McGeechan to coach Lions in SA
Brad Morgan
14 May 2008
After winning the Rugby World Cup in 2007, it was clear that many of the Springboks viewed their next great challenge as a tour of South Africa by the British and Irish Lions in 2009. It has been 12 years since their last tour and the Lions have turned to the man who led them to a series win in 1997, Ian McGeechan, to coach them again.
McGeechan, Wasps' director of rugby, was unveiled as the Lions coach at a press conference in London on Wednesday. He previously toured South Africa as a player in 1974 when the Lions scored a famous series victory by winning three and drawing one of the four tests.
In 1997, with Martin Johnson captaining the Lions and McGeechan coaching, they beat the Springboks 25-16 and 18-15 to secure a series win before South Africa triumphed 35-16 in the third test.
Interesting statistic
Interestingly, the Lions won the series despite being outscored by nine tries to three, including three tries to nil in their second test victory.
Later in 1997 the Springboks began a run of 17 test victories in succession to equal the world record.
Before the Lions tour, in 1996, in the first Tri-Nations competition, the Boks had finished second behind New Zealand, but with one win only. Thus, their status before the tour by the combined best of the four "home nations" was not what it is today, because in 2009 the tourists will be tackling the World Cup champions. For both teams the status of the opposition provides massive motivation to win.
McGeechan will be visiting South Africa with the Lions for the third time, but it will be his seventh Lions tour in total. As a player, he toured South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand in 1977. He was head coach in 1989 in Australia, 1993 in New Zealand, and 1997 in South Africa. He was also an assistant coach on the Lions 2005 tour of New Zealand.
Outstanding success
Considering the standard of the opposition, McGeechan has enjoyed outstanding success with the Lions. As a player, in 1974 he was on the winning side against the Springboks, and in 1977 he again tasted series success, this time against the All Blacks.
He coached the Lions to a 2-1 series win over Australia in 1989, but was on the losing side for the first time in 1993 when the All Blacks beat the Lions 2-1. After that came the Lions' 2-1 win in South Africa. In 2005, New Zealand whipped the tourists 3-0, but McGeechan's role was limited to coaching the Lions' midweek team, not the test side.
Lions' chairman Andy Irvine, who toured South Africa with the 1980 Lions said: "He's the most successful coach in Lions history."
Irvine said McGeechan was viewed as a good selection to coach the 2009 team from the time that Gerald Davies was appointed as the tour manager in November 2007.
'A special bond'
"We wanted someone with a special bond with the Lions," he explained. "We looked elsewhere as well, but time and again we kept going back to Ian."
It's expected that McGeechan will invite Wales' Grand Slam winning coaching combination of Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards to assist him on the South African tour.
As many as 50 000 fans could make the journey south to support the Lions. For anyone who attended a Lions' match in 1997, they will know how special the atmosphere created by the vocal British support is. It is a remarkable treat.
McGeechan, now 61 years of age, says he is looking forward to the unique challenge that coaching a Lions team poses. He said: "It's about a group of rugby players from four different countries coming together and forming a tight-knit group within a very short time frame.
'A huge challenge'
"It is a huge challenge and a great honour to be involved again. I will endeavour to create the right environment for this team to blossom and perform in the short time that we are together."
The Lions will play 10 matches in South Africa, kicking off on 30 May 2009 with a match against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg. Later, they will face a Coastal XV.
There will also be three tests, a game against an Emerging Springboks team, and four clashes with provincial sides.
Lions Schedule
- 30 May: v Highveld XV, Rustenburg
- 3 June: v Golden Lions, Johannesburg
- 6 June: v Cheetahs, Bloemfontein
- 10 June: v Sharks, Durban
- 13 June: v Western Province, Cape Town
- 16/17 June: v Coastal XV, TBC
- 20 June: 1st Test v SA , Durban
- 23 June: v Emerging Springboks, Cape Town
- 27 June: 2nd Test v SA, Pretoria
- 4 July: 3rd Test v SA, Johannesburg
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