournament
Townsend will certainly look to exploit as the Lions attack coach. Defensively, Hogg’s positional play is exceptional as he reads the game better than most and has the speed to cover the width of the backfield. No matter the conditions, he is also consistently excellent under the high ball and, together with an enormous boot capable of relieving pressure, these will be important attributes in dealing with South Africa’s thunderous kicking game. Hogg’s all-round kicking game is well refined. Capable of producing booming clearances he is equally adept at finding space behind the opposition with perfectly-weighted jabs. Although he is not often utilised as a goalkicker, Hogg is something of a long-range
specialist. History suggests that having a player capable of kicking penalty goals from inside his own half will come in handy. While the Lions will not lack for leadership around the park, Hogg’s influence should not be underestimated, particularly considering the strong contingent of Scots in the squad. A man of few words who leads by his deeds, Hogg has been talismanic for his country. In his role as playmaker and captain in 2021 he helped Scotland to their best Six Nations results in decades. The trip to South Africa will be Hogg’s third as a Lions tourist, following a visit to Australia in 2013 and the tour of New Zealand in 2017 which, for him, came to a premature end due to injury. In South Africa, Hogg will have the opportunity to make up for that disappointment, using every weapon in his substantial arsenal to help propel the Lions to glory.
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PROFILE | WARREN GATLAND
OUT FOR VENGEANCE
DAN SHERIDAN/GETTY IMAGES
WARREN GATLAND HAS TASTED DEFEAT AGAINST THE SPRINGBOKS AS A LIONS ASSISTANT COACH. NOW IT’S PAYBACK TIME AS HEAD COACH
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PROFILE | WARREN GATLAND W
arren Gatland returns to South Africa having toured with the Lions in 2009 as an assistant coach. A loss in that series and two subsequent World Cup knockouts at the hands of the Springboks means he has some old scores to settle. Born in the quiet city of Hamilton on the shores of the Waikato river in New Zealand, Gatland excelled as an abrasive young hooker and later established himself as a club legend for Waikato over the course of 140 appearances. Though he never played Test rugby, he did feature 17 times for the All Blacks between 1988 and 1991. The story goes that in his first week of All Blacks training, Gatland introduced a drill that was a hybrid game of Aussie rules and Gaelic football, much to the enjoyment of his teammates. Already the signs were there that he thought about rugby in a different way. The opportunity to coach arose in 1994 when Gatland took on his first full-time post as an assistant coach at Thames Valley RFU. His influence was immediate, with the side promoted the following season. It wasn’t long before Ireland called and Gatland was appointed director of rugby for Connacht. Knockout success in the European Challenge Cup was enough to see him further promoted to head coach of Ireland in 1998. In the space of four years Gatland had ascended from a regional assistant coach to the heights of the international game. It was a meteoric rise but one that came too quickly. Despite some brave performances, including Ireland beating France in Paris for the first time since 1972, Gatland was ultimately ousted in 2001. He finished his stint with a 47% win record. Undeterred, he took up a coaching position at England club Wasps with whom he then won the Premiership three years running from 2003 to 2005. It was a necessary phase in his development as a coach and gave him the opportunity to hone his skills and gain experience before he inevitably found his way back to the international game.
Gatland’s sustained success with Wales made him the natural choice for head coach of the British & Irish Lions, the pinnacle of all coaching achievements That he did in 2007 when he was named head coach of Wales, a role that would come to define him. In his first season, Wales won the Six Nations Grand Slam; a feat they would go on to repeat twice more in his 12 years in charge. In all, Gatland won the championship four times and maintained a win record of over 70% in doing so. Gatland’s sustained success with Wales made him the natural choice for head coach of the Below: Exchanging pleasantries with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus before Wales’ 2019 World Cup semi-final in Yokohama
British & Irish Lions, the pinnacle of all coaching achievements. He took on this role in 2013 and led the Lions to Australia in what would be their first series victory since 1997. And four years ago, he was at the helm when the Lions drew against the thenworld champion All Blacks. Success in South Africa would help Gatland avenge Wales’ two most recent World Cup exits perpetrated by the Springboks, and put him among rare company in Lions lore, having completed his third tour as head coach without having lost a series.
After his 12-year stint with Wales, Gatland signed a four-year contract with the Chiefs that allowed him to take a sabbatical in 2021 to coach the Lions
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STU FORSTER/DAVID DAVIES/GETTY IMAGES
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PROFILE | |LIONS PROFILES LIONSSQUAD SQUAD
JOSH ADAMS
ALUN WYN JONES (CAPTAIN) A full 12 years after playing his part in a titanic battle with the Springboks for the British & Irish Lions in 2009, Jones will return to South Africa, this time as captain. It says a lot for his longevity that he has featured in each of the last nine Lions Tests, with his greatest hour coming in 2013 when he captained the Lions to victory against the Wallabies in the decisive third Test in Sydney to seal a first series win in 16 years. Jones had been given the Lions captaincy after Sam Warburton suffered an injury in the second Test defeat in Melbourne. And he became the first
FAST FACT The Welsh captain has won nine Lions Test caps – more than any other player in the professional era
substitute captain to lead out a Lions side for a final Test since 1904, integral to a superb pack display that inspired a 41-16 victory. Four years later he started all three Tests once again in the 1-1 series draw in New Zealand to complete the set of Lions opponents. To go full circle and return to the site of your first tour is remarkable. Coincidentally, in the third Test in 2009, Jones replaced Simon Shaw, who achieved the same feat. Since 2017, Jones has succeeded Warburton as Wales skipper, leading them to the Grand Slam in 2019, a World Cup semi-final later that year, and another Six Nations title in 2021. Now he will succeed Warburton in leading the Lions, the latest achievement in an incredible career as he looks to match Lions legend Graham Price by playing 12 consecutive Tests. With 157 Test caps to his name, of which 148 have come for Wales and nine for the Lions, Jones is the most capped player in the history of international rugby. Since making his debut in 2006, he has won three Grand Slams, a further two Six Nations titles, and is now preparing to go on his fourth Lions tour.
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Adams will tour with the Lions for the first time after establishing himself as one of the finest finishers in Europe over the past few seasons. The 26-year-old has racked up 17 tries in 32 Tests since making his Wales bow in 2018 and in 2019 became the first Welshman to finish as the top try-scorer at a World Cup. He has been similarly lethal at club level, and while he was a late bloomer on the international stage, there is no question of the threat he poses when he gets hold of the ball. In three seasons at Worcester Warriors, he racked up 26 tries in the English Premiership, including 13 in the 2017-18 season to finish as the competition’s top try-scorer. That was enough to earn him international recognition and a first Test try on Wales’ tour to Argentina. Adams scored three more tries in Wales’ 2019 Grand Slam before scoring seven at the World Cup in Japan, including a hat-trick against Fiji. Another hat-trick in 2020 came against Italy, while he scored a try in each of his three appearances in the 2021 Six Nations as Wales claimed the title.
FAST FACT Adams was the top tryscorer at the 2019 World Cup with seven
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD BUNDEE AKI The Ireland centre – born in Auckland, New Zealand – made a huge impression, first for provincial side Counties Manukau and then the Chiefs in Super Rugby. Aki featured for the Waikato-based franchise in 2013 as they marched to their second title in a row, and he then accepted an offer to join Connacht where he was part of a stunning campaign that saw the Irish province claim a sensational first Pro12 title. It didn’t take long for Ireland to take notice and, after completing the three-year residency period in October 2017, he was named in their autumn internationals squad.
FAST FACT
TADHG BEIRNE Under the stewardship of current Wales boss Wayne Pivac at the Llanelli-based Scarlets, Beirne developed into one of the most versatile forwards in Europe, capable of slotting in anywhere in the back five of the scrum and causing havoc when he did. Despite having the height of a second row, Beirne is virtually unrivalled in his ability to turn the ball over, while he has the athleticism to pop
up as a support runner. His influence was obvious in helping the Scarlets to Pro12 glory in 2016-17. Those performances led to a move back to Ireland, joining Munster in 2018 and making his international debut off the bench against Australia. Beirne featured in both victories in the historic series win against the Wallabies. Beirne was part of the World Cup squad in 2019 and, back from an ankle injury, he took his opportunity as perhaps Ireland’s best player in the 2021 Six Nations. He was one of just two forwards to start every game, alternating between lock and loose forward during the campaign. The Irishman’s 10 turnovers were the most of any player in the championship, while he also grabbed a couple of tries and was key to Ireland’s rejuvenated lineout.
FAST FACT Beirne won 10 turnovers during the 2021 Six Nations, more than any other player
DAN SHERIDAN/GIAMPIERO SPOSITO/GETTY IMAGES
Aki has beaten 255 defenders in the Pro14 since making his debut in 2014; no player has beaten more
He made an immediate impact, racking up 17 tackles as Ireland thumped the Springboks 38-3, their biggest winning margin over South Africa. Aki has since become a central figure in nearly four years of Test rugby, making 31 appearances in that time. In the 2018 Six Nations, Aki featured in every game, delivering consistently high performances as Ireland took the Grand Slam, scoring two tries along the way. He was then part of Ireland’s historic 2-1 series win against the Wallabies in Australia as well as their first win on home soil against New Zealand, before featuring in their run to the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD
JACK CONAN A powerful force in the Leinster and Ireland back row since bursting on the scene in 2014-15, Conan will tour with the Lions for the first time in South Africa. Conan represented Ireland at U18, U19 and U20 levels. He was one of two uncapped players in Ireland’s extended squad for the 2015 Six Nations championship before making his Test debut in a 2015 World Cup warm-up match against Scotland. Injuries have stymied his progress at various junctures ever since, with Conan only making eight appearances for Leinster during the 2015-16 season.
FAST FACT
Conan has averaged 10.6 carries and 10.3 tackles per game in the Pro14 since his debut
The following two seasons proved much more productive and Conan featured regularly for his club as Leinster won the Pro14 and European double in 2017-18. He was also part of Ireland’s successful tour to Australia in June 2018. While 2019-20 proved to be another season hampered by injury, Conan has been part of a further three Pro14 title successes with Leinster as he surpassed 100 provincial caps. He also scored the only try in the 2021 Pro14 final victory over Munster, earning the Man of the Match accolade for his performance.
LUKE COWAN-DICKIE A first tour with the Lions will cap off an incredible rise through the rugby ranks for the England and Exeter Chiefs hooker. Cowan-Dickie made his Chiefs debut in 2011 aged 18, and he has made more than 100 appearances in the Premiership since his debut in that competition in 2014. He started the Premiership final in 2016-17 as the Chiefs defeated Wasps to be crowned champions before repeating the feat against the same opponents in 2019-20.
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He also started the 2019-20 final of the European Champions Cup, scoring the opening try for the Chiefs as they completed a historic Premiership and European double. Cowan-Dickie’s Test debut arrived against France at Twickenham in a 2015 World Cup warm-up match. He was a member of the England touring party that achieved a whitewash over Australia in 2016, he toured South Africa in 2018 and was a member of the squad that reached the 2019 World Cup final in Japan. Cowan-Dickie has remained a regular in the England match-day 23 ever since, making three appearances in their 2020 Six Nations triumph and another five in the 2021 championship, of which he started three.
FAST FACT
Cowan-Dickie found a teammate with each of his 32 lineout throws in this year’s Six Nations
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD
TOM CURRY
NIALL CARSON/CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/GETTY IMAGES
Meteoric is the only way to describe Curry’s rise through the ranks. At the age of just 21, the flanker was the youngest player in England’s squad at the 2019 World Cup and featured heavily as his side reached the final in Japan. Curry was also the youngest forward to ever represent his country at the tournament, having first burst onto the scene at Sale Sharks during a breakthrough 2016-17 season. The flanker made his England debut against Argentina on the 2017 mid-year tour, five days before his 19th birthday, becoming the youngest player to start an international for the Red Rose.
FAST FACT Curry won a turnover or penalty, or slowed down 15 of the 37 defensive rucks he hit during the 2021 Six Nations
Only Jonny Wilkinson has been a younger debutant for England. Curry’s performances for club and country saw him soon command a place in Eddie Jones’ starting XV. Curry started every game of the 2019 Six Nations, playing 360 minutes in total as the then-20-year-old helped England finish second on the table behind Wales. His brilliance during the tournament earned him a nomination for the Player of the Championship, finishing with the most tackles of any player in the tournament (97). Curry proved very influential in England’s World Cup final run and earned a nomination for World Rugby’s Player of the Year. He started all five of England’s games at No 7 as they won the 2020 Six Nations.
ELLIOT DALY One of the few players in history to have played both for and against the Lions, Daly featured prominently on the memorable 2017 tour of New Zealand. Four years earlier, the versatile back had lined up for the Barbarians in a 59-8 loss against the Lions in Hong Kong.
Selected by Warren Gatland in 2017, Daly shone in the warm-up matches and earned a starting berth on the wing in all three Tests against the All Blacks, playing every minute of the series. A star in the making from a young age, Daly was Wasps’ second youngest debutant ever back in 2010 when he turned out in an Anglo-Welsh Cup game while still in high school. Having come up through the England age groups, he soon established himself as a key cog for the senior team under Eddie Jones in 2016. Ready and able to slot in at centre, wing or fullback, coupled to the ability to slot goals with his left foot from beyond the halfway line, and it is not hard to see why Jones has labelled him a ‘Swiss Army knife’.
FAST FACT Daly is the only player to score points both for and against the Lions during an official tour
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD GARETH DAVIES Fresh from helping Wales secure the 2021 Six Nations title, Davies has been selected by Warren Gatland for his second consecutive Lions tour, and he will take on the world champions at the scene of his international debut, coming on as a replacement against the Springboks in 2014. The scrumhalf went on to finish as one of the top try-scorers in the 2015 World Cup with five in five games as Wales made it to the quarter-finals. Davies, who has made more than 200 appearances for the Scarlets, scored tries in the both the 2017 Pro12 semi-final and final as they stormed to an historic title, downing both Leinster and Munster along the way. That earned him a call-up for the Lions midway through the tour. In 2019, Davies played in all five games as Wales won the Six Nations Grand Slam under Gatland and helped his country reach the World Cup semifinals in Japan. He also played in all five games, starting three, as Wales reclaimed the Six Nations title in 2021.
FAST FACT Davies gained the most metres (293) and beat the most defenders (13) of any scrumhalf at the 2019 World Cup
FAST FACT
ZANDER FAGERSON
FAST FACT Fagerson was involved in either a carry, tackle or ruck 58 times per 80 minutes in the 2021 Six Nations
Faletau made 76 tackles during the 2017 Lions tour, more than any other player
He has started 12 of the last 14 Scotland Tests and has two Test tries to his name, including one at the 2019 World Cup against Japan. After a long battle with WP Nel for the starting tighthead role with Scotland, Fagerson has now cemented his position as the first choice in Gregor Townsend’s side. He was outstanding in Scotland’s first win at Twickenham since 1983 to kick off the 2021 Six Nations, but a red card against Wales stalled his progress. However, Fagerson finished strongly, playing an important role in the final-round win in Paris – a first for Scotland since 1999.
TAULUPE FALETAU Faletau will become a three-time Lions tourist in South Africa having burst onto the international
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stage with his stellar showings at the 2011 World Cup as Wales reached the semi-finals. By the time of the Lions’ 2013 tour to Australia, the No 8 had established himself as one of Wales’ most consistent performers. At the age of just 22 he played a key role on that tour, starting the third and decisive Test against the Wallabies in Sydney. And Faletau went on to be one of the stars of the Lions tour to New Zealand in 2017 – starting all three Tests as the tourists claimed a historic drawn series with the All Blacks. Since then Faletau has continued to grow in stature for both club and country, becoming a real leader in both attack and defence for Wales. A spate of serious injuries saw him miss out on Wales’ Grand Slam success in 2019 as well as their run to that year’s World Cup semi-finals.
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One of the first names on Scotland’s team sheet, the tighthead prop has been chosen for his maiden Lions tour to South Africa. The 25-year-old has racked up 38 Test caps since making his Test debut aged 20 in 2016. Fagerson has been a mainstay ever since and was joined in the Scotland team by younger brother Matt. Fagerson made his debut against England in the 2016 Six Nations and started all five championship games the following year, before injury disrupted his 2018 campaign.
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD But Faletau returned with a vengeance to play a starring role in Wales’ 2021 Six Nations success, finishing with the third-most carries (66) and thirdmost tackles (77).
OWEN FARRELL Owen and assistant coach Andy Farrell became the first father-and-son duo to go on the same Lions tour in 2013. The pair rewrote the record books in New Zealand four years later when Owen displayed nerves of steel, playing a pivotal role in securing the historic 1-1 series draw with the All Blacks. Farrell made his debut for England in 2012 and established himself as first-choice flyhalf by the time the 2013 Lions tour came around. The then-21-year-old played off the bench in the decisive third Test win. Following that tour, the Saracens flyhalf kicked England to a Grand Slam and a 3-0 series win over Australia as well as guiding his club to a league and European double. England claimed back-to-back Six Nations in 2017 with Farrell at 10 and that’s where he started
for the 2017 Lions in New Zealand before moving to inside centre. Forming a potent 10-12 axis alongside Sexton in the second Test, Farrell maintained kicking duties and nailed a late penalty to level the series. He then repeated the trick with a 77th-minute three-pointer in the decisive third Test to seal a 15-15 draw. Farrell won the English Premiership title in 2018 and 2019 along with his third European Champions Cup and was also named England captain by Eddie Jones in 2019, leading the Red Rose to the World Cup final in Japan before winning another Six Nations title the following year.
JAMIE GEORGE George was at the heart of the pack on the 2017 Lions tour as he started all three Tests, following in the footsteps of Jason Robinson in 2001 by starting a Lions Test before doing so for his country. The hooker was an integral part of a Red Rose side that in 2017 equalled the All Blacks’ record of 18 consecutive Test wins.
George, who graduated from the Saracens Academy and played through all the England age groups, served his apprenticeship behind Schalk Brits. He became a key member of Saracens’ all-conquering side and had already won three Premiership titles at the age of 26. He was part of England’s 31-man squad for the 2015 World Cup after coming off the bench to make his debut in a warm-up clash with France. George helped Saracens secure a Premiership and European Champions Cup double in 2015-16, repeating the feat in the 2018-19 campaign, and his influence was just as prevalent in England’s successful 2020 Six Nations campaign following their run to the 2019 World Cup final.
FAST FACT The England hooker has a lineout success rate of 91% in his Six Nations career
FAST FACT Farrell has scored 1 050 points during his Test career; only four men have scored more
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD CHRIS HARRIS An athletic and intelligent centre, Scotland’s Harris has been rewarded for an excellent season with a maiden Lions call-up. Best known for his defensive aptitude, Harris has thrived under Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and defence coach Steve Tandy in the past 18 months – both of whom will also be coaching him in South Africa. Since making his Scotland debut in 2017, Harris has accumulated 28 caps and become a key figure in the heart of their midfield. Harris made his Premiership debut for Newcastle in December 2014 and scored two tries against Saracens. A series of consistent performances saw him earn a first Scotland call-up in 2017. He made his debut off the bench against Samoa and his Six Nations debut against Wales a year later. The year 2019 was a big one for Harris, who played in all four games for Scotland at the World Cup and moved to current club Gloucester. He has gone from strength to strength since, playing in all nine of Scotland’s matches in 2020 and all five in 2021 to date, including the 11-6 win away to England in February and the 27-23 win in Paris in March.
FAST FACT Harris made 29 positive contributions at rucks for Scotland in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup
IAIN HENDERSON Capable of playing lock or blindside flank, Henderson’s adaptability has earned him selection for his second tour with the Lions. A midweek regular of the 2017 tour, Henderson enjoyed a whirlwind rise on the international scene, first starring for Ireland U20 in 2012 before coming off the bench to face South Africa in his Test debut in November that year. By the time of the 2015 World Cup, Henderson was starting regularly in the Ireland second row, including in the quarterfinal defeat to Argentina. Henderson missed the 2016 Six Nations but he returned against South Africa the following June before injury denied him a chance to be part of the historic win over New Zealand in Chicago. But his strong performances against Wales, France and England in the 2017 Six Nations saw him book a place on the 2017 Lions tour. Since returning from New Zealand, Henderson has remained a key man for club and country, winning his third Six Nations title with Ireland as they secured the 2018 Grand Slam.
FAST FACT Henderson won seven turnovers in the 2021 Six Nations; only Tadhg Beirne (10) won more
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FAST FACT
STEPHEN McCARTHY/DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
ROBBIE HENSHAW Henshaw’s status as one of the best all-round centres in the northern hemisphere has earned him a second call-up to the Lions four years after having his first tour cut short by injury. In 2016, the midfielder crossed for the decisive final try to beat the All Blacks in Chicago and Henshaw scored against them again at the 2019 World Cup. With a chest injury prematurely ending his 2017 tour, the 2021 trip to South Africa will be another chance to prove himself in the famous red jersey, as he brings a skill set with plenty of strengths. His running lines, footwork and ability to power over the gainline make him a force in attack, while his intelligence in defence make him a weapon even when the opposition have the ball. Henshaw came through the ranks at Connacht where he started out as a fullback but on the international stage he has been used almost exclusively in the centres.
Henshaw is the only Lionseligible centre to make more than 100 carries since the start of 2020
His Ireland debut came against the USA in 2013, with his first start in the centres coming in 2014 against the Springboks.
JONNY HILL Called up by England for the first time on their 2018 mid-year tour to South Africa, Hill will now return in the red of the Lions for the first time. Hill was an unused substitute on his first tour with England but his form for Exeter Chiefs earned him a starting debut in October 2020 for England’s Six Nations match with Italy. Paired with 2017 Lions tourist Maro Itoje in the Red Rose’s second
row, Hill helped his country seal the championship title on his first appearance and has been a regular ever since. After a brief spell at Gloucester he received an England U20 call-up, but it is at Exeter where his career has flourished. Hill made his debut in 2016 for the Chiefs, coming off the bench against his former club, and helped them win a Premiership and European double in 2019-20. His performances for his club saw international recognition follow, with Hill becoming an Eddie Jones favourite since playing the final game of England’s 2020 Six Nations triumph.
FAST FACT
Hill has claimed 58 lineouts in the European Champions Cup since the beginning of last season
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD COURTNEY LAWES Lawes played a pivotal role off the bench on his first Lions tour to New Zealand in 2017. Having missed out on the opening Test of the series, the Northampton Saints lock was introduced as a replacement in both the second and third Tests. A gigantic lock with pace and power, his impact in the engine room helped the Lions return from New Zealand with a famous series draw against the formidable All Blacks. An England regular, who is approaching 100 Test caps, Lawes’ international experience will once again be utilised by Warren Gatland for the 2021 tour to South Africa. Lawes made his international debut against Australia in 2009, was part of Martin Johnson’s squad that went to the 2011 World Cup and, under Stuart Lancaster, became a key figure as England finished second in four straight Six Nations before he started the first two matches of the 2015 World Cup. He was also at the heart of the England side that won back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2016 and 2017 and his immense form earned him a first call-up for the Lions. Two Test appearances followed before Lawes proved instrumental in England’s run to the 2019 World Cup final, also playing at blindside flank in their 2020 Six Nations title win.
FAST FACT Lawes won more lineouts than any other player during the 2017 Lions tour (18), including four steals
FAST FACT Murray has 25 try assists in the Six Nations, eight more than any other player
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A Lions tourist under Warren Gatland in 2013 and 2017, Murray will be heading to South Africa this year for his third tour. The then-23-year-old Ireland scrumhalf came off the bench in the second and third Tests of the 2013 tour to Australia. Having established himself as one of the most feared halfbacks on the planet, he started all three Tests on the 2017 tour as the Lions came away from New Zealand with a famous series draw. Murray came through the ranks at Munster, making his club debut in 2010. In 2011 he started the Pro12 final win over Leinster and then made his Test debut against France. His first Test start came against the USA at the 2011 World Cup while he also featured in the wins over Australia and Italy before starting the quarter-final defeat to Wales. After contributing to the Lions’ series win in Australia in 2013, Murray played a prominent role as Ireland secured back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015. A second World Cup quarter-final followed for Murray before he scored a try in the first Irish win over the Springboks in South Africa in 2016, and another try in Ireland’s first victory against the All Blacks, in Chicago. Following his starring role for the Lions in the drawn series with the All Blacks, Murray started every game as Ireland won the 2018 Six Nations and achieved the Grand Slam.
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CONOR MURRAY
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD KEN OWENS Owens will head to South Africa on his second Lions tour after the Wales and Scarlets hooker was rewarded for a fine 2021 season on his comeback from injury. In 2017, Owens was named on the Lions bench in all three Tests, coming on in the first and third of the drawn series. Owens, nicknamed ‘The Sheriff’, also captained the side in their clash with the Blues as he played six games in all on the tour. The hooker now has 84 Test caps to his name since making his first appearance for Wales back in 2011. He was part of the side that claimed the Grand Slam in 2012 and the title the following season, while he earned another Grand Slam with Wales in 2019. And in 2021 his return from injury coincided with a return to form for Wales, helping them to claim the Six Nations crown. For the Scarlets, Owens helped the team to Pro12 success in 2017, although he missed out on the final run-in through injury. In 2019 he showed his versatility during an injury crisis at the Scarlets by starting at No 8 in a clash with the Dragons.
ALI PRICE Price signed for Glasgow Warriors at the end of 2015 and was handed his Scotland Test debut the following year, coming on as a 73rd-minute replacement in a 43-16 win over Georgia. Born in England, Price qualified for Scotland through his mother and the 27-year-old has collected 42 Test caps in six seasons. He made his Six Nations debut against France in 2017 after Greig Laidlaw was forced off injured, and he retained his place in the lineup for the remainder of the championship as Vern Cotter’s side finished fourth. Price continued to impress back on domestic duty, helping Glasgow to a first European Champions Cup quarter-final en route to being named the club’s 2016-17 Player of the Season. That feat was matched two years later as the nippy No 9 played an integral role in the club’s run to the Pro14 final, in which they eventually came up short against Leinster. Though he suffered a foot injury on his World Cup debut against Ireland in 2019, Price featured
FAST FACT
FAST FACT
Price is one of just two players to assist more than two tries in this year’s Six Nations (three; Antoine Dupont, five)
Owens has made the most carries (70) of any Lionseligible hooker in Test rugby since the start of 2020
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD in each of Scotland’s 2020 and 2021 Six Nations campaigns, helping Gregor Townsend’s men to wins at Twickenham and in Paris in the latter – the first time they had achieved this feat in a single Six Nations tournament since 1926.
LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT In 2019, Rees-Zammit became Gloucester’s youngest player in English Premiership history and his rapid rise has led to selection for the Lions tour to South Africa. At 20 years and 93 days, he is the youngest player on the day of selection in a touring party since David Hewitt in 1959. The Welsh flyer has been thrown in at the deep end for club and country and thrived on every occasion ahead of a tour to take on the world champions. By the end of 2019, aged just 18, he had already notched a maiden hat-trick in a breakthrough campaign. A first Test cap followed in October 2020 and ReesZammit’s first involvement in the Six Nations came in 2021 – he made an immediate impression, scoring an acrobatic try against Ireland in an opening victory. He followed it up with two more against Scotland, the second a remarkable solo effort where he demonstrated his exceptional pace in what proved to be the match-winning score. Another long-distance score, this time an interception, came against Italy, and while he was narrowly denied a try in the final game in Paris, with Wales just missing out on the Grand Slam, Rees-Zammit still ended his first championship campaign with a title. Capable of playing on the wing or at fullback, he will now get his chance in the red of the Lions to continue his remarkable rise.
FINN RUSSELL One of the most creative No 10s in the game, Russell has again been selected to tour with the Lions, having been a member of the 2017 squad. A late call-up to the tour of New Zealand, the Glasgow Warriors flyhalf made just one appearance from the bench, replacing Dan Biggar against the Hurricanes as the Lions played out a 31-31 draw. Gatland’s decision to call up Russell came on the back of guiding Gregor Townsend’s new-look Scotland to impressive victories over both Italy and Australia in 2017. Since that tour, Russell has become one of the world’s best pivots, instrumental in Scotland’s first away win against England since 1983 during the 2021 Six Nations. Russell moved to France to join Top 14 side Racing 92 in 2018, replacing All Blacks legend Dan Carter as their premier No 10. He guided Racing to the European Champions Cup final in 2020 but narrowly missed out on the title, with Exeter Chiefs and Russell’s compatriots Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg victorious instead.
FAST FACT Russell has made 30 break-assist passes in Test rugby since the last Lions tour; no tier-one player has more
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FAST FACT Rees-Zammit made the most clean breaks of any player during this year’s Six Nations tournament (nine)
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD SAM SIMMONDS Simmonds is set for his first Lions tour after a sensational few seasons for Exeter Chiefs. The older of the two Simmonds brothers at Sandy Park, the talented loose forward made his senior debut for the Chiefs in 2012. His big breakthrough at Exeter came in 2017 as he helped them lift the 2016-17 Premiership title at Twickenham and was named the club’s Player of the Year the following season. Simmonds also won the Premiership’s Young Player of the Year award after scoring 15 tries during the 2018-19 season, with his on-field displays making Eddie Jones take note.
FAST FACT
KYLE SINCKLER Sinckler was a late addition to the Lions squad after he replaced the injured Andrew Porter. The abrasive England tighthead was considered one of the unluckiest to miss out on the original squad but forced his way back into the reckoning with domineering performances in the English Premiership for Bristol Bears. A dynamic and powerful prop, Sinckler began his rugby career at Harlequins and appeared over 100 times for the South London club before
moving to Bristol in 2020. His Test debut came against the Springboks in 2016 at the end of a breakthrough season. In the space of only eight Tests, Sinckler made such an impression that he was named in the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2017 tour to New Zealand. Sinckler is renowned not only for his power in the scrum but for his deft handling ability in general play. The archetypal modern-day prop, Sinckler has the skill to function as a link-man on attack. The balance he offers between power and dexterity has earned him 44 England caps and could see him increase his tally of three Test appearances for the Lions.
FAST FACT Sinckler has more game time (885 minutes) than any other Lions-eligible prop since the start of 2020, making the most tackles (117) and second-most carries (85)
DAVID DAVIES/EMMANUELE CIANCAGLINI/GETTY IMAGES
Simmonds had scored an English Premiership record 20 tries after 21 matches for Exeter in the 2020-21 season
His first call-up for England came for the 2017 autumn Tests and Simmonds made his debut against Argentina in a 21-8 victory at Twickenham. Simmonds was also called up to the 2018 Six Nations squad, starting England’s opening match of the championship. A serious injury sidelined Simmonds but after helping the Chiefs win the Premiership and Champions Cup double in 2019-20, he was named European Player of the Year. And despite not being selected for England’s 2020 autumn squad or the 2021 Six Nations, Simmonds has continued to score tries for fun for the Chiefs to get the Lions call-up.
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD RORY SUTHERLAND Sutherland has been selected for his first Lions tour, a rich reward for returning to his best after a long-term injury. The loosehead prop made his Scotland debut against Ireland in the 2016 Six Nations but a serious abductor muscle injury ruled him out for 14 months and any chance of forcing his way into the 2017 Lions squad. Sutherland’s return to form was gradual and he did not get back into the Scotland squad until the 2020 Six Nations, four years on from his last cap.
FAST FACT
JUSTIN TIPURIC One of Wales’ most complete flankers, Tipuric is packing his bags for a third tour with the Lions. Combining the skills and pace of an outside back with the work rate and breakdown nous of the world’s best back-rowers, Tipuric has it all. He got his chance at senior level in 2011 and has not looked back since. For much of his early career, he battled two-time Lions skipper Sam Warburton
FAST FACT Tipuric made 82 tackles in the 2021 Six Nations, more than any other player, missing only one
for the Wales No 7 jersey, while the two famously combined in 2013 to help the Dragons claim the Six Nations title on the final day at the expense of England. Later that year he was part of the victorious Lions squad in Australia, earning a spot on the bench in the decisive third Test. Four years later, he was again selected for the tour of New Zealand, although he did not break into the Test side. He has become one of the go-to men for Wales, particularly since Warburton’s retirement, playing every minute of their title-winning Six Nations campaign in 2021, starting four games in the 2019 Grand Slam and serving as a key figure in Wales’ run to the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
DAVID ROGERS/CRAIG WILLIAMSON/GETTY IMAGES
Sutherland is ranked second for post-contact metres amongst props in the 2021 Six Nations
However, since then he has been one of the European championship’s leading looseheads and is a mainstay of the Scotland pack. Sutherland’s impact has been massive, helping Scotland to power their way past Wales in the 2020 championship, while he also featured in famous away wins against England and France in 2021. Before his 2016 injury, Sutherland’s career had been on a steep upwards trajectory. A loose forward at age-group level before making the switch to prop, Sutherland was an unheralded prospect when Edinburgh handed him a contract in 2015. From there, though, he progressed to the Scotland squad within 12 months and after a long delay due to injury, he is back on that trajectory.
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PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD FAST FACT Van der Merwe beat 31 defenders in the 2021 Six Nations, breaking Brian O’Driscoll’s record (30)
The brothers – whose father Fe’ao captained Tonga and appeared at both the 1995 and 1999 World Cups – have played together for club and country since 2013. A winner of four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups at Saracens, Mako Vunipola helped the club achieve a second double in 2018-19 following the tour. He also brought up his 50th cap for England in November 2017 – five years after making his debut – before playing a key role in the squad that reached the 2019 World Cup final.
ANTHONY WATSON
DUHAN VAN DER MERWE The 1.93m, 105kg Scotland winger returns to the country of his birth as part of the Lions squad. Van der Merwe has made a major impact since arriving in Scotland in 2017, when he joined Edinburgh after stints in France at Montpellier and South Africa with the Bulls. He qualified for Scotland through the residency rule and made his Test debut against Georgia in October 2020. Van der Merwe has added nine further caps and scored eight tries in total, including five in the 2021 Six Nations that saw him finish as the championship’s top try-scorer. In round one, Van der Merwe scored the only try of the game as Scotland won away to England for the first time since 1983, while two tries followed against Italy in round five. The Scotland star finished the campaign in style with another pair against France a week later in the rearranged round-three encounter. Van der Merwe went over in the last play of the game, as Scotland ended another awayday hoodoo with their first successful trip to France since 1999. Van der Merwe will join his brother, Akker, in the English Premiership next season after agreeing to join Worcester Warriors. Akker plays hooker for Sale Sharks and has three Springbok caps.
MAKO VUNIPOLA A tourist against Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017, South Africa is Vunipola’s third Lions tour and sees him complete the famous trilogy. The powerful loosehead featured in all three Tests for the Lions in their historic series win against the Wallabies in 2013. Vunipola then returned to his birthplace of New Zealand as part of the 2017 touring squad, starting all three Tests against the All Blacks as the Lions secured a memorable drawn series. A member of an established Tongan rugby dynasty along with younger brother and fellow England international Billy, Mako made his Red Rose debut against Fiji in November 2012.
FAST FACT Vunipola beat five defenders in this year’s Six Nations championship, from just 16 carries, more than any other prop
Watson will head to New Zealand for his first Lions tour after scoring 13 tries in 26 Tests for England. The 23-year-old Bath wing came up through the ranks with England and was a key part of their World Rugby U20 Championship-winning side in 2013. His debut for his country came against the All Blacks in 2014. Since then Watson has established himself as England’s first choice on the wing – he often also lines up at fullback for his club – under both Stuart Lancaster and Eddie Jones. He started all four games of England’s poolstage exit from the 2015 World Cup but emerged with real credit after scoring three tries. Watson was a key figure in their 2016 Grand Slam, scoring three tries in three successive games against Ireland, Wales and France. He also started all three games of their Wallabies whitewash but then injury struck, a broken jaw ruling him out of England’s autumn campaign. A hamstring strain ruined his return but he was back in time for the last two games of the 2017 Six Nations, scoring a try off the bench against Scotland and starting the defeat against Ireland in Dublin on the final weekend to prove his fitness to Warren Gatland ahead of the Lions tour.
FAST FACT Watson beat 18 defenders during the Lions’ 2017 tour of New Zealand, four more than any other player
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PROFILES | LIONS SQUAD HAMISH WATSON A maiden Lions call-up capped off a stunning start to 2021 for the Scotland breakaway, who was crowned the Six Nations Player of the Championship earlier this year. The 29-year-old has gradually established himself as one of the northern hemisphere’s fiercest competitors since in 2015 winning the first of 41 Test caps, and is now looking to make his mark in the famous red jersey. Born in Manchester and originally a member of the Leicester Tigers Academy, Watson featured for Scotland at the 2011 World Rugby U20 Championship and made his senior debut for Edinburgh that same year. Besides helping Edinburgh reach the European Challenge Cup final in 2015 and the Pro14 semi-finals for the first time in 2020, Watson has played a crucial role in Scotland’s growth in stature over recent years. He made his World Cup bow in Japan in 2019, making a solitary appearance in defeat to Ireland before injury cut short his campaign. Watson missed just 14 minutes of Scotland’s 2021 Six Nations campaign, scoring one try, carrying 67 times for 321m and successfully making every single tackle of his 55 attempts.
FAST FACT Watson made 60 out of 60 tackles in the 2021 Six Nations championship, the most of anyone not to miss a single hit
LIAM WILLIAMS The Wales and Scarlets back-three star will tour with the Lions for the second time. He was one of the standout performers on the 2017 tour of New Zealand, starting all three Tests at fullback in the drawn series. Now 30 years old, Williams has 74 caps to his name since earning his first cap for Wales in 2012. He started every game of Wales’ Grand Slamwinning campaign in 2019, and then chipped in with tries against Scotland and England as they claimed the Six Nations title in 2021. His performances four years ago in New Zealand were outstanding, earning his spot in the Test side with his ability under the high ball and his threat on the counter-attack. That was particularly apparent in the first Test when Williams received the ball deep in his own 22, beat Kieran Read and Aaron Cruden and raced up to halfway to spark a move that ended with Sean O’Brien scoring one of the great Lions tries. At club level he was part of the Scarlets side that claimed the Pro12 title in 2017 and Saracens’ European Champions Cup-winning team in 2019 before returning to the Scarlets. FAST FACT
Lions player profiles courtesy of LionsRugby.com.
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FAST FACT Williams gained the most metres of any player during the 2017 Lions tour (344)
PROFILE | LIONS SQUAD BRITISH & IRISH LIONS 37-MAN SQUAD
Name
Country
Position
Age*
Height
Weight
Test Caps
JOSH ADAMS
Wales
Wing/fullback
26
1.83m
95kg
32
New
Cardiff Blues
BUNDEE AKI
Ireland
Centre
31
1.78m
100kg
31
New
Connacht
TADHG BEIRNE
Ireland
Lock/back row
29
1.98m
113kg
22
New
Munster
DAN BIGGAR
Wales
Flyhalf
31
1.88m
90kg
92
821
Northampton Saints
JACK CONAN
Ireland
No 8
28
1.93m
114kg
20
New
Leinster
LUKE COWAN-DICKIE
England
Hooker
28
1.83m
111kg
31
New
Exeter Chiefs
TOM CURRY
England
Flank
23
1.85m
110kg
33
New
Sale Sharks
ELLIOT DALY
England
Utility back
28
1.78m
83kg
55
822
Saracens
GARETH DAVIES
Wales
Scrumhalf
30
1.78m
88kg
62
New
Scarlets
ZANDER FAGERSON
Scotland
Prop
25
1.88m
125kg
38
New
Glasgow Warriors
TAULUPE FALETAU
Wales
Back row
30
1.88m
110kg
90
779
Bath
OWEN FARRELL
England
Flyhalf
29
1.80m
94kg
97
780
Saracens
TADHG FURLONG
Ireland
Prop
28
1.83m
123kg
52
818
Leinster
JAMIE GEORGE
England
Hooker
30
1.80m
108kg
62
819
Saracens
CHRIS HARRIS
Scotland
Centre
30
1.88m
104kg
28
New
Gloucester
IAIN HENDERSON
Ireland
Lock
29
1.98m
115kg
63
808
Ulster
ROBBIE HENSHAW
Ireland
Centre/fullback
29
1.93m
99kg
52
824
Leinster
JONNY HILL
England
Lock
27
1.96m
111kg
9
New
Exeter Chiefs
STUART HOGG
Scotland
Fullback
29
1.83m
88kg
85
783
Exeter Chiefs
MARO ITOJE
England
Lock/back row
26
1.98m
110kg
51
825
Saracens
ALUN WYN JONES (C)
Wales
Lock
35
1.98m
121kg
157
761
Ospreys
WYN JONES
Wales
Prop
29
1.83m
118kg
35
New
Scarlets
COURTNEY LAWES
England
Lock
32
2.01m
113kg
89
826
Northampton Saints
CONOR MURRAY
Ireland
Scrumhalf
32
1.88m
93kg
94
790
Munster
KEN OWENS
Wales
Hooker
34
1.83m
110kg
84
829
Scarlets
Scotland
Scrumhalf
28
1.78m
88kg
42
New
Glasgow Warriors
ALI PRICE LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT
Wales
Wing
20
1.91m
88kg
9
New
Gloucester
FINN RUSSELL
Scotland
Flyhalf
28
1.83m
86kg
55
835
Racing 92
SAM SIMMONDS
England
Back row
26
1.88m
90kg
7
New
Exeter Chiefs
KYLE SINCKLER
England
Prop
28
1.76m
122kg
47
814
Bristol Bears
RORY SUTHERLAND
Scotland
Prop
28
1.83m
113kg
16
New
Edinburgh
Wales
Back row
31
1.88m
100kg
86
786
Ospreys
DUHAN VAN DER MERWE
Scotland
Wing
26
1.93m
105kg
10
New
Edinburgh
MAKO VUNIPOLA
England
Prop
30
1.83m
120kg
73
787
Saracens
ANTHONY WATSON
England
Fullback/wing
27
1.88m
93kg
54
816
Bath
HAMISH WATSON
Scotland
Back row
29
1.85m
101kg
41
New
Edinburgh
LIAM WILLIAMS
Wales
Fullback
30
1.88m
89kg
74
833
Scarlets
JUSTIN TIPURIC
HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES
Lions Number Club/Province
*Age at 1 July 2021
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NO LIMI TS.
LIONS STATISTICS
FOR THE RECORD OVERALL RECORD
TESTS AGAINST AUSTRALIA
HOW THE LIONS HAVE FARED AGAINST THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S BEST SINCE 1888 AND THEIR TOP INDIVIDUAL SCORERS
TESTS AGAINST NEW ZEALAND 6
16%
6 131 PLAYED
651
488
PLAYED
23
75%
17
74%
PLAYED
29
38
3
32
TESTS AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA
TESTS AGAINST ARGENTINA
17
23 PLAYED
37%
WON
PLAYED
46
7
6
86%
DRAWN LOST
23
6 SOURCE: LIONSRUGBY.COM
MOST POINTS ANDY IRVINE PHIL BENNETT BOB HILLER GAVIN HASTINGS BARRY JOHN OLLIE CAMPBELL MALCOLM THOMAS LEIGH HALFPENNY NEIL JENKINS CHARLES ADAMSON
MOST TRIES 281 236 214 192 188 184 152 145 142 136
BOB HILLER ARTHUR ROTHERHAM CHARLES ADAMSON ANDY IRVINE PHIL BENNETT RONAN O’GARA BARRY JOHN MALCOLM THOMAS FRED BYRNE LEWIS JONES
44 36 35 34 32 32 31 31 30 29
MOST DROP GOALS
KEY
1
MOST CONVERSIONS
TONY O’REILLY RANDOLPH ASTON JIM UNWIN ANDREW STODDART JJ WILLIAMS MIKE GIBSON ANDY IRVINE CARL AARVOLD LARRY BULGER PETER JACKSON
DAI WATKINS OLLIE CAMPBELL PERCY BUSH BARRY JOHN CRAIG CHALMERS REG SKRIMSHIRE FRED BYRNE KEN SCOTLAND JOHN RUTHERFORD MIKE GIBSON
9 9 8 8 7 7 7 5 5 5
MOST PENALTY GOALS 37 30 23 22 22 22 21 20 19 19
PHIL BENNETT GAVIN HASTINGS ANDY IRVINE OLLIE CAMPBELL BOB HILLER BARRY JOHN LEIGH HALFPENNY NEIL JENKINS JONNY WILKINSON OWEN FARRELL
50 46 41 35 34 28 28 26 24 23
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MICK CLEARY COLUMN
Biltong on the side, Steyn centre stage The veteran English rugby scribe remembers the high theatre of his visit to Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria for the second Test of the 2009 Lions tour
S
econd Test, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 27 June 2009 – Springboks 28 British & Irish Lions 25 ‘There are a few overspill seats outside,’ said the ever-obliging Andy Colquhoun of the South African Rugby Union, eager to help the few of us who preferred the sharp air of a Pretoria winter’s afternoon to the air-conditioned press room inside. Those were the blissful days when there was no such thing as instant web copy, the feeding of the online beast, and as I had no live filing duties I much preferred to experience the game under the clear blue skies and facing the massed ranks of Lions fans in the opposite stand who brought such noise and colour to the occasion. (How they will be missed this year). I shuffled along the back row to where Andy had indicated to go. The seats were already taken. I was with a female colleague and we both took a deep breath as I explained to the burly, stony-faced halfdozen Pretoria police reservists that: ‘Er, excuse me, my good chaps, I know you normally sit here for all Bulls matches and often Bok Tests, but these seats are for the British and Irish press and if you wouldn’t mind budging along my fine fellows …’ I think they did mind to judge by their growly Afrikaans but shuffle along they did and the pair
of us squeezed in. Well, I did want to savour the atmosphere even if our clan of 20 000 was on the other side of the pitch and we were in the thick of the Loftus faithful. And good people, too, as the big bag of biltong that soon came our way indicated. I don’t actually like biltong but there was no way I was going to refuse the offer. Our new best mates were soon immersed in the action and who wouldn’t be as one of the most gripping of Lions’ Tests unfolded. The locals were chanting for their favourite Blue Buller, flyhalf Morné Steyn, to be brought on from about as early as the half-hour mark.
Another 30 minutes was to elapse before he did eventually take over from Ruan Pienaar and, boy, were they right about Morné, the destroyer of Lions’ dreams with the last booming kick of the game from just inside his own half. It was the final dramatic act of an afternoon of high theatre, from the first-minute eye contact by Schalk Burger on Luke Fitzgerald that resulted in only yellow when it could easily have been red, to the much-improved Lions performance that saw them deal with the Springbok pack, Simon Shaw making so much difference at lock, through to the unerring boot of flyhalf Stephen Jones (five
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penalties and a drop goal), and on to the ruinous casualty rate with both props and both centres invalided out of the game. The Lions went clear, South Africa struck back, Jones swung his boot, the Springboks crossed the tryline not once, not twice but three times and still there was no clear winner with the scores tied at 25-25. Then came Ronan O’Gara’s punt upfield and a reckless clatter into Fourie du Preez. Penalty. One entire side of Loftus groaned. The other side exulted. Morné was their man. They knew that he wouldn’t miss. And he didn’t.
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
Boy, were the locals right about Morné, the destroyer of Lions’ dreams with the last booming kick of the game from just inside his own half
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AMATEUR ERA TOURS
RUGBY’S GREATEST ADVENTURE STU STU FORSTER/GETTY FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES IMAGES
THE LIONS WON THE FIRST TWO OF 11 TOURS TO SOUTH AFRICA IN THE AMATEUR ERA, BUT THE SPRINGBOKS BOUNCED BACK TO DOMINATE THE RIVALRY UNTIL THEY WERE CONFRONTED BY THE 1974 INVINCIBLES ...
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STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
PROFESSIONAL AMATEUR TOURS ERAERATOURS
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AMATEUR ERA TOURS
1891 TOUR
The first British Isles tourists to South Africa
1891 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
30 July
British Isles
Score 4-0
Venue Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
29 August
British Isles
3-0
Eclectic Cricket Ground, Kimberley
5 September
British Isles
4-0
Newlands, Cape Town
a goal from a mark. The tourists then completed a series whitewash with a 4-0 victory at Newlands in Cape Town, with Aston and Maclagan crossing the tryline and Rotherham kicking a conversion.
1896 TOUR
After a perfect tour in 1891, the British Isles were only slightly less successful in 1896, winning the Test series 3-1 and 16 of their 17 other matches, with one draw. The tourists scored 310 points and conceded just 45.
The South African team that won the fourth Test in 1896 while wearing green jerseys
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For the first time, a British Isles touring squad included a notable Irish contingent, which had helped Ireland win the 1896 Home Nations Championship. One of the nine Irishmen, vice-captain Tommy Crean, excelled in a dominant British Isles pack and took over the captaincy when Johnny Hammond was injured. Irish halfback Louis Magee and England fullback Fred Byrne were the stars of the backline. The tourists won the first Test 8-0 at the Crusaders Ground in Port Elizabeth, with English forward Walter Carey and centre Larry Bulger scoring tries (worth three points each). The hosts were captained by centre/wing Ferdie Aston, the brother of 1891 Lions star Randolph. The British Isles scored three tries to win the second Test 17-8 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, a match that marked South Africa’s first points in international rugby, courtesy of two tries by wing Theo Samuels (he would move to fullback for the last two Tests of the series). The tourists secured a series victory at the Athletic Grounds in Kimberley, fighting back from 3-0 down to win 9-3. Centre Percy Twentyman-Jones crossed the line for South Africa, but the conversion was missed. English centre Bert Mackie then scored a try, with fullback Fred Byrne adding a conversion and a drop goal to go past 100 points for the tour. South Africa had played in white jerseys or local club colours. When forward Basil Heatlie was appointed captain for the final Test at Newlands in Cape Town, he decided to supply his team with green jerseys from the Old Diocesan Club. The hosts went on to record their first Test win, 5-0, wearing what would become the national colours. Halfback Alf Larard scored South Africa’s try midway through the first half with centre Tommy Hepburn kicking the conversion.
SPRINGBOK RUGBY – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
The British Isles had toured for the first time in 1888 when they spent 249 days in New Zealand and Australia. However, while the team known as the ‘English Footballers’ (having been recruited from the north of England and the Scottish Borders) played 35 matches, winning 27, none were against international teams. The British Isles’ inaugural Test series would come against South Africa three years later. The first British tourists to be officially sanctioned by the Rugby Football Union were invited by the Western Province Rugby Football Union, with all costs underwritten by Cecil Rhodes, the prime minister of the Cape Colony. While billed as the ‘English Rugby Football Team’, four Scots – including captain and wing Bill Maclagan – were among the 21-man squad, which saw them referred to retrospectively as the British Isles. They played in red and white hooped shirts and dark blue shorts. The tourists won all 20 of their matches, including all three Tests against South Africa’s first representative side, which was captained by HH Castens in the first Test. Maclagan’s men racked up 226 points while conceding just one, in the opening match against Cape Town Clubs (when a try was worth just one point). England centre Randolph Aston was the star of the tour, scoring 30 tries, including the first try of the first Test in front of a 6 000-strong crowd at the Crusaders Ground in Port Elizabeth. Their second was scored by English forward Thomas Whittaker and English back Arthur Rotherham’s conversion completed a 4-0 win. The only points of the second Test at the Eclectic Cricket Ground in Kimberley went to English fullback William Mitchell, who kicked
AMATEUR ERA TOURS
1896 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
Score
Venue
30 July
British Isles
8-0
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
22 August
British Isles
17-8
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
29 August
British Isles
9-3
Athletic Club, Kimberley
5 September
South Africa
5-0
Newlands, Cape Town
The British Isles therefore claimed the series 3-1, but they would not win another series on South African soil until 1974.
1903 TOUR
South Africa celebrated their first series win after beating the British Isles 8-0 in the third Test in Cape Town after the first two had been drawn. Having lost only one match out of 40 in their previous two tours of the country, the British Isles – captained by Scotland forward Mark Morrison – suffered eight defeats in 22 matches in 1903, including the first three of the tour against Western Province Country, Western Province Towns and Western Province. They were also beaten by Griqualand West (twice) and Transvaal (twice), and drew their second match against WP before the third Test. The first Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg was drawn 10-10, with halfback Frederick ‘Uncle’ Dobbin and captain Alex Frew (who had played three Tests for Scotland in 1891) scoring South Africa’s tries, while English forward William Cave
Right: South African centre Japie Krige
and Welsh centre Reg Skrimshire crossed the line for the tourists. The second Test at the Athletic Club in Kimberley was a scoreless affair. South African centre Japie Krige refused to play in it because, as he explained to friends, Griqualand West halfbacks ‘[Jack] Powell and Dobbin won’t let me see the ball’. Krige returned for the third Test when the duo was replaced by Tommy Hobson and Hugh Ferris. With Basil Heatlie taking over the South African captaincy, the team once again wore green jerseys for the series decider at Newlands. After a scoreless first half in sodden conditions, the hosts scored two second-half tries through wing Joe Barry and forward Alec Reid, with Heatlie converting the latter. Barry’s came after Saxon McEwan charged away from a lineout, while Hobson made the break that led to Reid’s try.
1910 TOUR
The British Isles’ eighth tour, and fourth to South Africa, was the first official tour in that it had the sanction of all four Home Nations. The 26-man
1903 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
Score
Venue
26 August
Draw
10-10
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
5 September
Draw
0-0
Athletic Club, Kimberley
12 September
South Africa
8-0
Newlands, Cape Town Left: Dougie Morkel was the first great South African goal-kicker
Lions squad, playing in blue jerseys with a quartered crest, was led by Ireland’s Tommy Smyth. The Springboks, as they had come to be known, were a real force in world rugby, having beaten Wales and Ireland, drawn with England and lost to Scotland on their first overseas tour in 1906. In 1910, a new generation of brilliant young players blended with a sprinkling of experienced veterans meant the Boks were particularly strong. Englishman Charles ‘Cherry’ Pillman, a versatile player, was the star of the tour for the British Isles, almost single-handedly winning the second Test in Port Elizabeth for them. However, he was absent for the first Test in Johannesburg. Billy Millar would have captained the Springboks in Johannesburg but couldn’t obtain leave from his job, so Dougie Morkel was given the honour. His team outscored the tourists by four tries to two to claim a 14-10 win, with wing Carl ‘Cocky’ Hahn outstanding on his Test debut and Freddie Luyt impressing at centre. They both crossed the line for South Africa, as did centre Dirkie de Villiers and Morkel, while the tourists’ tries were scored by Irish centre Alexander Foster and English halfback Jack Spoors. Millar took over the Springbok captaincy for the second Test at the Crusaders Ground in PE and his team started well with a try by wing Wally Mills in his only Test appearance. But it then became the Pillman show as the halfback popped up everywhere, from centre to wing to fullback. He created both of his team’s tries (scored by Spoors and English wing Maurice Neale), one with a perfectly-placed tactical kick, and also slotted a difficult conversion. With the series level at 1-1, the third Test at Newlands created more South African public interest in a rugby match than ever before. The tourists lost star fullback Stanley Williams to injury within the first 10 minutes of the match and never recovered as the Springboks scored four tries to claim a convincing 21-5 win. Bok fullback Percy Allport’s try was the most memorable, as he received a kick near halfway, swerved past half of the British pack and then beat the three-quarter cover defence to score. Gideon Roos, Luyt and Koot Reyneke also crossed the line for the hosts, while Spoors scored
1910 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
Score
Venue
6 August
South Africa
14-10
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
27 August
British Isles
8-3
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
3 September
South Africa
21-5
Newlands, Cape Town
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AMATEUR ERA TOURS
a consolation try for the tourists, who left South Africa with a record of 13 wins, three draws and eight losses from their 24 matches.
1924 TOUR
It took the British Isles 14 years to return to South Africa due to the First World War (1914-1918). They would return home as ‘the Lions’ after journalists from both the British Isles and South Africa assigned them the nickname due to the animal on their official ties. (The Lions name was not formally adopted by the team until the 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand.) The Lions suffered bad luck almost from the moment the squad was announced. Several players had to withdraw for various reasons and injuries meant there was a constant juggling of players to field a full team. It was a tough tour for the Lions, captained by England lock Ronald Cove-Smith, who won just nine of their matches and none of the four Tests, with nine defeats and three draws. Four of those victories came in the opening five matches of the tour, against Cape Town, Kimberley, Salisbury and Potchefstroom, before a 7-3 loss in the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban. The star for the Springboks was flyhalf Bennie Osler, who could kick penalties and conversions from almost any angle. Osler slotted a drop goal at a crucial stage of the first Test, before a brilliant break by Bok centre Wally Clarkson led to Hans Aucamp’s try on the wing. Osler was given his preferred scrumhalf partner, Pally Truter, for the second Test at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and the result was a 17-0 win for the Springboks. Wing Kenny Starke, prop Phil Mostert, No 8 Nic van Druten and centre and captain Pierre Albertyn all scored tries. A 3-3 draw in Port Elizabeth was followed by what South African critics dubbed ‘the perfect game of rugby football’ in the final Test in Cape Town, played on a wet and muddy surface. The Lions put up a brave fight but tries from winger Stan Harris and flank Tom Voyce were not enough as South Africa won 16-9 to seal a 3-0 series win. Starke scored two of the Springboks’ four tries and also kicked a drop goal from a difficult angle, while centre Jack Bester and wing Jack Slater also crossed the line. The Lions did at least end their tour with a win when they beat Western Province 8-6.
1938 TOUR SPRINGBOK RUGBY – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
The sixth British Isles tour to South Africa was their
The Newlands Test in 1924 was played in wet, muddy conditions
last before the Second World War (1939-1945). Captained by Ireland prop Sam Walker, the Lions won 17 of their 24 tour matches, but suffered a 2-1 series defeat to a Springbok team that was regarded as unofficial world champions. South Africa had whitewashed the four Home Unions in 1931-32 and won Test series against the Wallabies in Australia and the All Blacks in New Zealand in 1937 under the captaincy of scrumhalf Danie Craven.
Danie Craven leads the Springboks out for the third Test at Newlands in 1938
1924 TEST SERIES RESULTS Score
The Lions won 11 of their 14 matches leading up to the first Test in Johannesburg, including two against Rhodesia in Salisbury and Bulawayo, while their three defeats came against WP Town & Country, Western Province and Transvaal. A penalty goal gave the Lions an early lead at a jam-packed Ellis Park, but it was the Springboks who went into half-time 13-9 ahead. Right wing Dai Williams rounded off a beautiful try after Freddy Turner had cut in from the blindside wing to take Craven’s pass from a scrum, before prop Fanie Louw barged over from close range. Brand’s second-half drop goal from a penalty, from a seemingly impossible angle and distance, broke the Lions’ spirit, and two more Springbok tries, by flyhalf Tony Harris and Williams, completed a 26-12 win. The second Test was played in stifling heat in Port Elizabeth. Flank Ben du Toit and centre Flappie Lochner scored first-half tries, before wing Johnny Bester went over for a try early in the second half to make it 13-0. Turner then kicked two penalties that ensured the Springboks would take an unassailable 2-0 lead into the third Test at Newlands. To their credit, a Lions side that included all eight Irishmen on the tour, came back from 13-3 behind to win 21-16, and Walker was carried off the pitch in glory. The Lions’ four tries were scored by wing Elvet Jones, prop Beef Dancer, flank Bob Alexander and flank Laurie Duff, while Turner, Best and hooker Jan Lotz dotted down for the hosts.
1938 TEST SERIES RESULTS
Date
Winners
Venue
16 August
South Africa
7-3
Kingsmead, Durban
Date
Winners
Score
Venue
23 August
South Africa
17-0
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
6 August
South Africa
26-12
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
13 September
Draw
3-3
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
3 September
South Africa
19-3
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
20 September
South Africa
16-9
Newlands, Cape Town
10 September
British Isles
21-16
Newlands, Cape Town
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AMATEUR ERA TOURS
The 1955 Lions were the first to travel by air and although they drew the four-Test series against South Africa 2-2, they certainly flew into the hearts of all who met them. The decision to travel by plane – although it was a propeller plane rather than a jet engine – shortened the journey to South Africa by one month. In all, it took 36 hours with a number of stop-offs in Zurich, Rome, Cairo, Khartoum, Nairobi, Entebbe and finally Johannesburg. Such was the expectation of the contest that the Rand Daily Mail billed the side led by Ireland lock Robin Thompson as ‘the greatest team ever to visit South Africa’, before a game had been played. For the first time since the turn of the century, the Lions avoided a Test series defeat in South Africa as the Springboks, who had not lost a Test series for nearly 60 years, were forced to settle for a draw. More than 95 000 packed into Ellis Park, a thenworld record for a rugby Test, as the Lions edged a nail-biter 23-22. Trailing 11-8 at half-time, the Lions lost flank Reg Higgins through injury and were forced to play with 14 men for large parts of the second half. But flyhalf Cliff Morgan’s jinking run set them on their way before wing Tony O’Reilly and a fortuitous bounce helped flank Jim Greenwood touch down a fifth try for the visitors, four of which were converted by fullback Angus Cameron. But the Springboks, captained by flank Stephen Fry, fought back well and got to within one point of their opponents when wing Theuns Briers scored his second try with about 30 seconds of injury time remaining. Fullback Jack van der Schyff then stepped up for one of the most famous kicks in rugby history. Though the conversion was not from a difficult angle, the pressure told, as the ball swung past the lefthand upright. Van der Schyff’s head dropped in utter dejection as the Lions celebrated behind the posts, and he would never represent his country again. Stung by the criticism that followed, the Springboks levelled the series with a 25-9 victory at Newlands a fortnight later. They outscored the Lions by seven tries to two, with wing Tom van Vollenhoven
becoming the first Springbok to score a hat-trick of tries in a Test in South Africa. Centre Wilf Rosenberg, fullback Roy Dryburgh, Briers and flank Dawie Ackermann also got their names on the scoresheet. In the first half of the third Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Lions centre Jeff Butterfield kicked what he claimed to be the only drop goal of his career and fullback Doug Baker’s penalty put the tourists 6-0 ahead early in the second half. Butterfield then crossed for the only try of the game, putting the Lions one score clear, and they left Loftus with a 2-1 series lead. The Lions dominated most of the first half of the fourth and final Test at the Crusaders Ground in Port Elizabeth, yet were only able to score one try through Greenwood and it was the Boks who led 5-3 at the break. With their forwards taking full command in the second half, South Africa went on to win 22-8 with tries from Briers (two), flyhalf Clive Ulyate, Van Vollenhoven and No 8 Daan Retief taking their tally for the series to 16 (the Lions notched 10).
1962 TOUR
Arthur Smith’s 1962 Lions needed to make a statement. Avril Malan’s touring Springbok side lost just once on their 1960-61 European tour (to the Barbarians) and the Lions selectors knew that only a pack of formidable size could challenge
Above: Springbok fullback Jack van der Schyff misses what would have been a match-winning conversion at Ellis Park in 1955 Right: Centre John Gainsford on his way to scoring the Springboks’ first try of the first Test at Ellis Park in 1962
1955 TEST SERIES RESULTS
1962 TEST SERIES RESULTS
Date
Winners
Score
Venue
Date
Winners
6 August
Lions
23-22
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
23 June
Draw
3-3
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
20 August
South Africa
25-9
Newlands, Cape Town
21 July
South Africa
3-0
Kings Park, Durban
3 September
Lions
9-6
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
4 August
South Africa
8-3
Newlands, Cape Town
22-8
Crusaders Ground, Port Elizabeth
25 August
South Africa
34-14
24 September South Africa
90 The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide
Score
Venue
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
SPRINGBOK RUGBY – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY
1955 TOUR
the confrontational South Africans. Smith’s forwards were at the time the largest ever to leave Britain and boasted six players over 95kg, including a young Willie John McBride on the first of his five Lions tours. Though the Lions lost the four-Test series 3-0, their immense pack pushed a South African pack bolstered by legendary prop Mof Myburgh to the limit in three attritional Tests. Centre John Gainsford set alight Ellis Park in the first Test after collecting a sharp pass from wing Mannetjies Roux to race over in the corner, before centre Ken Jones equalised with a spectacular score of his own with 10 minutes remaining. Captain Smith could not convert and the Test was drawn 3-3. Only a penalty from Bok flyhalf Keith Oxlee with five minutes to go could down the Lions in the second Test at Kings Park, Durban, with Lions lock Keith Rowlands being denied a last-minute try. Newlands saw its largest ever crowd for a highly anticipated third Test – 55 000 were packed inside, with a reported 4 000 more locked outside. The Boks came from 3-0 down to triumph 8-3, with Oxlee scoring every Bok point for the second week running (one try, conversion and penalty). It was only in the fourth Test when, deprived of Smith’s leadership due to injury, the Lions capitulated to a 34-14 loss in Bloemfontein. Oxlee was exceptional again and grabbed a Test-record 16 points in another match-winning performance. South Africa’s six tries were scored by captain Johan Claassen, Gainsford, winger Mannetjies Roux (two), flank Hugo van Zyl and centre Wang Wyness, while No 8 Mike Campbell-Lamerton, wing Ron Cowan and lock Keith Rowlands dotted down for the tourists. The Lions did end their 25-match tour on a positive note, though, with a 50-0 hammering of East Africa in Nairobi, to finish with a record of 16 wins, four draws and five losses.
TRIPLE ODOR DEFENSE NEW
HEAT MOTION STRESS
1968 TOUR
Tom Kiernan’s 1968 tourists lost the four-Test series against South Africa 3-0 with one match drawn, but they re-established the Lions spirit and took the first steps towards the successes of the 1970s. The squad contained such attacking talents as Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Mike Gibson and Gerald Davies, many of whom would go on to play key parts in the Lions’ coming successes. But the party was ravaged by injury and Edwards, John, Gibson and Davies never appeared in a Test team together, with John’s tour ending with a broken collarbone suffered early in the opening Test. The Springbok pack, meanwhile, contained such greats as Jan Ellis, Tommy Bedford and Piet Greyling in the back row and Frik du Preez at lock. Although the Lions drew the second Test at Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth 6-6 and lost both the first and third by a mere five points, the Springboks scored eight tries to one over the four matches. Only Kiernan’s boot kept the Lions within touching distance as the Irish fullback thumped over a record 35 points in the Tests to account for all but three of his team’s total. The Springboks’ 25-20 win against the Lions in the first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria was more convincing than the score suggests. The two Bok locks, Tiny Naudé and Du Preez, both scored tries, with the latter’s the highlight of the match as he brushed off several tackles and sent Kiernan cartwheeling into touch before barging over the line. Scrumhalf Dawie de Villiers also dotted down for the
Bok flank Thys Lourens follows the pass of Lions scrumhalf Gordon Connell during the 1968 series
Boks, while McBride went over for the Lions, with Kiernan kicking the conversion and five penalties. After drawing the tryless second Test, the Boks secured a series win with an 11-6 victory at Newlands; flank Thys Lourens scoring the only try of the game. South Africa then finished the series with a flourish, scoring four unanswered tries – by flank Ellis, wing Syd Nomis and centres Eben Olivier and Mannetjies Roux – in a 19-6 win at Ellis Park. That left the Lions with a record of 15 wins, one draw and four losses from their 20 tour matches.
1974 TOUR
The Lions followed up their 1971 series triumph against the All Blacks, their first in New Zealand, with another incredible tour that returned 21 wins from 22 matches in South Africa, including victories in the first three Tests (the fourth was drawn). The class of 1974 were dubbed ‘The Invincibles’ after returning from their three-month tour to South Africa undefeated, the first to do so since 1891. With Alun Thomas as manager, Syd Millar as coach and Willie John McBride as captain,
1968 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
Score
Venue
8 June
South Africa
25-20
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
22 June
Draw
6-6
Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
13 July
South Africa
11-6
Newlands, Cape Town
27 July
South Africa
19-6
Ellis Park, Johannesburg Left: Lions scrumhalf Gareth Edwards celebrates a Lions try in 1974
the Lions made a conscious decision to fight fire with fire. In previous tours, key players had been lost to injury in matches against provincial sides, and the Lions camp deemed this a deliberate tactic with Test matches looming. So in 1974 the tourists adopted the ‘99 call’ (originally the ‘999’ call but that took too long to shout out), a policy where all members of the team would gather to retaliate if they felt the opposition were over-indulging in foul play. The Lions went into the first Test against Hannes Marais’ Springboks in Cape Town full of confidence, having won their first seven matches of the tour. In muddy conditions, Lions flyhalf Phil Bennett kicked three penalties and scrumhalf Gareth Edwards a drop goal in a 12-3 win, with the Springboks’ only points coming from the boot of flyhalf Dawie Snyman, who dropped a goal. In the second Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, two tries to winger JJ Williams gave the Lions a 10-3 lead at half-time. Bok flyhalf Gerald Bosch reduced the deficit to four with an early secondhalf penalty, but the Lions then ran rampant, with tries to Bennett, lock Gordon Brown and centre Dick Milliken consigning the Springboks to their heaviest defeat at the time. The third Test in Port Elizabeth was later dubbed the ‘Battle of Boet Erasmus Stadium’. During one of the most violent matches in rugby history, the Lions made the ‘99 call’ with fullback JPR Williams running more than half the length of the field to launch himself at Bok lock Moaner van Heerden. The game is best remembered for its physicality but there was some great rugby played. Having ridden out the storm of the Boks’ initial assault, Brown bundled over from a lineout as the Lions led 7-3 at the break. The tourists really turned the screw in the second half, and Williams bagged a double as the Port Elizabeth crowd were treated to a Lions masterclass. The Lions had shown in no uncertain terms they could not be bullied and two tries from Williams and one from Brown wrapped up a 26-9 victory and, with it, the series. After completing their clean sweep of victories against provincial opponents, the Lions aimed to get up for one final game, the fourth Test at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Flyhalf Jackie Snyman kicked an early penalty for the hosts, before Lions flank Roger Uttley replied with a converted try. Snyman restored parity with another penalty but wing Andy Irvine’s try gave the Lions a 10-6 lead at the break.
1974 TEST SERIES RESULTS
92 The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide
Date
Winners
8 June
Lions
Score 12-3
Venue Newlands, Cape Town
22 June
Lions
28-9
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
13 July
Lions
26-9
Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
27 July
Draw
13-13
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
SPRINGBOK RUGBY – AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY/GETTY IMAGES
AMATEUR ERA TOURS
AMATEUR ERA TOURS
Centre Peter Cronjé levelled the scores when he crossed the tryline for the Springboks and Snyman then struck his third penalty. But Irvine stepped up with four minutes to go to make it 13-13 and secure the Lions’ only unbeaten tour in the post-war era.
1980 TOUR
Injuries are part and parcel of any Lions tour but the 1980 tourists were unluckier than any side that came before. The coaching team of Syd Millar and Noel Murphy picked an original 30-man squad but a further eight players were called on during the tour to fly over as reinforcements. Most of the injuries occurred in the backline – the Lions used eight different halfback pairings in the first eight games of the tour. The rate of injuries was ‘frightening’ according to Bill Beaumont, the captain of the tour after leading England to the Grand Slam earlier that year. The Springboks, captained by No 8 Morné du Plessis, were able to regain the pride they had lost in 1974 with a 3-1 Test series victory. In the first Test at Newlands, the Boks outscored the Lions by five tries to one, but five penalties and a drop goal from Lions flyhalf Tony Ward kept his side in the game. With time almost up, the scores were locked at 22-22 when a Bok drive brought play right
up to the Lions’ tryline. Flank Rob Louw popped the ball to scrumhalf Divan Serfontein, who dived over for the match-winner. The Boks’ other tries were scored by centre Willie du Plessis, wing Gerrie Germishuys, Louw and lock Moaner van Heerden. In the second Test at Free State Stadium, the Boks won by a more comfortable margin than the 26-19 scoreline would suggest, with Louw, flank Theuns Stofberg, Germishuys and fullback Gysie Pienaar crossing the line. The Lions had to win the third Test in Port Elizabeth to keep the series alive and they looked set to do so when a try from wing Bruce Hay put them into a 7-3 lead at half-time. But a drop goal and penalty by flyhalf Naas Botha kept the Boks in the game. Then, with 10 minutes to go, Botha’s kick into the corner was booted into touch by Lions wing Clive Woodward. Germishuys collected the ball as quickly as possible and threw it to Stofberg, who drew the
defence before putting Germishuys over in the left corner. In windy conditions, Botha held his nerve to slot the touchline conversion and give the Boks a 12-10 win, and the series. While the Lions were gutted, Beaumont was able to rally the troops for the fourth Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and they claimed an impressive 17-13 victory. Prop Clive Williams, fullback Andy Irvine and flank John O’Driscoll scored the Lions’ tries, and Willie du Plessis dotted down for South Africa. The 1980 Lions tour had gone ahead despite opposition from the British government and groups opposed to sporting contact with apartheid South Africa. It would be another 17 years before the men in red returned to South African shores. Sources: Springbok Saga by Chris Greyvenstein; The Complete Book of Springbok Rugby Records by Kobus Smit; LionsRugby.com.
1980 TEST SERIES RESULTS Date
Winners
Score
31 May
South Africa
26-22
Venue Newlands, Cape Town
14 June
South Africa
26-19
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
28 June
South Africa
12-10
Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
12 July
Lions
17-13
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Morné du Plessis is held aloft after the Springboks clinched the 1980 series at Boet Erasmus Stadium
The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide 93
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MARK KEOHANE COLUMN
The old man tipped the Lions to win this one A fervid rugby rivalry cherished by a Lions fanatic and his Springbok-supporting son, veteran rugby writer Mark Keohane remembers his late father’s last words on the 2021 tour
M
MIKE BRETT/GETTY IMAGES
y late father was from the north of England, my grandfather was from the valleys of Wales and my great grandfather was from Cork, Ireland. When the British & Irish Lions came to South Africa, it was something of a homecoming for my old man. He lived most of his adult life in South Africa and New Zealand but Daniel Alfred Keohane was all British & Irish Lion. I was just six years old when Willie John McBride’s 1974 Invincibles tortured the soul of every South African rugby supporter. I don’t remember much from the tour other than the disbelief I would see on the faces of local grown men every time the Springboks lost. Willie John … JPR Williams and JJ Williams … those were the names in 1974 that made the old man beam. In 1980, I was 12 years old and very much into the Lions being in South Africa. It was a huge occasion for the family and we got to see the Lions play in Stellenbosch and at Newlands against Western Province. The Lions won both matches and my father was very chipper on the way home. We couldn’t get a ticket to the Newlands Test match but our lounge room was as good as being at the ground for a Test series the old man was convinced his beloved Lions couldn’t lose. He would gift me one Springbok Test victory on the basis that the class of 1980, while good, were not in the class of Willie John’s 1974 super men. I loved being old enough in 1980 to appreciate having the Lions in South Africa and I was intrigued by the coming together of the four Home Nations. I had grown up with stories of the Arms Park, in particular, and of the Lions and Welsh teams of the 1970s. I was versed in the history of the Lions. In our household, there was no other way. My scrapbook attested to my passion for the Lions and the posters of the Springboks on my bedroom wall spoke to my love for the men in green and gold.
I do believe he may have gone to his grave having never forgiven Ollie Campbell for missing a kick at the Boet
The old man had bemoaned the first two Test defeats at Newlands and Bloemfontein. Tony Ward had given him hope in Cape Town, but the strain was evident after the Boks led the series 2-0. The third Test at Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth would determine the Lions’ fate and my father was convinced that Lions flyhalf Ollie Campbell would be sending me to bed with tears still streaming. I had faith in Naas Botha. Our afternoon played out with a crazed inevitability. Naas was brilliant in kicking a penalty, a drop goal and a touchline conversion. It bucketed with rain in Port Elizabeth and, in the mud and slush of Boet Erasmus, Campbell missed with a kick for victory. The old man cursed Campbell with profanities I hadn’t heard. He cursed everything about the Lions flyhalf in that moment and I do believe
he may have gone to his grave having never forgiven Campbell for missing a kick at the Boet. He did, however, acknowledge that Naas could kick, although he used more of a descriptive than Naas’ name. The old man was back in New Zealand in 1997 when Neil Jenkins kicked five penalties, Scott Gibbs ran over Os du Randt and Jeremy Guscott’s drop goal beat the Springboks in Durban. I was in the press seats, this time writing about it. I called him before he could call me. He appreciated my grace but he knew how much I was hurting. In 2009, he texted me before I could call him. ‘Great series, great occasion, great kick. F**k World Cups … there’s nothing greater than the Lions playing the Springboks in South Africa. The next one is ours.’ And by ‘ours’ he meant the British & Irish Lions.
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PROFESSIONAL ERA TOURS
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PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL ERA ERATOURS TOURS
ECSTASY, AGONY & REDEMPTION IN 1997, THE LIONS SHRUGGED OFF THEIR UNDERDOG STATUS TO CLAIM A 2-1 SERIES WIN AGAINST THE SPRINGBOKS. TWELVE YEARS LATER, THEY LEFT A LASTING LEGACY DESPITE
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
LOSING AN EPIC, FIERCELY-FOUGHT BATTLE
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1997 TOUR
Jeremy Guscott scored the first try of the 1997 tour to South Africa and then kicked a drop goal in the second Test at Kings Park to clinch the series as the British & Irish Lions celebrated their first quest of the professional era. Four years after a Grant Fox penalty ultimately consigned the Lions to a series loss in New Zealand, Guscott’s drop goal secured a 2-1 series victory in South Africa, the Lions’ first successful trip since 1989 and first win in the Republic since 1974. With Ian McGeechan heading up an unprecedented third tour, the Lions were galvanised by being written off as rank underdogs. This mental fortitude manifested in committed defence and, along with the boot of Neil Jenkins, allowed the tourists to take advantage of South Africa’s unexpected goal-kicking woes to settle the series in the second Test at Kings Park in Durban. The 1997 tour was historic in that it marked the first time the tourists would measure themselves against the reigning world champions. With the advent of professional rugby casting doubt over the sustainability of the Lions, the Springboks were billed as clear favourites to demolish a touring team made up of players coming off an underwhelming Five Nations championship that had been won by France. Just two years removed from stopping Jonah Lomu and the All Blacks at the 1995 World Cup, the Bok squad featured key members of that victorious group. André Joubert, James Small, Japie Mulder and the indomitable Joost van der Westhuizen were chaperoned by a pack that featured the adamantine trio of Ruben Kruger, Mark Andrews and Os du
‘We really wanted someone in the heart of the battle. Martin was superb, both as a captain and a player’ – Fran Cotton Randt. But an impressive lineup of veritable talent belied a disjointed team at a crossroads under a rookie coach. In February of 1997, André Markgraaff resigned as Bok coach after a recording of him making racist remarks was published. The world champions had won just one match in a disappointing 1996 Tri-Nations campaign which is remembered for the controversial sacking of World Cup hero Francois Pienaar. The ignominious exit of one Bok coach was followed by the appointment of the youngest head coach in team history. Former Bok wing Carel du Plessis (36) took the job on very little coaching experience and with what were at the time considered to be quite unconventional ideas. The Lions had also experienced a fair bit of turbulence in the build-up to the series. England won three of four matches in that year’s Five Nations championship while Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined for just three wins.
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Much to the consternation of som in the media, England players – some of them not yet internationals – consequently dominated McGeechan’s initial training group. There were 18 England players on the final 35-man roster and four more joined the team during the tour to mitigate injuries. McGeechan’s squad balanced the experience of veterans such as Wales wing Ieuan Evans, England prop Jason Leonard and Scotland flyer Alan Tait with the exciting potential of relative greenhorns Richard Hill, Will Greenwood, Matt Dawson and Austin Healey. McGeechan also called up six former rugby league players, including winger John Bentley and centre Scott Gibbs. ‘I’d never met Gibbs before, but he was so intimidating,’ said assistant coach Jim Telfer. ‘He used to shout at his opposite centre, “I’m going to get you!” It lifted the spirits of the other fellas ... nothing fazed him at all.’ Uncompromising England lock Martin Johnson was selected to captain the Lions and, with 32 caps, he was at the time twice as experienced as Bok counterpart Gary Teichmann. ‘We really wanted someone in the heart of the battle,’ Lions manager Fran Cotton said of Johnson. ‘Martin was superb, both as a captain and a player.’ Guscott announced the Lions’ arrival in the tour opener, cutting the line to dot down under the uprights in a 39-11 win against an Eastern Province Invitational XV in Port Elizabeth. In the absence of Bok players who had been withdrawn from the warm-up matches, wingers Evans and Bentley were prolific
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PROFESSIONAL ERA TOURS
try-scorers as the Lions picked off Border, Western Province and Mpumalanga in quick succession. Ambushed by Northern Transvaal at Loftus Versfeld, the tourists then rebounded against the Gauteng Lions at Ellis Park where Bentley scored the most impressive individual try of the tour, weaving between six defenders to score a 70m screamer in a tight victory. This was followed by a big win against Natal, where Jenkins kicked 24 points, and success against the Emerging Springboks in Wellington. Armed with the confidence of seven wins from eight matches, the Lions were charged up for the first Test. Flyhalf options Jenkins, Gregor Townsend and Paul Grayson had spent these matches vying to start the Test series. McGeechan opted for Townsend and rewarded Jenkins with the No 15 jersey for his unflappable goal-kicking. It proved to be a masterstroke. The injury withdrawal of Rob Howley thrust young Dawson into a halfback combination with fellow 24-year-old Townsend that deferred in size and experience to the Bok duo of Van der Westhuizen (26) and Henry Honiball (31). The tourists made an ominous start to the Test series as Jenkins hoofed the opening kick-off directly into touch, followed by the Boks shunting the Lions front row of Tom Smith, Keith Wood and Paul Wallace at the ensuing scrum. A seething Newlands Stadium thundered triumphantly when Du Randt scored from a Bok lineout drive to give the hosts an 8-3
Above: Lions centre Scott Gibbs smashes Springbok wing André Snyman during the first Test at Newlands in 1997
lead after 23 minutes. In what would become a theme of the series, centre Edrich Lubbe missed the conversion, bringing his strike rate on the day to one from three, before he was yanked from the game. Jenkins was kicking well, out of hand and at goal and, somewhat against the run of play, he split the uprights twice more to give the tourists a 9-8 lead at the break. The Boks immediately reclaimed the lead when replacement winger Russell Bennett scored in the left corner with his first touch of the ball, and this time it was Honiball who sprayed the kick wide of the mark. Honiball and Jenkins traded penalties to leave the hosts with a one-point lead going into the final quarter, before a moment of magic from Dawson brought the travelling supporters to their feet and full voice. The scrumhalf broke blind from an attacking, right-hand scrum, divided Teichmann and Bennett, freezing the Bok skipper and Van der Westhuizen with an audacious, one-handed dummy pass inside before pinning his ears back to win the race to the line for a spectacular try. Minutes later, Gibbs launched from another scrum on the right and Jenkins fed Tait for the score. In the end, superior goal-kicking coupled with dogged defence – which had kept the world champions scoreless for the final halfhour – were the catalysts for a 25-16 Lions victory. One week later at Kings Park in Durban, the recipe again proved mightily effective. After the Lions’ dirt-trackers won a shootout against Orange Free State, McGeechan’s only change for the second Test was to promote Bentley to start on the right wing. Du Plessis kept faith in his pack but showed his inexperience by shedding veterans from his backline, dropping Lubbe for Danie
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PROFESSIONAL ERA TOURS
van Schalkwyk and then replacing World Cup winners Mulder and Small with debutants Percy Montgomery and Pieter Rossouw. Montgomery, Joubert and Van der Westhuizen crossed for the only three tries of the match as the Boks clattered into the reeling Lions with a fervour bordering on assault. But none of those tries were converted as the goal-kicking triumvirate of Honiball, Montgomery and Joubert failed to land a single shot at goal on the day. The hallmark of the match was a band of outgunned Lions tacklers rallying to absorb and repel waves of attack, a defensive effort characterised at one point by Gibbs thundering into Honiball to force a crucial knock-on. Jenkins’ consistent accuracy complemented his teammates’ selfless tackling to keep the tourists in the hunt as he matched South Africa’s points haul through five penalties that set the stage for Guscott to shine. With four minutes to go, Wood turned the ball over at a wide breakdown and hacked it down the left touchline. The hooker chased his kick, forcing Montgomery to toe the loose ball into touch for a Lions lineout. Middle jumper Jeremy Davidson collected the throw in and the Lions set the maul. Townsend ran onto a flat ball and was chopped down on the 5m line with forwards in close support. Guscott dropped into the pocket. Dawson zipped him a pass. The Lions centre glanced at the uprights, looked down and followed through on the drop goal, sending the ball over the outstretched arms of Honiball and the crossbar, and into the stands to seal a series-clinching 18-15 victory as Kings Park erupted.
LIONS’ 1997 TOUR RESULTS Date
Opponents
Result
Score
Venue
24 May
Eastern Province XV
Won
39-11
Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth
28 May
Border
Won
18-14
Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London
31 May
Western Province
Won
38-21
Newlands, Cape Town
4 June
Mpumalanga
Won
64-14
Johann van Riebeeck Stadium, Witbank
7 June
Northern Transvaal
Lost
30-35 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
11 June
Gauteng Lions
Won
20-14
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
14 June
Natal
Won
42-12
Kings Park, Durban
17 June
Emerging Springboks
Won
51-22
Boland Stadium, Wellington
21 June
South Africa
Won
25-16
Newlands, Cape Town
24 June
Orange Free State
Won
52-30 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
28 June
South Africa
Won
18-15
Kings Park, Durban
1 July
Northern Free State
Won
67-39
North West Stadium
5 July
South Africa
Lost
16-35
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
GETTY IMAGES
‘The sense of elation I felt when I saw the drop soar between the posts will stay with me forever’ – Jeremy Guscott
‘The sense of elation I felt when I saw the drop soar between the posts will stay with me forever,’ said Guscott. With morale levels soaring in the Lions camp, the midweek team again prevailed, beating Northern Free State 67-39. But even though the tourists had earned the opportunity to sweep South Africa, the physical and emotional strain of the tour had taken a heavy toll. The injury list was growing. McGeechan rang the changes for the third Test at Ellis Park, deploying South African-born Mike Catt at flyhalf where he duelled Jannie de Beer on debut in one of six changes to Du Plessis’ starting lineup. Finally, the Bok goal-kicker successfully converted two of four tries and added three penalties as South Africa salvaged some respect with a 35-16 victory. Meanwhile, the tourists celebrated an epic series victory that proved to be the Lions’ last for 16 years.
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The 2009 Lions failed to repeat the heroics of the 1997 tour and left South Africa with a 2-1 series defeat after Morné Steyn drilled a 53m penalty goal on the final whistle of the decisive second Test. However, what the most recent Lions tourists to the Republic did achieve was the restoration of respect for the fabled red jersey, and a rejuvenation of belief in the value to the game of this great touring team. The Lions returned to South Africa in 2009 with a record of one win from seven Tests played after Guscott’s famous drop goal at Kings Park. This placed the future of the touring team ostensibly on the line in a looming tour to once again battle the world champions in South Africa. The Lions reappointed the one coach familiar with the demands of the unique challenge. And so McGeechan led his fourth tour and this time his mission was two-fold – beat South Africa, and save the Lions. The 62-year-old failed on one count. Missed opportunities cost the Lions the first Test and, though the second is recorded as one of the greatest in the long history of this rivalry, South Africa denied the tourists with a heart-breaking penalty at the death. The Lions wouldn’t have realised it at the time but they faced arguably the greatest Bok team. Several members of the triumphant 2007 World Cup squad Ireland lock Paul O’Connell anchored the side that went on to claim the 2009 Triled the Lions in 2009 Nations title, the quality of which is borne out by the likes of Schalk Burger, Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha and Juan Smith later enjoying illustrious club careers in Europe during the twilight of their careers. A dozen members of McGeechan’s 2009 squad experienced historic club success just one week prior to the commencement of the tour, with centre Brian O’Driscoll and No 8 Jamie Heaslip among those who boosted Leinster to their first European Champions Cup title. In contrast to the 1997 tour, McGeechan was able to line his squad with players who had been successful for club and country as Ireland claimed their first European championship since 1985 and first Grand Slam since 1948. Paul O’Connell, who led the tour on the strength of having captained Ireland in four Tests, was one of 14 players from the Emerald Isle named in the original 37-man squad. Having won in the Republic with Europe’s also-rans in 1997, McGeechan was bullish about the Lions’ chances in 2009, an optimism perhaps gleaned from having watched the Boks lurch during the first season of Peter de Villiers’ reign. South Africa see-sawed from an exhilarating win against the All Blacks in Dunedin to a 19-0 defeat against New Zealand at Newlands. And on the yearend tour of Europe in 2008, Wales and Scotland lost to the world champions by a combined nine points before the Boks hammered England 42-6. However, the Lions’ confidence found some context in a sluggish start to the tour in Rustenburg. Against the Royal XV, late tries from fullback Lee Byrne, lock Alun Wyn Jones and flyhalf Ronan O’Gara rescued the tourists from what would have been their first defeat in the opening tour match since 1971. McGeechan’s plan for the six matches leading up to the Test series was to provide most of his players with two opportunities to impress. Jamie Roberts, Ugo Monye and Tommy Bowe did just that, each scoring a brace in a 10-try win against the Golden Lions at Ellis Park, and James Hook’s goal-kicking decided a nail-biting 26-24 victory against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. McGeechan then fielded 10 of his first-choice players in a 39-3 demolition of the Sharks in Durban before Hook’s boot helped a second-string Lions outfit log a 26-23 result against Western Province at Newlands one week before the opening Test.
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The young Wales flyhalf would have been greatly disappointed when, 12 minutes into an untidy 20-8 win against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth, injury forced him to make way for O’Gara. Hook’s countrymen, halfbacks Mike Phillips and Stephen Jones, were named to start in Durban. Though O’Gara was an unused substitute in the first Test, he would play an unfortunate role in deciding the second, and ultimately the series. The Lions scrum had been a dominant feature of the warmup matches and the camp made no secret of their belief that the Bok scrum was an area to be targeted. Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis and Bok captain John Smit teamed up against the Lions’ front row of Gethin Jenkins, Lee Mears and Phil Vickery in the opening Test at Kings Park to quickly dispel the notion. It was from an attacking scrum that Smit burst through to score after five minutes. And soon after, 23-year-old Mtawarira emphatically expelled veteran England tighthead Vickery from a scrum. When the Lions did manage to successfully launch from an attacking set piece, Jean de Villiers scrambled to rip the ball from Monye’s grasp as the winger grappled to dot down. Twice more in the final quarter the Lions failed to finish with the tryline at their mercy as Phillips lost the ball across the line, while Morné Steyn added to Monye’s despair, forcing a knock-on from the Lions flyer in the act of scoring. Though the tourists took heart from having dominated the second half with two tries, their resurgence could be traced to a rash of surprising Bok substitutions in the third quarter that took the heat off the Lions’ set piece. McGeechan’s hopes of a jumpstart from the midweek team were ruined when the Lions were held to a 13-13 stalemate at Newlands by an outstanding touchline conversion from Emerging Springboks flyhalf Willem de Waal. The sudden swing in fortunes concentrated the Lions’ focus. McGeechan powered-up his tight five for the crucial Test in
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2009 TOUR
PROFESSIONAL ERA TOURS
Pretoria, with Matthew Rees and Adam Jones replacing Mears and Vickery while the gritty Simon Shaw took over from Alun Wyn Jones in the second row, and Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney replaced Monye and Byrne in the back three respectively. For the Boks, Heinrich Brüssow dropped to the bench as Schalk Burger started in his 50th appearance for South Africa, but the legendary loose forward was sent back to the sidelines shortly after the second Test kicked off. French referee Christophe Berdos flashed his yellow card at Burger for attempting to eye-gouge Fitzgerald in the first minute and Stephen Jones converted the ensuing penalty – the first of five on the day – adding one more to go with a drop goal and the conversion of Kearney’s try as the tourists streaked into a 16-8 half-time lead from behind a more stable set piece. The match was reduced to uncontested scrums early in the second half as Gethin Jenkins (concussion) and Adam Jones (shoulder) left, and the fact that this worked in South Africa’s favour highlighted the improvement of the Lions’ tight five in the second Test. Ruan Pienaar missed two penalties in a scoreless third quarter before Jones’ third penalty was met with a Habana try from an uncontested scrum. Pienaar made way for Morné Steyn – much to the delight of the Bulls-heavy crowd in attendance – and the local hero added the extras before trading penalties with Jones to make it 22-18 with 10 minutes remaining. The Boks had their tails up when sustained attack resulted in the try of the series. Jaque Fourie, pinned near the right touchline, ran over O’Gara and then
powered through the attempted double-hit of Phillips and Bowe to dot down in the corner, rounding off a world-class individual effort to put South Africa into the lead for the first time in the match. Steyn nailed a magnificent touchline conversion but a Jones penalty levelled the scores with two minutes to go. With 30 ticks remaining in regulation time, O’Gara collected the ball deep in his 22. The replacement flyhalf chose not to hoof it into touch and defend for the draw. Instead, he carried the ball out to his 30 and hoisted a contestable that came down just inside enemy territory. O’Gara was there to meet it, but he had failed to account for Fourie du Preez jumping into the drop zone to field the catch and he upended the airborne Bok scrumhalf right in front of Berdos. The Frenchman didn’t hesitate to put the whistle to his lips. The deafening roar from Bok fans almost drowned out the deep grown from red-clad Lions supporters in the capacity crowd. O’Gara was visibly distraught as he trudged back with the game clock registering 80 minutes. Morné Steyn asked for the ball at his home ground. Smit entrusted the rookie with a careerdefining shot at goal. Loftus had been home to Steyn for six seasons, but he was 24 and making just his second appearance for South Africa off the bench. ‘I trained at Loftus every day so I knew it was definitely in my range,’ Steyn remembered.
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Ronan O’Gara collides with an airborne Fourie du Preez in the 80th minute of the second Test at Loftus Versfeld
History shows that he was right as his kick cleared the crossbar between the posts and landed on the dead-ball line. ‘You spend hours and hours on the field for kicks like that to win a game,’ he said afterwards. ‘It’s something you dream of since you start playing rugby.’ His dream was the Lions’ nightmare. As the Bok bench stormed the field, Paul O’Connell stood in disbelief. The field was littered with broken players in red jerseys. South Africa revelled in the glory of having avenged the 1997 tour as the wounded Lions slinked into their camp in search of sanctuary from a gut-wrenching loss. Though they may have felt it offered them somewhere to hide, there was no time for it. One week was all that separated a battered and demoralised squad from the third Test. It was clear by the large patches of vacant seats at Ellis Park that the
DAVID ROGERS/SHAUN BOTTERILL/ALEX LIVESEY/GETTY IMAGES
‘You spend hours and hours on the field for kicks like that to win a game’ – Morné Steyn
PROFESSIONAL ERA TOURS
‘We can leave a legacy in this last game, in this jersey, for the players to pick up in four years’ time’ – Ian McGeechan
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
South African rugby community viewed the match as nothing more than a dead rubber. Having lost the series, McGeechan was at the opposite end of the spectrum, daunted by what the repercussions of another winless tour would mean for the future of a rugby tradition he had devoted much of his life to. On the eve of the third Test, he dug deep to convey to his squad the importance of ending the tour with a win. ‘They’ve said there’s nothing to play for, it’s a dead series,’ he said of reports in the South African press. ‘I think we’ve everything to play for, because today will determine what we are. ‘It will say everything about us. The biggest thing about what you earn in this jersey is a respect and a reputation; that’s the biggest thing you can ever have for what you do and what you stand for. ‘We can leave a legacy in this last game, in this jersey, for the players to pick up in four years’ time. For four years, we can make sure that when people think about the Lions, they think good. They’ll think about you, they’ll think about this performance, and they can live with it for four years. ‘Some of you might be there to pick up the next jersey; some of us won’t be. Please, please give them something to play for and something to understand. ‘Good luck. Play for everything we want that jersey to be, and everything you’ve made it so far. All the best, boys.’ As the players cleared the team room, the coach broke down in tears, sobbing in the arms of scrum coach Graham Rowntree. The Bok scrum lost the power of Bakkies Botha (cited for dangerous play at Loftus) and Burger to suspensions for the final Test, and Peter de Villiers opted to field several secondstringers at Ellis Park. While McGeechan also fielded a rejigged team, his squad had been ravaged by injuries. Some of those who were promoted to undertake a desperate rescue mission were the last man standing in their position. In the absence of crocked centres Jamie Roberts and O’Driscoll, Ireland winger Tommy Bowe was deployed in a midfield combination with Riki Flutey. The scope of McGeechan’s redemption mission was not limited to the collective. Vickery and Monye were recalled and both seized upon the opportunity to atone for their role in the Durban defeat. Vickery answered the call first, popping Mtawarira and hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle at the opening scrum to win a penalty. Jones
converted to put the Lions into a lead they would never relinquish as winger Shane Williams crossed twice in eight minutes to give the tourists a 15-6 advantage at the break. South Africa regrouped to push back in the second half of the match. However, just as the momentum threatened to swing
LIONS’ 2009 TOUR RESULTS Date
Opponents
30 May
Royal XV
Result
Score
Venue
Won
37-25
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Rustenburg Ellis Park, Johannesburg
3 June
Golden Lions
Won
74-10
6 June
Free State Cheetahs
Won
26-24
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
10 June
Sharks
Won
39-3
Kings Park, Durban Newlands, Cape Town
13 June
Western Province
Won
26-23
16 June
Southern Kings
Won
20-8
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
20 June
South Africa
Lost
21-26
Kings Park, Durban
23 June
Emerging Springboks
Drew
13-13
Newlands, Cape Town
27 June
South Africa
Lost
25-28
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
4 July
South Africa
Won
28-9
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Below: Pumped up winger Ugo Monye after scoring a breakaway try in the Lions’ record win against the Springboks at Ellis Park
in the Springboks’ favour, Monye stepped forward to clear his name. Vickery and O’Connell were in the vanguard as the Lions repelled a Bok maul from an attacking lineout. But South Africa refused to be denied and attempted to launch their backs with slow ball. Monye read it perfectly – as Wynand Olivier skipped Jaque Fourie in search of fullback Zane Kirchner, the Lions winger intercepted the pass just inside his 22, rocketing away for an 80m try and a 22-6 lead with 25 minutes to go. Though Flutey was forced off at the end of the third quarter, moving scrumhalf Mike Phillips into an emergency midfield combination, the tourists continued to control territory as the Boks held onto the ball, launching a frenetic hunt for a deficitgobbling try that inevitably reaped nothing more than three points from the boot of Morné Steyn. And when Jones split the uprights with two late penalties, a series-sweep was out of reach. The mission had been accomplished – a patchwork Lions outfit had defended their badge. The South African media was puzzled by the sudden wave of euphoria that crashed over the Lions camp, but time would reveal the scale of the result as the depleted 2009 Lions became the only team to beat the world champions in the 11 Tests spanning 12 months to August 2009.
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SCOTT GIBBS COLUMN
South Africa’s rugby fanaticism is infectious
I
was blessed and privileged to play 15 matches for the British & Irish Lions, which included five Test matches. I toured New Zealand in 1993, South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001. Each tour is special, but for me, as a Lion, there is the tour to South Africa and then the rest. As a player, it is the one tour you want to experience. The weather generally is a gift, every city has a different feel to it, there is such cultural diversity among the people and there is such a love
I was fortunate to play a part in what was an incredible group effort in winning the series in Durban on what was one of the biggest nights of my professional sporting career
for the game. It’s so raw in its energy and so wild. It’s a country that’s got edge. You don’t get a greater test of your rugby ability than touring New Zealand and I will always have fond memories of those nine weeks because I made my Lions debut against the All Blacks in 1993, but what sets South Africa apart is that the tour experience is just magnificent. The rugby is guaranteed to be tough, but it’s the supporters who make it that much more difficult or delightful. I know the experience of South Africa will be different this time because of teams staying in restricted bio-bubbles, but even in some form of isolation the players and management won’t be able to escape the fanaticism of the South African public when it comes to rugby and their beloved Springboks. When it comes to playing rugby in South Africa, you know you aren’t lining up against just 15 players. You play an entire country and the atmosphere is always electric, at the ground and in the week as the hype builds to the Test matches. You have to earn the respect of the South African supporter through your performance and when you do, they will laud you as they do their
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own players. I read a quote where Brian O’Driscoll said the thing about touring South Africa is that they just get it. I concur, the South Africans absolutely get it in how they respond to having the Lions in their country. I was fortunate to experience success against the Springboks in 1997 and to play a part in an incredible group effort in winning the series in Durban on what was one of the biggest nights of my professional sporting career, rugby union and rugby league. It is a memory that will never fade. I will never forget the collision when I bounced the manmountain and magnificent World Cup-winning prop Os du Randt, but my biggest recollection is how Neil Jenkins kicked South Africa out of the game in that series-winning second Test in Durban. My Os moment perhaps lifted the guys, but the biggest factor in that Test series wasn’t my run. It was Jenkins and he, more than anybody else, was the totem of that tour and won that Test series for us. I certainly didn’t do it with one run and a couple of tackles. It needs a bit more than that to beat the world champion Springboks in South Africa.
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
Bio-bubbles will do little to filter the tourists from what is the greatest rugby adventure, writes the Lions legend, who was Player of the Series in 1997
LIONS’ SA PROVINCIAL HISTORY
T
he Vodacom Bulls are the only South African provincial team to have beaten the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in the professional era and they are the last South African provincial team to have won against the men in red since the completion of the 1968 tour to South Africa. Provincial wins have not come easy for the South African teams against the tourists. The exception was in 1903 when Western Province Country, Western Province Towns and Western Province beat the British Isles (the Lions name was only officially adopted in 1950) three times in four days at Newlands, starting with a 13-7
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win on 9 July and culminating with an 8-4 win for Western Province on 13 July. WP Towns were reportedly outstanding in beating the tourists 12-3 on 11 July. To show it was no fluke result, WP also drew 3-3 with the British Isles at the end of the tour. The British Isles had gone 40 matches and two tours without defeat in South Africa in provincial and Test matches. South Africa won for the first time (5-0) in the final Test in 1896. Cape Town, and specifically Newlands, then turned into a nightmare for the visitors in 1903. And, up north, Transvaal (now the Emirates Lions) did the double on the tourists, a feat Griquas repeated by beating the British Isles twice in four days.
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
THE LIONS CUT DOWN SOUTH AFRICA’S PROVINCIAL RESISTANCE FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, A GLEAMING RECORD BLIGHTED BY A LEGENDARY LOSS AT LOFTUS VERSFELD IN 1997
PROFESSIONAL LIONS’ SA PROVINCIAL HISTORY ERA TOURS
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In 1910, Griquas again did the double over the tourists as Kimberley also played host to the Cape Colony’s 19-0 win. That remains the second biggest in South Africa (outside of Tests) against the Lions, with Eastern Province shutting out the tourists 20-0 at the Crusaders Ground in Port Elizabeth in 1955. The local Lions have enjoyed the most success of any South African provincial team, winning six times, and they’ll be eager to increase that tally when the eight-match schedule of the 2021 tour begins at Ellis Park. Western Province Country (four wins), Griquas (four wins) and Western Province (three wins) enjoyed success against the Lions in the early to mid-1900s. Since then, there hasn’t been much joy for the South African provincial powerhouses. The Transvaal team of 1968 won 14-6 and that, coupled with the Bulls’ 35-30 win at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria in 1997, has been the highlight of South Africa’s provincial challenge. The dominance of the Lions over South Africa’s provincial teams is reflective of the strength of every Lions squad to have toured since 1891. The Lions, in a professional era that has totalled two tours and 17 non-Test matches, have rarely
BRITISH ISLES’ 1903 NEWLANDS NIGHTMARE On 13 July 1903, Western Province, captained by Barry Heatlie (left), beat the British Isles 8-4 at Newlands to complete the most remarkable week in Newlands rugby history. WP Country had beaten the tourists 13-7 on 9 July, with WP Towns (also captained by Heatlie) winning their match 12-3 two days later. WP would play the British Isles again on the tour, in the second last match, which ended in a 3-3 draw. The Springboks’ 8-0 victory in the third Test at Newlands meant the visitors lost all five of their matches at the venue in 1903.
EP DO THE LIONS DOUBLE
The dominance of the Lions over South Africa’s provincial teams is reflective of the strength of every Lions squad to have toured since 1891
Western Province Country – C de Villiers, JA Loubser, JD Krige, JC Faure, T Lochner, AF Markotter (c), D Mare; SG Heatlie, C Hahn, S Hugo, G Murray, HC Daneel, DJ Brink, A Moller, D Hamman. Western Province Towns – W Reid, J Barry, W van Renen, R Solomon, FW Herbert, T Hobson, HW Carolin; BH Heatlie (c), J Ashley, J Birbeck, JS Jackson, C Brown, J Anderson, JS du Plessis. Western Province – W van Renen, J Barry, JC Faure, JD Krige, JA Loubser, HW Carolin, T Hobson; BH Heatlie (c), SG Heatlie, C Brown, JA Anderson, JS Jackson, J Birbeck, DJ Brink, G Murray.
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Eastern Province beat the British Isles 14-6 in 1924 and repeated the feat with a 20-0 victory against the Lions in 1955. Eastern Province (1924) – FJ Anderson, J Slater, C Keey, T Jefferys, A Coetzee, T Michau, A van Heerden; W Crockhart, N Coetzee, TC White, J Wilken, WS Jacobs, M Loftus, J Fourie, JB Dold. Eastern Province (1955) – R Griffiths, S Visagie, S Pearson, R Nieuwenhuizen, K Watson, T Mills, N Singleton; AJJ du Plooy (c), C Kroon, N Fick, R Johnson, D Staples, R Griesel, W Cunningham, D Schonken.
Above: Lions captain Paul O’Connell gets to grips with Free State Cheetahs prop Wian du Preez in Bloemfontein 12 years ago Below: Lions wing John Bentley beats the dispairing dive of Western Province centre Robbie Fleck to score a try at Newlands in 1997
LIONS’ SA PROVINCIAL HISTORY
MIKE EGERTON/DAVID ROGERS/ALEX LIVESEY/GETTY IMAGES
been troubled in South Africa. It says everything about the pedigree of the tourists when you combine the talents of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. According to reports and rugby historians, there were some mighty provincial match-ups in which the scoreline didn’t do justice to the occasion, but in the professional era the biggest South African provincial day came at Loftus Versfeld, on 7 June 1997. Left wing Casper Steyn scored 20 points in the Bulls’ famous 35-30 win and if his performance on the day was something of an on-field miracle, then it is a miracle that he will be around to witness the Bulls play the Lions in 2021. Steyn, in 2010, spent weeks fighting for his life after a car accident one kilometre from his home in Centurion. Fortunately, he survived. It would be a great touch to have Steyn and his fellow Lion tamers at Loftus in 2021 and it would be no surprise if Bulls coach and 2007 World Cupwinning Springbok coach Jake White did not lean on the inspirational stories of the 1997 Bulls in the lead-in to the tour’s third match. White will be seeking his own bit of rugby history, having guided the Brumbies to victory against the Lions in Australia in 2013. He will be comforted that his Bulls are the current Currie Cup champions and in the past year have been the form South African provincial team. Back in 1997, on that special day, none was more in-form than Steyn. The goal-kicking left winger scored 20 points, through a try, three conversions and three penalties, as the Bulls outscored the Lions four tries to three. It was the Lions’ first defeat to a South African provincial team in the professional era and they have not lost another since.
Above: Northern Transvaal scrumhalf Conrad Breytenbach sends the ball wide as Lions No 9 Rob Howley looks on Below: Bulls hero Casper Steyn tackles Lions centre Alan Tait in front of a rapt audience in Pretoria
BULLS TAME LIONS AT LOFTUS Northern Transvaal, as they were then known, outscored the Lions by four tries to three to claim a 35-30 win in Pretoria. Left wing Casper Steyn scored 20 points. Northern Transvaal – 15 Graeme Bouwer, 14 Wynand Lourens (replaced by Grant Esterhuizen), 13 Johan Schutte, 12 Danie van Schalkwyk, 11 Casper Steyn, 10 Roland de Marigny, 9 Conrad Breytenbach, 8 Schutte Bekker, 7 Adriaan Richter (c), 6 Nicky van der Walt, 5 Derick Badenhorst (Ralf Schroeder), 4 Derrick Grobbelaar (Gerhard Laufs), 3 Piet Boer (Jacques Taljaard), 2 Henry Tromp (Jannie Brooks), 1 Lourens Campher.
On the 2009 tour, the Free State Cheetahs (24-26) and Western Province (23-26) came close to upstaging their illustrious opponents while the Emerging Springboks claimed a moral victory on a cold, wet night at Newlands when flyhalf Willem de Waal converted winger Danwel Demas’ last-gasp try from the right touchline to secure a 13-13 draw. But it is the Bulls’ win that stands tall among South Africa’s provincial elite – and it is Steyn’s performance that has not nearly been celebrated enough. He was a miracle man when at the Bulls and he scored 854 points in 59 matches at an average of 14.47. To put that into context, the iconic Naas Botha scored 2 511 points in 179 matches at an average of 14.03. When one thinks of the Lions at Loftus Versfeld in the professional era, the immediate image is of Springbok utility back Frans Steyn creating
‘For all of us in the Bulls team that day, it was the greatest honour. One Saturday we were playing in the Currie Cup and then the next weekend we were playing the British & Irish Lions. It felt surreal’ – Casper Steyn
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‘You want to play against the best players in South Africa. It is pleasing to see the quality of teams we are playing against in South Africa’ – Warren Gatland at the Lions, with the local Lions, the Sharks (both in Johannesburg), the Bulls (Pretoria) and the Stormers (Cape Town) fronting the tourists before the first of three Tests, which will be played at Cape Town Stadium. Prior to the global lockdown, tickets to the franchise matches were a sell-out, such was the interest locally and from abroad. At the time of writing, the Red Army of Lions supporters were said not to be travelling to South
SA PROVINCIAL WINS AGAINST LIONS The British & Irish Lions have lost 29 non-Test matches in South Africa in 13 tours, dating back to 1891. 6 wins – Transvaal (now Lions) 4 wins – Western Province Country, Griquas 3 wins – Western Province 2 wins – Eastern Province, Northern Transvaal (now Bulls) 1 win – Western Province Towns, Witwatersrand, Pretoria, Northern Province, Western Transvaal, Eastern Transvaal, Border, Cape Colony
Right: Then-Lions assistant coach Warren Gatland before their match against the Golden Lions at Ellis Park in 2009, which the tourists won 74-10
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Africa and there was uncertainty as to whether any spectators would be allowed into the stadiums on match days. The absence of spectators in sport for the past 18 months has changed the nature and the landscape of every occasion, regardless of the sporting code, but it is believed that there will still be enough hype around every Lions match and broadcasters are anticipating their highest rugby viewership outside of the 2019 World Cup in Japan, which was won by the Springboks. Lions coach Warren Gatland, in discussing the tour schedule, raved about the five-match build-up to the three-Test series and complimented the quality of opposition. ‘You want to play against the best players in South Africa,’ said Gatland, who experienced the strength of the South African domestic sides as a Lions assistant coach in 2009. ‘It is pleasing to see the quality of teams we are playing against in South Africa because when you are playing sides that have been together the whole season, it is going to be tough. But it is the kind of preparation we are looking for leading into the three Test matches against the world champion Springboks.’
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something magical with ball in hand, and of Morné Steyn’s magnificent stoppage-time 53m penalty to win the second Test and the 2009 series for South Africa. But it is the unheralded Casper Steyn who owned Loftus on 7 June 1997, against the Lions. Then-Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan believes the defeat to the Bulls was the reminder his rampaging tourists needed of what it would require to win the Test series against the Boks. ‘The first four matches were won comfortably, the highlight being the 38-21 defeat of a very strong Western Province at Newlands in Cape Town,’ McGeechan said. ‘Then Pretoria happened. Perhaps we just thought it was going to happen. ‘In the first half we were loose. When we got it right in the second half, the rugby was spectacular. It was almost redefining of how vital it would be to have everything right if we were to have any chance of beating South Africa.’ The Bulls, led magnificently by Springbok No 8 Adriaan Richter (who had been part of the 1995 World Cup-winning squad), brought a Testmatch intensity to Loftus. It would be fair to say that, as a collective, the Bulls of 1997 never played as good a match before or after what was produced against the Lions. The visitors fielded what was a near fullstrength Test line-up, but the Bulls were equal to the occasion in creating their own bit of history. Steyn was superb and his point-scoring would be the lead story, but it took the efforts of every Bulls player to see off the Lions. The result also underlined the occasion and how players, who had struggled all season, found something out of the ordinary to match and beat their more illustrious opponents. The Bulls had experienced a torrid time in finishing eighth in Super Rugby and would finish fifth in the Currie Cup, conceding 50 points to Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs respectively. But, on this one particular day in 1997, none of that mattered. ‘In the change room before that match, we were reminded by our coaching staff exactly who we were playing that afternoon,’ recalled Steyn. ‘These were great players you had read about, and now you were playing against them, staring them in the face. I mean, here was Tony Underwood, who plays for England, and here I am running out against him at Loftus. ‘For all of us in the Bulls team that day, it was the greatest honour. One Saturday we were playing in the Currie Cup and then the next weekend we were playing the British & Irish Lions. It felt surreal.’ So, who among South Africa’s top regional teams is going to be the Casper Steyn of 2021? The rejigged eight-match schedule gives all four of South Africa’s premier franchises a shot
I want to play scrum-half for the Springboks
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BEAST MTAWARIRA COLUMN
Bok scrum to spoil Lions’ appetite for revenge
I
’ll always remember 2009 as a special year, first and foremost for getting picked to play for the Springboks in that Lions series just one year after making my Test debut. For me, that was a real high; I really had to pinch myself that I was a part of something so special that only happens every 12 years. We had the best start to the series, winning that first Test in Durban to put the Lions under so much pressure. Before that Test there had been a lot of talk about how our pack was not well equipped to take on the very robust and experienced Lions pack, but we obviously took that as a challenge. We just worked hard, in silence. I remember in camp we had really tough sessions in terms of scrummaging, mauling, forward play and working hard on our set pieces. There were a lot of articles about how the Lions were going to dismantle us up front. We went into that first game and gave them the biggest shock of their lives, especially at scrum time. We used our normal physicality – how aggressive we are as South Africans, the strength that we have – as a weapon and that is what they couldn’t handle in that Test match. We saw again in the 2019 World Cup how the scrum still has a huge influence on a Test match, especially when you go up against teams like England and the Lions. They really take a lot
The Lions really take a lot of pride and have a lot of confidence in their scrum, and if you target them there and you do well, it has a dominant effect on your entire game of pride and have a lot of confidence in their scrum, and if you target them there and you do well, it has a dominant effect on your entire game. To be better up front than the Lions is definitely going to be key for us. We have the ammunition and we have the players to do the work in that area, and we have depth in South African rugby right now. So yeah, as the saying goes, I think it’s still going to be won and lost up front. With this in mind, I am super excited to see someone like Steven Kitshoff get more Test caps, which he sorely deserves. For myself, that’s what allowed me to retire with a smile on my face because I knew that I was passing the baton to someone of Kitsy’s calibre and I knew that he was just going to run with it.
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It was always my aim to leave the jersey in a better place for the guy who’s taking it over, and he’s going to be a huge contributor to the team’s success going forward. I also think the Bok squad is going to be pretty similar to the group that did duty in the World Cup, which is a huge advantage. It’s one of the things that gives me huge confidence. Obviously, match fitness is key – you’ve got to shake off all that rust – but I believe that Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber have worked it all out and will have the best plan. There won’t be much game time before the Lions series, so they’re going to do a lot of stuff like simulating match situations to get the guys mentally into that zone. We need to pick up from where we left off because the Lions will be coming here for revenge after what happened in 2009, and also with what happened at the 2019 World Cup – with the Boks beating the Welsh in the semi-final and the English in the final. A lot of things are boiling inside of them, trying to avenge what has happened before. But for us, to have the Boks playing on home soil, it will be extra special even if the stadiums unfortunately aren’t able to be packed out. We always come out strong. Having not represented their country for almost two years, the guys are going be so hungry to go out there and play their hearts out for South Africa.
DAVID DAVIES/GETTY IMAGES
The World Cup-winning former prop expects the Springboks’ set piece to ice a Lions team that will be close to boiling point when they arrive in South Africa
Fund Name
Inception date
Highest annual return
Lowest annual return
Rolling 12 month return
High Growth Fund
Feb 2000
53.01% (2004)
-11.98% (2008)
27.20%
FTSE/JSE Capped Swix All Share Index
Feb 2000
47.25% (2005)
-23.23% (2008)
36.18%
ASISA South Africa MA High Equity
Feb 2000
27.49% (2004)
-8.24% (2008)
21.15%
FRANCHISE MATCHES
FRANCHISE
MATCHES LIONS
TRAP BAIT AWAITS TOURING LIONS T
he Johannesburg-based Lions are arguably South Africa’s most successful team of the past decade, having won the Currie Cup in 2011 and 2015 to go with three successive Super Rugby finals between 2016 and 2018. However, the majority of that slick Super Rugby squad has either left the team for greener pastures or retired. Of the 23-man squad that played in the 2018 final against the Crusaders, only four players – talismanic flyhalf Elton Jantjies, wing Courtnall Skosan, veteran scrumhalf Ross Cronjé and prop Ruan Dreyer – remain contracted to the Lions. Added to this, head coach Johan Ackermann and his successor Swys de Bruin also departed in quick succession, leaving 38-year-old former strength and conditioning coach Ivan ‘Cash’ van Rooyen in charge. The exodus of players and coaches has regressed the Lions to a rebuilding phase they last experienced in 2013 when they were controversially left out of Super Rugby expansion. The current Lions squad has been left slightly unbalanced between promising youngsters, players
Fred Zeilinga will vie with Jordan Hendrickse for the Lions No 10 jersey
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in their prime, journeymen and veterans in their twilight, and it’s no surprise that inconsistent performances have followed. While the Lions did claw their way to the 2019 Currie Cup final (during which the majority of teams were without their World Cup-involved Springboks), they won just one of six matches during the ensuing Super Rugby season which was halted by lockdown. There were signs of improvement in South Africa’s double-header of domestic tournaments: Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup. During Super Rugby Unlocked, the Lions pushed the Sharks and Bulls close in Durban and Pretoria respectively, while in the Currie Cup they got impressive wins over Western Province, the Cheetahs and the Sharks. They finished the Currie Cup in fourth place and faced eventual champions the Bulls in the semi-finals, where – despite drawing level in the second half – the Lions lost 26-21. When the Lions have momentum or are gifted the opportunity to counter-attack, they can be an irresistible attacking force.
GORDON ARONS/SAMUEL SHIVAMBU/BACKPAGEPIX/GALLO IMAGES
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, A LOCAL LIONS TEAM IN A REBUILDING PHASE COULD AMBUSH THEIR BRITISH AND IRISH NAMESAKE WITH AN AMBITIOUS AND ENTERPRISING STYLE OF PLAY
EMIRATES LIONS
PROFESSIONAL FRANCHISE ERAMATCHES TOURS
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10
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The number of tries the British & Irish Lions scored in their 74-10 win against the Golden Lions in 2009
DUIF DU TOIT/SAMUEL SHIVAMBU/BACKPAGEPIX/GETTY IMAGES
Their defensive system has also developed robust resistance to enemy probes, illustrated by the fact that they conceded just 20 tries across Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup before the playoffs, the fewest of any team. Both Ackermann and De Bruin subscribed to a philosophy of attack – remnants of which remain evident in the way the Lions play – that is to value possession over territory and, within that approach, offloads over rucks. Where the Johannesburg-based team has traditionally been found wanting is when its opponents do not indulge in a high-tempo game and the Lions are required to execute a more pragmatic plan. The touring Lions would be wise not to engage the hosting Lions in a shootout that brings the local gamebreakers into play. With the aforementioned Jantjies on Springbok duty and fullback Tiaan Swanepoel ruled out with a broken leg, the Lions will likely field combinations foreign to the tourists in the key decision-making roles. Journeyman Fred Zeilinga and rookie Jordan Hendrickse will vie for the No 10 jersey vacated by Jantjies. Zeilinga (28) featured twice for the South Africa A team in 2017 before stints at the Sharks, Cheetahs and Japan’s Canon Eagles led him to the Lions, and 19-year-old Hendrickse made his senior professional debut in May. Veteran EW Viljoen, the former SA Schools and SA U20 prodigy, will likely organise the back three from fullback, while Burger Odendaal’s experience and energy in a possible midfield combination with Dan Kriel will be needed to make up for the loss of electric Bok-bound dynamo Wandisile Simelane.
Right: Lions flank Vincent Tshituka poses a big ball-carrying threat Bottom left: Ivan ‘Cash’ van Rooyen replaced Swys de Bruin as Lions coach Bottom right: Willem Alberts rattled a few Lions’ bones in 2009 and is set to face the tourists again in 2021
Up front, the Springbok duo of veteran loose forward Willem Alberts and wily tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis provide plenty of grunt and are ably supported by the promising trio of Vincent Tshituka, MJ Pelser and Francke Horn in the back row. Alberts (36) was the standout forward during the Lions domestic campaign, providing a workhorse presence as a lock that freed up the likes of Tshituka to play more expansively. While he may have a lost a step since his prime, Alberts still has the raw physicality and experience to rattle a few bones. Historically, the touring Lions have fared quite well at Ellis Park. It was the venue for their most recent Test against the Springboks, when they cruised to a 28-9 win in the final match of the 2009
series. On that same tour, the visitors hammered the Golden Lions (as they were then known) 74-10 at Ellis Park where Jamie Roberts, Ugo Monye and Tommy Bowe each scored two tries. In 1997, the tourists had a much closer game against the Lions at Ellis Park, battling to a 20-14 win, but lost the third Test in their 2-1 series win against the Springboks. If the touring Lions need a test of their defensive efficiency, they can count on the Johannesburgbased side to put them through their paces. After all, the local Lions will have nothing to lose and that is often when they are at their most dangerous.
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CELL C SHARKS
YOUNG GUNS GET RARE SHOT AT LIONS THE CELL C SHARKS WILL DIVE INTO THE DEPTH CHART TO PICK A TEAM OF RAZORSHARP YOUNGSTERS AGAINST THE TOURISTS
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W
hen the British & Irish Lions faced off against the Sharks at a packed Kings Park in 2009, one moment in particular stood out. In the 19th minute, and with the scores still deadlocked at 0-0, legendary Irishman Brian O’Driscoll intercepted a loose pass just outside his own 22m line and dashed away for what looked to be a certain try. However, he hadn’t accounted for the jet shoes of a certain young wing. Lwazi Mvovo refused to give up the chase, hunting down O’Driscoll with a superb leg tackle that left the centre just short of the tryline. Although the Lions would ultimately go on to secure a comfortable 39-3 victory, that moment of Mvovo magic was an unforgettable memory, and the Sharks speedster earned his first Springbok cap the following season. Some 12 years later, a class of rising stars will be eager to follow Mvovo in seizing a rare opportunity to make a name for themselves against the prestigious touring team.
CELL C SHARKS
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CELL C SHARKS
FAST FACT
As a franchise, the Sharks have taken progressive steps recently, headlined by the announcement that they had banked a multimillion dollar investment from American consortium MVM Holdings. It’s led to the Sharks luring Siya Kolisi to Kings Park, but the Springbok captain is just one of several players from the coastal franchise who will be on national duty during the Lions series. Fellow World Cup winners such as Sbu Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi and Thomas du Toit are just some of the Sharks’ other big-name stars who are also expected to be locked into the Boks’ bio bubble when the Sharks tackle the Lions on 7 July at Ellis Park. It means the Durbanites will need to dip into the depth of their talent pool in order to put up a competitive showing against the visitors from the northern hemisphere. As it turns out, the better part of the past year has seen the Sharks embrace a new recruitment strategy aimed at building a powerful squad from the bottom up. ‘You first get the best youngsters in the province and then the country, and you create a highperformance environment for them,’ Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee explained. ‘They are players who will thrive within our culture and we commit to treating them extremely well.’ In the 2018 SA Rugby U19 Championship, a talented Sharks team coached by Sean Everitt, captained by Phepsi Buthelezi and starring the likes of scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba, hooker/flank
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Dylan Richardson, lock JJ van der Mescht, hooker Fez Mbatha and flyhalf Boeta Chamberlain went unbeaten throughout the competition on the way to lifting the trophy after a resounding win against the Bulls in the final. Along with their coach, many of these players have since graduated to the senior side. ‘It’s certainly going to be a great occasion for the youngsters to take on the might of the Lions,’ said Everitt. ‘Particularly because I’m sure we will be exposing young players as we expect some of the seniors might be in camp with the Boks at that time. I know whoever is available and picked to play will be really motivated for this rare opportunity.’ Everitt’s charges will aim to use this clash as a springboard into the Currie Cup season when they again won’t have access to several of their Bok stars who will be on Rugby Championship duty. It’s certainly been a busy period for South Africa’s franchises as Super Unlocked, the Currie Cup, a Preparation Series and the Rainbow Cup followed one after the other. However, Everitt says the one-off clash against the British & Irish Lions has always been kept firmly in mind. ‘For some of the guys it will be a once-in-alifetime opportunity to play against the Lions. Everyone is looking forward to this game. ‘You know when the Sharks last played the Lions in 2009, it’s still fresh in my mind how a young Lwazi Mvovo chased down Brian O’Driscoll, which gave him a bit of status. People started looking at him and soon after he became a Springbok. Who knows, maybe it will be someone else’s turn this time around.’
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Left: Twenty-one-year-old Sharks hooker Fez Mbatha Below: Boeta Chamberlain could start at flyhalf against the tourists
In January, MVM Holdings, an international investment consortium spearheaded by Marco Masotti, purchased a 51% stake in the Sharks
FRANCHISE MATCHES
VODACOM BULLS
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR LIONS
THE VODACOM BULLS AND THEIR COACH, JAKE WHITE, ARE BOTH TARGETING ANOTHER FAMOUS WIN AGAINST THE TOURISTS
I
n 1997, the Bulls became the first provincial side to beat the Lions in the professional era, and the Brumbies famously scalped the tourists in 2013 under Jake White. White and the Vodacom Bulls have since joined forces and in July they will challenge the 2021 Lions in what promises to be a memorable clash at Loftus Versfeld.
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VODACOM BULLS
The man who guided the Springboks to World Cup success in 2007, White arrived in Pretoria in 2020 and quickly turned the Bulls into champions, clinching the Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup titles. White places great value in rugby lore and he will be highly motivated to make history by doing the provincial double over Gatland and the Lions. The Bulls will be no less eager to make a good account of themselves after being denied access to the Lions during the 2009 tour. While the Free State Cheetahs (24-26) and Western Province (23-26) came close to beating the 2009 Lions, White’s Bulls are primed to get the job done in 2021. Prior to White’s appointment, the Bulls had won seven of their previous 22 matches between 2019 and 2020. By mid-May, White had steered the Bulls to 15 wins from 20 matches across all competitions, including this year’s Preparation Series and the Rainbow Cup. White has a winning formula, and at the Bulls it started with securing a core group of players to guide a team with a great mix of young talent and seasoned grit. The success has been built on
The Bulls lift the Currie Cup after their 26-19 extratime win against the Sharks at Loftus
FRANCHISE MATCHES
the back of veterans Duane Vermeulen, Morné Steyn and Cornal Hendricks, and the winning culture will boost the youthful squad that is deployed in their absence due to Springbok call-ups. Historically, a key ingredient of White’s winning recipe is based on optimal levels of conditioning, and that will be a focal point as the Bulls attempt to harness the altitude factor when the teams meet at Loftus Versfeld on 17 July.
White has a winning formula, and at the Bulls it started with securing a core group of players to guide a team with a great mix of young talent and seasoned grit The Official Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 Tour Guide 125
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In the pack, 21-year-old flank Elrigh Louw is built on a 1.95m, 112kg frame that fits White’s preference for a big blindside to control the back of the lineout and provide power as a ball-carrier
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Missing the likes of Vermeulen, Steyn, Hendricks, Trevor Nyakane and Marco van Staden to Bok duty, there is a strong pool of replacements in Pretoria, hungry to prove their value to White. In the 26-19 extra-time win over the Sharks in the Currie Cup final at Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls fielded a match-day squad that included Bok halfbacks Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier, and the talented David Kriel at fullback. Under the guidance of Fourie du Preez, Papier and Van Zyl have taken their games up a level in the last year of local clashes, while Steyn has mentored flyhalf understudy Chris Smith who has shown great promise with limited game time. And out wide, a herd of rapid finishers that includes Kurt-Lee Arendse, Madosh Tambwe and Stravino Jacobs is headed up by 38-year-old
FAST FACT In Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup Premier Division combined, the Bulls had the most efficient lineout (91%) and the most kicks off 10 (115)
Winger Madosh Tambwe joined the Bulls from the Sharks in February
Springbok dynamo Gio Aplon, who has been on the sidelines with a knee injury since October last year. In the pack, 21-year-old flank Elrigh Louw is built on a 1.95m, 112kg frame that fits White’s preference for a big blindside to control the back of the lineout and provide power as a ballcarrier. Other quality options in the back row include Springboks Nizaam Carr and Arno Botha, both of whom would probably have played many more Tests if they’d been born in another country. Though the Bulls of 1997 benefited from the brilliance of left wing Casper Steyn – who scored a try, kicked three conversions and three penalties for a haul of 20 points – to beat the Lions 35-30, the foundation of that victory was laid by the pack. It’s a point that will not have escaped White or their modern-day successors as a speed corps likely to include Aplon, Tambwe and Jacobs will rely on the heavy diggers to pave the runway to another historic victory.
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FRANCHISE MATCHES
CAPE TEMPEST AWAITS LIONS
EVEN WITHOUT THEIR SPRINGBOKS, THE DHL STORMERS WILL THREATEN THE TOURISTS WITH THE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING OF A POWERFUL SET PIECE AND RAPID OUTSIDE BACKS
T
he DHL Stormers will give the British & Irish Lions their final dress rehearsal for the Test series against the Springboks. In many ways, the Cape franchise perfectly emulates a storm, their team a potent concoction of a thunderous pack and lightning quick outside backs. They’re known for a style of play that is at once brutal and brilliant, built off of set-piece dominance but with plenty of flair out wide. Sadly, though, the storm analogy extends even further. The franchise has been battered by offfield turbulence that has hampered recent onfield performance. Despite a positive start to the 2020 Super Rugby season that saw the Stormers claim victories against New Zealand’s Hurricanes and Argentina’s Jaguares, the side struggled upon rugby’s resumption after an enforced lockdown. In the Currie Cup, South Africa’s premier domestic competition, they made it as far as the semi-finals before being knocked out by coastal rivals the Sharks. The culmination of the off-field dramas came with the departure of captain Siya Kolisi, his
Neethling Fouché will fill in for Frans Malherbe at tighthead
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FRANCHISE MATCHES
DHL STORMERS LIONS FORM PART OF NEW STORMERS CHAPTER
defection to the Sharks heralding the end of an era for the one-club man who led South Africa to glory at the 2019 World Cup. In the wake of his exit, the Stormers have emerged a different and reinvigorated team under the leadership of coach John Dobson. For much of the past decade, the Stormers’ strength has been their set piece and the Lions can expect a serious battle up front when the two sides meet. The franchise usually boasts an allSpringbok starting front row of Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi and Steven Kitshoff. With all three – as well as second-choice hooker Scarra Ntubeni – withdrawn for Bok duty, the weight of expectation will fall upon the promising Neethling Fouché (tighthead), Leon Lyons (loosehead) and André-Hugo Venter (hooker). All three are powerful scrummagers in their own right with Fouché in particular catching the eye over the past six months. Elsewhere in the pack, the Stormers will also be without the services of ever-ready forward Pieter-Steph du Toit. His recent long-term injury has, however, allowed the Stormers to explore plenty of options at blindside. Ernst van Rhyn is an imposing and abrasive player who may well be given the task of taking the game to the Lions in the tight-loose. The uncompromising Willie
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Engelbrecht will vie with athletic loose forward Evan Roos for the No 8 jersey, while young Nama Xaba, though injury-prone, has emerged as the latest revelation in a No 6 jersey with a lineage that includes Corné Krige, Schalk Burger and then Kolisi. Herschel Jantjies, the livewire scrumhalf who burst onto the international scene in 2019, will also be missed by the Stormers. His backup, Godlem Masimla is a converted winger who brings raw speed to the fringe attack and, like Jantjies, has a keen eye for the gap. The flyhalf position has long been one of concern for the Stormers with no player fully able to make the position their own. The emergence of Abner van Reenen has been timely in the absence of injuries to Tim Swiel and Kade Wolhuter, though Damian Willemse may run the Stormers’ attack if he’s not central to Bok plans for the first Test. The Lions will need to respect the speed of an outside backs corps that includes the power and surprising speed of centre Rikus Pretorius, who served as Jamie Roberts’ understudy in 2020, and opportunistic finishers such as Sergeal Petersen and Edwill van der Merwe. Even without a plethora of Springboks, the Stormers remain serious opposition. They will come out with a point to prove and will not stand back for Warren Gatland’s men. When the winter winds blow in the Cape it becomes an unforgiving and hostile place. The Stormers will be bringing their own tempest to bear.
RYAN WILKISKY/BACKPAGEPIX
Left: The Stormers’ new home, Cape Town Stadium Below: Ernst van Rhyn could be used to take the game to the Lions Bottom left: Stormers coach John Dobson
The Western Cape is the beating heart of South African rugby. Every young boy born there dreams of one day pulling over their head the famous hooped jersey of Western Province and the Stormers. Many of South Africa’s greatest rugby legends have come from the Stormers, including Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Carel du Plessis. The Castle Lager Lions Series will kick off at Cape Town Stadium. The Stormers made the move to their new home from the famous Newlands Stadium earlier this year. It has been a difficult transition for many fans who still hold ‘The Grand Old Lady’ dear in their hearts. A match against the British & Irish Lions, however, provides the perfect opportunity for the Stormers to start writing a new history. The last time the Lions and Western Province met was in 2009 when the tourists came away as narrow 26-23 victors thanks to a 77th-minute penalty off of the boot of James Hook. The Lions previously also beat the men from the Cape 38-21 in 1997. The Stormers will, however, seek to recreate the heroics of 1903 when three different teams from the Western Cape (WP County, WP Towns and WP) beat the British Isles in the space of four days.
SA-BORN LIONS
OUT OF AFRICA DUHAN VAN DER MERWE WILL BECOME THE 10TH SOUTH AFRICANBORN PLAYER TO PULL ON THE LIONS’ FAMOUS RED JERSEY. HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT THE OTHER NINE
CJ STANDER (2017) Born in George, Stander (left) captained the Junior Springboks in the 2010 U20 World Championship. He made his senior provincial debut for the Bulls in 2012 and, two years later, left South Africa to join Munster in Ireland. Stander made over 150 appearances for the Irish provincial team and earned 51 caps for Ireland after qualifying on the residency rule in 2016. In 2017, Stander made his Test debut for the Lions as a half-time substitute in the third Test against the All Blacks, which ended in a 15-15 draw.
Having started his professional career with the Sharks, Durban-born Barritt left South Africa for Saracens after winning the 2008 Currie Cup. Barritt qualified to play for England on the basis of his family’s roots and made his Test debut in the 2012 Six Nations. Called up as an injury replacement for Wales centre Jamie Roberts on the 2013 tour to Australia, Barritt’s only appearance came in the 35-0 victory over the Melbourne Rebels.
IAN EVANS (2013) Evans was born in Johannesburg, but raised in the town of Aberdare in Wales. The lock represented Wales at U19 and U21 levels, making his senior Test debut in 2006. After an impressive 2013 Six Nations campaign, where he helped Wales retain their title, Evans was named in the squad to tour Australia. Evans’ only appearances came in wins against the Western Force, a combined New South Wales and Queensland Country team and the Rebels, as well as the 14-12 loss to Jake White’s Brumbies.
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STEPHEN McCARTHY/DAVID ROGERS/MIKE EGERTON/GETTY IMAGES
BRAD BARRITT (2013)
SA-BORN LIONS
MATT STEVENS (2005 & 2013) A Kearsney College 1st XV legend, Stevens (right) left Durban in 2002 and joined Bath to pursue his studies after representing the SA U18 and U19 teams. As a British passport holder, he appeared for England U21 in the 2003 World Championship and earned the first of 39 Test caps for England a year later. Stevens was first selected for the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand and again for the 2013 tour to Australia, finishing up with 12 non-Test appearances.
MIKE CATT (1997 & 2001) Born in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), Catt (below) attended Grey High and represented his province at U18 and senior levels before moving to England to further his career. The utility back’s first involvement with the Lions came when he was called up as an injury replacement during the 1997 tour of South Africa. Catt started at flyhalf in the third Test, his one and only appearance for the Lions as his 2001 tour was scrapped due to an injury.
Catt played 75 Tests for England and faced the Springboks again in the 2007 World Cup final.
DYSON WILSON (1955) Born in Wilderness in the Western Cape in 1926,
‘Tug’ Wilson moved to England when he was eight years old. Wilson joined the Metropolitan Police Force after school and was capped by England while playing for them as a loose forward. He was included in the 1955 tour of South Africa and made 15 appearances, scoring three tries, but he never made a Test appearance for the Lions.
BRIAN BLACK (1930) Black was born in Grahamstown (now Makhanda) and made 10 appearances for England during the early 1930s where he scored two tries, six conversions and four penalties. The lock was part of the British Isles squad that toured New Zealand and Australia in 1930.
STAN HARRIS (1924) Harris was born in Somerset East in 1894 and represented the Lions during their tour of South Africa in 1924. A multi-talented sportsman, Harris turned down a place in Great Britain’s pentathlon team to play for England in 1920. He became South Africa’s light-heavyweight boxing champion in 1921, before playing two Tests for the Lions in 1924. Harris served in both World Wars and received his Springbok colours in tennis and boxing.
REGINALD MULLINS (1896) Dr ‘Cuth’ Mullins was born in Grahamstown in 1873 and later moved to England where he played for Oxford against Cambridge in the 1894-95 Varsity Match. After qualifying as a doctor, he returned to South Africa and set up a practice in Grahamstown, before serving his adopted country in the First World War. In 1896, Mullins was invited to return to South Africa, as part of the British Isles touring team. He made 13 appearances on the 21-game tour, including two of the Tests against South Africa.
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TWO RUGBY LEGENDS WHO TOOK PART IN THE LAST LIONS SERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2009 WILL HAVE IMPORTANT, IF DIFFERENT, ROLES TO PLAY IN 2021
VORS, STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES/GALLO IMAGES
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THE ELITES
ALUN WYN JONES
Jones wasn’t going to make it back to South Africa in 2021. Having appeared in a record nine Tests for the Lions between 2009 and 2017, the veteran Wales lock was written off as past his prime and a step behind the next generation of jumpers such as Maro Itoje, Iain Henderson, Jonny Gray and James Ryan. Elite players, the likes of which make a second Lions tour to one of the southern hemisphere giants, like to retire on their own terms. Jones hadn’t yet called time on a career that began in the year Mark Zuckerberg first launched Facebook. He didn’t appreciate hearing he was surplus to requirements. ‘I definitely know the fact that it was some ex-players, who were nowhere near as good as him, were criticising him wound Alun up a bit more,’ former Wales prop Adam Jones said in a recent interview. Twelve years after starting next to Paul O’Connell in the first Test of the 2009 series against the Springboks, Jones is 35 and the most capped player in the history of the game (157). In the years following his first Lions tour to South Africa, Jones expanded his list of achievements to include a series victory in Australia in 2013, holding the All Blacks to a drawn series in New Zealand in 2017, and winning three more Six Nations titles – two Grand Slams among them. But in the aftermath of conquering Europe in 2019, Warren Gatland stepped down as Wales coach and the Dragons failed to fire under his replacement Wayne Pivac. Jones retained the captaincy as Wales slumped to one win in five matches, finishing six points behind third-place Scotland on the 2020 Six Nations championship table. ‘There was a time, 12 to 18 months ago, where you thought it might be a stretch too far for the Welsh titan, where you thought his only chance of selection was as a midweeker, an experienced head for that team,’ former Lions centre Will Greenwood wrote in The Telegraph after Jones was named to captain the 2021 tour. ‘He’s smashed that out the park, and remains one of Europe’s leading second rows.’
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Above: Jones gives instructions during Wales’ 2019 World Cup semi-final against the Springboks
Indeed, Jones did bounce back to deliver good performances in this year’s Six Nations, but even though his resurgence may have put to rest any doubts Gatland had about his captain’s desire and commitment, the Lions coach didn’t pick the veteran to lead because Jones is more powerful or more technically adept than those who missed the cut. High-impact, on-field contributions are vitally important, but it will take a collective effort to stop the world champions and that will only be possible for a Lions squad, drawn from four nations, that has been sewn together by a strong leader during uniquely trying times. As 1980 tour captain Bill Beaumont once said: ‘The biggest challenge is you have to unite the tour.’ Gatland believes Jones has earned the respect of the men who will undertake the most challenging tour of the professional era. The tourists will be stuck in bio-bubbles and without the support of the Red Army. In O’Connell, Beaumont, Martin Johnson and Willie John McBride, Jones follows a fabled list of Lions locks to have captained a tour. Johnson and McBride led the Lions to victory in South Africa.
It will take a collective effort to stop the world champions and that will only be possible for a Lions squad that has been sewn together by a strong leader during uniquely trying times
THE ELITES
FRANS STEYN
Many of the world’s top Test nations would consider Steyn a first-choice player, probably in more than one position, but the 33-year-old is quite content serving as a world-class insurance policy to the Springbok backline. The unofficial leader of the ‘Bomb Squad’, South Africa’s heavy-duty bench used to such great affect at the 2019 World Cup, Steyn replaced fullback Willie le Roux in the final quarter of both the semi-final win against Wales and the victory against England in the final. His booming right boot, unshakeable confidence and big frame in the collision added significant value to the Boks in closing out the most important matches of Rassie Erasmus’ short reign as head coach. In the aftermath of the World Cup, Erasmus handed over his whistle and clipboard to Jacques Nienaber and the new Bok coach’s planning for this three-Test series was undoubtedly made somewhat easier by the availability of a Swiss army knife in the backline. Steyn slotted in as the reserve flyhalf in a preWorld Cup warm-up match against Japan, started at inside centre in the pool games against Namibia
STU FORSTER/ADRIAN DENNIS/STEVE HAAG/GETTY IMAGES
BOK DUO TO BE REUNITED? Ruan Pienaar and Morné Steyn are two serious candidates to join the small club of 2009 Lions series survivors. Both veteran halfbacks have been in fine form since returning to South Africa and their experience may prove invaluable to South Africa in the 2021 series. Lifelong friends, Pienaar and Steyn were first paired as the starting halfbacks at Fichardt Primary School where Ruan’s father Gysie, the legendary Free State fullback and 13-Test Bok, was their coach. Twenty-five years later, the duo may be reunited for the final act in their respective Bok careers. Steyn had yet to make his starting debut for South Africa in 2009 when he replaced Pienaar at flyhalf and coolly cranked a longrange penalty to win the series. He played 64 more Tests but retired from international rugby in 2016 having started just five of his last 12 Tests under Allister Coetzee. Peter de Villiers’ experiment with Pienaar at 10 didn’t last much beyond the 2009 Lions series and he reverted to scrumhalf through to the 2015 World Cup and the last of his 88 Test appearances. Their lives and careers continued to intertwine as, within the space of two months in 2019, the scrumhalf announced he was returning home to the Cheetahs from eight seasons at Ulster and three in Montpellier, while Steyn confirmed the end of seven seasons in France and a move back to Pretoria and the Bulls.
Steyn made six appearances at the 2019 World Cup, including four as a member of the ‘Bomb Squad’
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber’s planning for this three-Test series was undoubtedly made somewhat easier by the availability of a Swiss army knife in the backline and Canada, and replaced Lukhanyo Am and Cheslin Kolbe respectively in wins against Italy and Japan. Scrumhalf is the only position he has not played in 67 Tests dating back to his debut in 2006 at the age of 19. Three of those appearances came against the Lions in 2009 when Steyn played 183 of a possible 240 minutes at fullback in the three-Test series. Despite his relative youth, Steyn had already earned 27 caps, won a World Cup final and emerged as one of the most prodigious backline players in the game. This was never better showcased than during a four-season stint in France where the shaggyhaired playmaker fearlessly and famously kicked a 60m drop goal to help Racing 92 beat Clermont in a Top 14 playoff.
Steyn made the move north in 2009 and, after a season curtailed by injury, he appeared to be lost to the Boks indefinitely due to a contractual dispute regarding image rights in 2014. That was until 2017 when he was successfully recalled by Allister Coetzee for a three-Test series against France. The team was in a shambles and Steyn didn’t feature again until Erasmus, who had returned from Munster to revive the Boks from their worst run, picked up the phone in 2019. By that time, Steyn had joined Montpellier via a three-season stint in Japan and two years with the Sharks in Durban; a 31-year-old, 56-cap veteran who had only played three Test matches in the past seven years. Erasmus appreciated the value of Steyn’s experience and utility value. Steyn appreciated the opportunity to make a run at becoming one of a select few players to win multiple World Cups, even if that meant playing second fiddle to Damian de Allende at 12 and Le Roux, the incumbent fullback. In Japan, Erasmus doubled down on South Africa’s superior physicality by deploying a six-forwards bench to sustain the intensity and duration of a heavy artillery assault on opponents. This boosted the importance of having a versatile back seated next to the reserve scrumhalf on the bench, and Steyn ensured that the Boks could plug any injury-enforced holes in the wide corps with an internationally acclaimed talent. Nothing has changed since South Africa thumped England 32-12 in the final as Steyn remains the Boks’ next-best option at 12 and 15. Age was just a number when Jake White picked the 19-year-old to debut 15 years ago. And the same remains true in 2021 as the 33-year-old prepares to face the Lions again.
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FIXTURES
FOUR VENUES, TWO BIO-BUBBLES FOR 2021 TOUR
T
2021 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA Date
Opposition
Venue
Time
TV channel
3 July
Lions
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
7 July
Cell C Sharks
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
20:00
SuperSport Rugby
10 July
Vodacom Bulls
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
14 July
South Africa A
Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
20:00
SuperSport Rugby
17 July
DHL Stormers
Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
24 July
Springboks
Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
31 July
Springboks
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
7 August
Springboks
FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
18:00
SuperSport Rugby
STU FORSTER/GETTY IMAGES
he British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa will start with clashes against the local Lions and Cell C Sharks at Emirates Airline Park (formerly Ellis Park), while the final two Tests are set to be hosted at FNB Stadium (right). The original tour schedule was set to have the Lions face the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium, before moving around the country to face an SA Invitational team in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), the Sharks (Durban), South Africa A (Nelspruit) and the Bulls (Pretoria). That would have been followed by Tests at FNB Stadium, Cape Town Stadium and Emirates Airline Park. However, the venues for the Lions’ five games against South Africa’s premier franchises and South Africa A will be limited to Cape Town and Gauteng due to the national lockdown. On 3 July, the local Lions will host the tourists in Johannesburg, followed by a clash with the Sharks on 7 July, also at Emirates Airline Park. The touring team will then move to Pretoria to face the Bulls on 10 July, before travelling down to Cape Town where they will play South Africa A (14 July) and the Stormers (17 July), before heading into the first Test (24 July). The Lions will then return to Johannesburg for the final two Tests on 31 July and 7 August at FNB Stadium.
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