Lions name squad for South Africa
Brad Morgan
23 April 2009
The British and Irish Lions' 37-man squad to tour South Africa in June and July has been announced. A look at the selections suggests that the tourists aim to fight the Springboks' fire with fire, and will opt for a very physical approach against the reigning world champions.
Those hoping to see flair-filled rugby from the Lions are likely to be disappointed. The forwards chosen are big, the scrumhalves are also big and physical, and the two flyhalves are known for their kicking more than their ability to get a backline moving.
At fullback, Delon Armitage, an excellent counter-attacker and arguably the most exciting of England's players during the Six Nations, has been omitted.
'Bigger is better'
The bottom line seems to be "bigger is better" - an attitude adopted throughout the world of rugby, particularly in South Africa.
Ireland's Paul O'Connell, has been named captain of the team. A lock in the tradition of Martin Johnson, he leads from the front and is a strong presence in the tight and loose phases of the game.
In an interview with Rugby365.com, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers suggested that Lions' coach Ian McGeechan, who coached the Lions on their 1997 tour of South Africa, when they won the test series 2-1, could have blundered by going for size.
De Villiers feels that what worked in 1997 might not necessarily work in 2009. He suggested that the biggest difference between the two sides 12 years ago was the experience of the two captains, with Martin Johnson considerably more experienced than Gary Teichmann, who at that time had been in charge for only eight tests.
Goal kicking
Another difference he did not mention, but which played a crucial role in the outcome of the series was goal kicking.
The Lions clinched the series with an 18-15 win in Durban in the second test, despite being outscored three tries to nil; the Boks missed all their kicks at goal on the day. They went on to outscore the Lions by nine tries to three in the series. De Villiers would be well advised to take note of those statistics.
O'Connell's selection as captain is interesting in that he was given the leadership reins ahead of Ireland's Grand Slam winning skipper Brian O’Driscoll; O'Connell captains Irish side Munster. Meanwhile, England's captain Steve Borthwick, Welsh captain Ryan Jones, and Scotland skipper Mike Blair were all left out of the touring squad.
Springbok captain John Smit commented: "The captain Paul O'Connell is a team man who is well respected internationally, and it is obvious they are trying to replicate the vibe and momentum that they had with the same coach in 1997.
Focused on form
The Lions selectors have clearly focused on form instead of sentiment. Ireland, who won the Six Nations Championship, has more players in the squad than any of the other three countries that make up the Lions.
There are 14 Irishmen in the squad, only one more than Wales, who won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008, and who were in with a shout at winning this season's competition heading into the final match against Ireland, which the Irish won 17-15 in Cardiff. England has eight players in the squad, while Scotland has only two.
"It is a good squad, which is what we expected, based on the players who were on form in the Six Nations and understanding the type of players that Ian McGeechan was looking for," said Bok coach De Villiers.
'Well-balanced and experienced'
"It is also evident that the squad has been picked on form, fitness, combinations and experience. It looks like a well-balanced and experienced group and it will be interesting to see how their test side takes shape.
"As expected the bulk of players are from Ireland and Wales," he added, "but the number of England players in the group is evidence of the improvement they showed in the closing stages of the Six Nations."
Smit reckoned: "There is depth in every position, which is what they will need on a long and tough tour. We expect that there will be strong competition for places in all positions, which will make things interesting for us."
De Villiers said knowing the make-up of the Lions' squad helps him in his preparations. "I am looking forward to the test series. Now that we know the make-up of the Lions squad we will be able to advance our preparations in terms of our analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, how we expect them to play and how we must prepare for the three tests," he said.
'A momentous occasion'
"A Lions tour is always a momentous occasion and 2009 will be no different. Our guys know the magnitude of the task that lies ahead and they know the expectation that there is, especially in view of the disappointments of 1997."
South African captain John Smit said: "Overall, it is a very strong team and one that will certainly provide a big challenge for us on our home ground, which we are really looking forward to."
BRITISH AND IRISH LIONS SQUAD
Backline
Fullbacks: Lee Byrne (Wal), Robert Kearney (Irl)
Wings: Shane Williams (Wal), Tommy Bowe (Irl), Luke Fitzgerald (Irl), Leigh Halfpenny (Wal), Ugo Monye (Eng)
Centres: Tom Shanklin (Wal), Jamie Roberts (Wal), Brian O'Driscoll (Irl), Keith Earls (Irl), Riki Flutey (Eng)
Flyhalves: Stephen Jones (Wal), Ronan O'Gara (Irl)
Scrumhalves: Michael Phillips (Wal), Harry Ellis (Eng), Tomas O'Leary (Irl)
Forwards
Loose forwards: Jamie Heaslip (Irl), Andy Powell (Wal), Martyn Williams (Wal), Joe Worsley (Eng), Stephen Ferris (Irl), David Wallace (Irl), Alan Quinlan (Irl)
Locks: Alun-Wyn Jones (Wal), Paul O'Connell (Irl, captain), Donncha O'Callaghan
(Irl), Simon Shaw (Eng), Nathan Hines (Sco)
Props: Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng), Euan Murray (Sco), Gethin Jenkins (Wal), Adam Jones (Wal)
Hookers: Jerry Flannery (Irl), Lee Mears (Eng), Matthew Rees (Wal)
SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR FIXTURES
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