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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Victorious Lions stand on the verge of all-time greatness
It was the vastly experienced Ian McGeechan who best summed it up. In 1997 the master coach told his squad that, should they return home as winning British & Irish Lions, they would have a lifelong bond; that when two old teammates passed each other in the street, 30 years on, words would be superfluous. A simple look would be enough to bring their shared memories flooding back. Be special for the rest of your lives, Geech urged his players. And, 28 years later, it is now the turn of the boys of 2025. To say the series-clinching 29-26 victory against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday was a remarkable occasion is to undersell it. Watched by more than 90,000 supporters – a record for any Lions Test – it ranked up there with the most gripping Tests of the modern era. And when Maro Itoje and co hobble stiffly into the pub in July 2055 for their 30th anniversary reunion, they will still be counting their blessings. The raucous post‑match singing in the dressing sheds, sitting out together in the middle of the MCG pitch after the crowd had gone, the unbeatable satisfaction of knowing their collective mission was finally accomplished. What a second Test it was, everyone will agree. And what a simply magnificent backdrop. At which point someone will turn to Jac Morgan, quietly sipping his beer in the corner, and say: 'Just as well they didn't ping you for that clear-out, Jaco! What would have happened if we'd lost?' No one will ever know the answer but the episode perfectly summed up the paper-thin margins in top‑level contact sport. Because let's pretend, momentarily, that Morgan had been penalised for piling into the Wallabies replacement Carlo Tizzano. Hugo Keenan's subsequent dramatic late try would have been ruled out, the series would have been tied at 1-1 with one to play and the initiative would have been with Australia. The Wallabies might have had to resurrect a few weary bodies for the final Test in Sydney but, equally, so would the dismayed Lions. Either way, the series would have been turned on its head. And while Joe Schmidt's anger after the game was understandable to some degree, given the stakes, the main takeaway from the game had little to do with the Italian referee Andrea Piardi or his fellow officials. The inconvenient truth is that rugby's lawbook contains so many grey areas that every close-run contest is, to some extent, a lottery. By the absolute letter of the law it may well be that Morgan technically transgressed. But had the clear-out occurred at any other stage of the game it is quite possible the incident would not even have been flagged up. If a referee scrutinised minutely every single offence at every single breakdown, games would last indefinitely. And that's before Tizzano's slightly theatrical reaction, aimed clearly at influencing Piardi, is factored into the equation. There is, of course, a highly pertinent precedent here. Remember the final moments of the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand when Sam Warburton talked the referee Romain Poite into not awarding a last-minute penalty for an accidental offside and the series was controversially shared? Then, as now, rugby can ill afford its highest-profile, most exciting games to be remembered primarily for hairline refereeing decisions. If something is not clear and obvious, play on. On that basis, it is not at all controversial to conclude that Piardi got the big call right and that Schmidt should not have criticised him. Equally, though, Schmidt was right to observe that players are in an increasingly unenviable position, trapped between their coaches' demands that they make a significant physical impact and the consequences of even a marginal miscalculation. There is one instant possible solution: adopt rugby league's 'captain's challenge' rule that allows a captain to query an on-field decision. While the Wallabies' captain, Harry Wilson, would have been unsuccessful in this instance because the officials ultimately did not believe a penalty against Morgan was merited, he would have been potentially able to flag it up. But enough already. The recovery from 23-5 down on Saturday was the biggest comeback in Lions' history. Complete a 3-0 clean sweep and it will be the first time the touring side have won every Test of a multigame series in 98 years. In the shape of the magnificent Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Beirne and Itoje they have top-class performers who would have graced the best Lions teams of any era. Collectively, too, their competitive spirit and heart cannot be faulted. And in their match-winner Keenan, once a member of Blackrock College's U14C team, they also have conclusive proof that you should never give up on your sporting dreams. Andy Farrell said: 'If you're a child watching that back home, do you want to be a British and Irish Lion? One hundred per cent.' As with McGeechan before him, Farrell now ranks alongside the most exalted Lion kings of all time, with two series triumphs against Australia in his swag. Win again on Saturday and, regardless of their close call at the MCG, the 2025 vintage will be the toast of Britain and Ireland. Guardian
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Australia's goal of restoring pride is a modest target, but the Lions are not here to be charitable
Pretty much every British & Irish Lions tour leaves a rugby legacy. As well as being a commercial beast and something of a sporting phenomenon - four countries coming together once every four years to be supported by 40,000 people on the other side of the world, for heaven's sakes - this 'legacy' thing comes with the territory. Ian McGeechan's 1997 Lions revived the concept and gave the Lions its launching pad in the professional era. This was largely thanks to winning the series and the impact of the Living with Lions documentary. That show gave unprecedented access to the squad's daily life and, with it, Jim Telfer's legendary Lions speech. The 2001 series in Australia was an epic, even if it ended in defeat to Rod MacQueen's brilliantly reconstructed reigning world champions. It reaffirmed the Wallabies' status as a superpower, but also proved inspiring for the core of the England side that would beat Australia in the World Cup final two years later. Ironically, Clive Woodward dipped into the English well a little too deeply in 2005 when the Lions were blown away in New Zealand . That All Blacks side had not won the World Cup in 2003, when mugged by an inferior but inspired Australia in the semi-finals. READ MORE Nor would the All Blacks do so in 2007 when, again, they were mugged by inspired opposition. France were the opponents in that unforgettable quarter-final in Cardiff. Yet, as Ronan O'Gara recently said in The Irish Times, that was probably the best All Blacks side of the professional era. Dan Carter's virtuoso 33-point performance in the second Test is the best by an outhalf in the professional era. Now, that's some legacy. The 2009 collision between a South African side that had conquered the world two years previously and a brilliant Lions side perhaps went beyond the line in its sheer physical brutality. But it was a true epic, managing to both reaffirm the Springboks as the leading side in the world and revive the Lions brand. The Boks may have made changes after winning the first two Tests, but that win in the tour finale in Ellis Park under Paul O'Connell's captaincy ended a run of seven successive Test losses. Opposing captains Kieran Read of the All Blacks and Sam Warburton of the Lions lift the trophy following the drawn series in 2017. Photograph:The revival has continued too, with the Lions emphatically sealing a Test series win with that 41-16 victory over Australia in Sydney in 2013. There was huge merit in drawing a series from one-nil down in New Zealand in 2017, which strengthened the argument that northern hemisphere rugby was now punching on an equal footing with the giant southern counterparts. True, the last two World Cups have remained the preserve of the Springboks but those aforementioned three Lions tours contributed to a narrowing of the gap between the two hemispheres - witness Ireland winning a series in New Zealand and drawing one in South Africa. Granted, the 2021 tour didn't leave much of a legacy. Without fans, it probably shouldn't have taken place. That took all the joy out of a Lions tour and the rugby wasn't much better. But that is what makes this tour all the more important. It is crucial that it leaves us with memorable rugby and images. This Lions tour is a little different from any of its predecessors in the professional era, primarily because it finds its hosts at its lowest ebb. The Wallabies have nothing like the celebrated names of a dozen years ago - Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Israel Folau - never mind the 2001 vintage of John Eales, George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Joe Roff et al. The hoped-for 'saviour' of Australian rugby, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, is probably the most celebrated player in the current Wallabies crop. However, that is in large part due to his achievements in rugby league and his acquisition has bucked the increasing trend of recent times. Pundits and supporters of rugby league and Aussie rules appear to be more dismissive towards rugby union than 12 or 24 years ago. They are more powerful financially and league now aggressively targets young players in rugby union, while Aussie rules is dipping more into the Pacific islands. [ Jamie Osborne among four Irish to start for Lions against First Nations and Pasifika XV Opens in new window ] Rugby Australia cannot really compete and is around Aus$50 million in debt. While the Lions were not conceived as a lifeblood for the southern hemisphere countries, this tour is expected to not just cancel that debt, but bring it Aus$50 million into the black. But just as importantly, in a rugby sense, the Wallabies need to demonstrate this can indeed be the start of the golden era. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh believes it is possible two years out from a men's Rugby World Cup in Australia. A women's World Cup will follow in 2029, and then the Olympics in Brisbane 2032. But what if the Lions reaffirm their supremacy of last Saturday in the second and third Tests and complete a convincing 3-0 series win? And what if that is followed by another last-place finish in the Rugby Championship and another pool exit in a World Cup, and one on home soil? The Lions will surely tour here again 12 years hence, but there is no long-term Tour agreement and who knows what the future might hold? Joe Schmidt is a great coach but as things stand, this does not look like a vintage Wallabies generation. In a sense, while it is a tad insulting to these Wallabies, the grand ambition which Henry Pollock revealed stacks up. By rights, the Lions should win this series 3-0 if they want to be considered even above the norm. The non-financial stakes are high over the next two Saturdays in Melbourne and Sydney. Ideally, it could be argued, the greatest legacy from this 2025 Lions tour would be to help provide a relaunch for the Wallabies and rugby union in Australia, while fulfilling the Lions' stated desire for greatness and a 3-0 series win. Alas, it almost certainly can't do both. Survey for Parents/Guardians of Young Rugby Players in Ireland The IRFU is seeking feedback from parents and guardians of children and teenagers who play amateur rugby. This short survey aims to understand how the new tackle height law is impacting their experience of the game and perceptions of player safety. Click here to complete the survey:
Telegraph
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Wayne Barnes re-referees the most brutal match in Lions history
The second Test of the British and Irish Lions' 1989 tour to Australia has gone down in folklore and infamy. As the Lions attempted to turn around their fortunes after defeat in the first Test in Sydney, the second instalment would eventually be dubbed the 'Battle of Ballymore' owing to the brutal physicality – both legal and illegal – on display at the famous stadium. The Lions, coached by Sir Ian McGeechan and captained by Finlay Calder, arrived in Brisbane determined not to take a backward step, which resulted in the 20,000 inside Ballymore witnessing one of the most brutish and beastly Tests in the history of the famous touring side. Spare a thought for the French referee, the late René Hourquet. Naturally, in 1989, Hourquet did not have the benefit of the television match official and, in those days, the assistant referees were nothing of the sort; they were touch judges whose remit included white paint and little else. The Lions would go onto triumph at Ballymore and then clinch a series win with a one-point victory back in Sydney a week later, on what was the first Australia-only tour since 1899. The Lions' triumph on Australian soil was their first series win in 15 years and it is tough to believe they have only won two since. But that series is remembered above all for the 'Battle of Ballymore'. Here, Telegraph Sport revisits some of the more notorious incidents from that Test, with former referee and our columnist Wayne Barnes casting his eye over some of the behaviour – and adjudicating accordingly. The first fight This slobberknocker is one of the most iconic in Lions history. It looks suspiciously like Lions scrum-half Robert Jones steps on the foot of his opposite number, Nick Farr-Jones, as the Australian captain goes to put the ball into the scrum. That was the catalyst to Farr-Jones giving his opposite number a bit of a shove, Jones replying in kind, both men grappling, and then full-fist-windmill chaos ensues. Keep an eye on Hourquet, too, who was clearly keen to be as close to the action as possible. Barnes, he admits, would have been a touch more standoffish – but, sensibly, there would have been cards where in reality there were none. High shot Barnes's fellow Telegraph Sport columnist, Brian Moore, started all three Tests in the victorious 1989 series and it will come as no surprise to those who remember his rampaging days as a hooker that he features heavily in these clips. Here, the Lions wrap around the front of the line-out and Moore is caught in the head by the shoulder of Farr-Jones. No wrap, no mitigation – except a small, late dip – but back then such an action was barely even a penalty. Barnes would have been reaching for the cards. Kudos to Moore for, as expected, playing on and not making a meal of it. Another high tackle It is Moore again. Here, our columnist wears another shoulder to the head – this time, specifically, the face – from Australian flanker Scott Gourley. Barnes marvels at how Moore looks after possession and offloads to Jones before wiping blood away from his nose. On this occasion, Barnes thinks Gourley would have been in trouble in the bunker. Yellow minimum, perhaps red. Stamp leads to another fight This one is nasty and notorious. Dai Young, the Wales tighthead and future Wasps coach, on his first of three Lions tours as a 22-year-old whipper-snapper, decides that the savagery dial needs turning up to 11, and so decides inexplicably to stamp on the head of Wallabies lock Steve Cutler. Tom Lawton, Australia's hooker, does not take too kindly to such skulduggery and chaos ensues again. 'Goodness,' says Barnes. The game has changed a lot since those days – Young himself might squirm a little when watching this back. Moore is in the thick of it again, too. Offside tackle It was refreshing to be able to observe a technical offence, here, rather than outright violence. And Barnes agrees with the partisan Australian commentators, as well as referee Hourquet, and believes that Mike Teague – christened 'Iron Mike' after his strong displays on this tour – was offside at the scrum. However, Barnes believes that the Lions could feel aggrieved that they were not rewarded further at the set piece. The visitors should have been awarded a scrum penalty. Poignantly, reviewing this footage – with the mayhem and madness – serves as a reminder of the tough task facing grass-roots referees when they take the pitch every Saturday and Sunday. As Barnes highlights, there is no TMO or bunker available to the sport's voluntary officials and, just like Hourquet, they rely on trusting their eyes and refereeing instinct. Incidents will be missed, that is human nature, but this footage serves as a reminder of just how difficult a sport rugby is to referee when you are a one-man or one-woman band. It also underlines just how far the sport has come in its attempts to clean up its act.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The Lions Rampant: Mail Sport casts an eye over Scotland's proud links to the iconic red jersey and asks who would make an all-time Scots-only Lions select?
The death of Ian McLauchlan over the weekend makes it a compelling time to consider the rugby legends Scotland has contributed to the Lions cause over the years. From leading Lions points scorer Gavin Hastings to men like Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer — both of whom contributed so much in terms of playing and coaching — Scottish grit has been central to large chunks of what the Lions have achieved in the post-war era.
Times
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Times
From Guscott's drop-goal to battered sausage on sticks: My ten Lions tours
Lions lost 4-0Coach Jim TelferTour captain Ciaran FitzgeraldBest Lions Peter Winterbottom, John Rutherford The last of the heroic long tours, which went on for ever. New Zealand was shut. It was ghastly murder in the Test series, with the Lions captain Ciaran Fitzgerald soon dubbed 'Captain Clanger', but there were endearing visits to a raft of one-horse towns via a hired Ford Anglia. The rugby was awful but nothing could ever be so bad as flogging round a windy old country seated in a creaky Fokker Friendship propellered Airfix model. Won 2-1Coach Ian McGeechanTour captain Finlay CalderBest Lions Mike Teague, Jeremy Guscott Rough. And tumble. In the era before citing officers, it often went off in every match. After the warlike second Test, the authorities agreed the showpiece third had to be disciplined for the good of rugby. After a few seconds of what became known as the 'Battle of Ballymore', Nick Farr-Jones and Robert Jones (the scrum halves!) fought each other. The legendary 'Iron' Mike Teague saw off the Wallabies' forwards. This was Sir Ian McGeechan's first tour in charge, banishing all the years of amateurish prep. Apparently, Australia's land is 'girt by sea'. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Lost 2-1Coach Ian McGeechanTour captain Gavin HastingsBest Lion Martin Bayfield A grim new era, because it was the tour when too many in the class-free New Zealand public put their respect for the Lions on hold and came along to boo them on and off the field. Yet another tour was decided because the Lions were not remotely ready for the first Test and, also, a contingent of the touring group decided to drown their sorrows when not making the Test team. Amazingly, the Test the Lions won was at Athletic Park in Wellington, an ancient semi-ruin perched precariously on the edge of a precipice with storms sweeping up the valley. They served battered sausage on lollipop sticks. Other cuisine was more basic. Won 2-1Coach Ian McGeechanTour captain Martin JohnsonBest Lions Tim Rodber, Scott Gibbs The all-time height of British and Irish rugby, when Wonderwall became a rugby anthem. Battered Boks. The series glory was harder earned even than England's World Cup victory in 2003, and there was a breathtaking silence where once the home fans seethed with their own arrogance. McGeechan and Jim Telfer, the assistant coach, prepared with bared teeth; the great Martin Johnson and his men marked the passing of old Lions parties full of agreeable gentlemen enjoying the trip. There was safe bathing for us among the waves on Durban beach, out of harm's way behind the shark nets mentioned in the guidebook. Except we found out later they'd been taken away in the previous year. With minutes to go in the second Test in Durban, one Chalky Wardell, a lifetime friend of Jeremy Guscott, announced to his audience in a Bath flat: 'Guscott's going to drop a goal to win the series.' Guess what? Lost 2-1Coach: Graham HenryTour captain Martin JohnsonBest Lion Rob Henderson Arguably the most bitter Lions experience, but with a happy sting. The Lions cruised gloriously to victory in the first Test and then dominated the first half of the second. It was seemingly all over, until Jonny Wilkinson threw a horrible loose pass that was intercepted by Joe Roff of the Wallabies. From then on, a Lions team ravaged by injury and discord could not recover and they lost in the decider in Sydney. However, the victory made Australia overrate themselves, opening the way for England to win the World Cup two years later — with Jonny's drop-goal. Lost 3-0Coach Clive WoodwardTour captain Brian O'Driscoll/Gareth ThomasBest Lion Dwayne Peel Horror story, horror winter. Take me home. Sir Clive Woodward made one of the few errors of his career in recycling England's World Cup squad for the trip. After Brian O'Driscoll, the Lions captain, had been almost decapitated by a horrendous late and dangerous double tackle by Keven Mealamu and Tana Umaga, no disciplinary action was taken. The disciplinary officer was seen by the man from The Times sprinting through the international terminal at the airport. We took a break in what the guidebook called the 'winterless Bay of Islands'. It was bloody freezing. Lost 2-1Coach Ian McGeechanTour captain Paul O'ConnellBest Lion Simon Shaw An epic series, with the Lions fielding some great players — and needing to, against a great Springboks team. They were not ready for the first Test; but the second Test in Pretoria — one of the greatest games ever played — was all Lions. Until, that is, they lost two forwards and two backs inside about seven minutes of play. And until Jaque Fourie of the Springboks was awarded a vital try after key replays were never shown by the host broadcaster. To some, he appeared to be halfway up the stand as he touched down. Won 2-1Coach Warren GatlandTour captain Sam WarburtonBest Lion Leigh Halfpenny The Lions were fortunate to take the first Test — as usual, their ridiculous timetable had not allowed them to be ready. But in a poor match in Melbourne, Australia levelled the series. And then, the Lions roared in Sydney. With Alex Corbisiero mincing the Australian scrum, the Lions scored glorious tries and won the series at pace. Weak iced yellow watery stuff all round! Drawn 1-1Coach Warren GatlandTour captain Sam WarburtonBest Lion Maro Itoje Maro's match. Inspired by Maro Itoje, the Lions came thundering back in Wellington in the second Test to draw level at 1-1. The teams still could not be separated at the end of the third Test when the All Blacks were awarded a kickable penalty with the scores level and seconds remaining. As Sam Warburton recently explained to our readers, he persuaded the referee to re-examine the replay, which was not strictly allowed. He did. No penalty. Class, Sam. Lost 2-1Coach Warren GatlandTour captain Alun Wyn JonesBest Lion Duhan van der Merwe This was going through the motions during the pandemic. Watched only by the groundsmen and some distant hacks, the halting Test series never grew out of short trousers. The first Test was characterised by a Lions win and some utterly ludicrous reactions from the South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber. The Lions could never raise the pace to take either of the second or third Tests, which they should have been capable of doing. We were followed all around by lovely ladies in a white get-up getting up our noses daily in a search for the virus. In a dramatic broadcast halfway through the tour, South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa lifted the ban on alcohol sales. Even during the pandemic, something in the beloved country — the best venue for Lions — still enriched the soul.
