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Dad asked me my ambition at 14 — I wrote ‘Lions legend'

Dad asked me my ambition at 14 — I wrote ‘Lions legend'

Times18-07-2025
I had never met Sir Ian McGeechan before. But here he was in 2013, at our team hotel in Brisbane, about to present us with our British & Irish Lions jerseys for the first Test against Australia.
I went up to receive my shirt and he said to me: 'It's fully deserved, Sam, good luck tomorrow.' It was the single best moment of my whole rugby career, even though it was far away from the crowds and the cameras.
I was 14 when my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. He got me to write down my name, age, sport and my ambition. For the last part I wrote, 'British & Irish Lions legend' with a No7 next to it.
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