IAN MCGEECHAN’S decision to include 14 Ireland players in next month’s Lions tour to South Africa not only illustrates what has largely been a successful decade for Irish rugby but also marks a steady progression in that period in terms of representation on the squad.
Taking the last five Lions tours as a barometer it is easy to chart an increasing Irish influence. In 1989, the Lions had not toured for six years as a result of the continuing boycott of South Africa because of apartheid and so Scotland’s Finlay Calder led a Lions team to Australia.
Four Irishmen made the trip but Paul Dean’s tour lasted just a single match, cut short by a knee injury sustained against Western Australia.
Brendan Mullin played in the first Test but subsequently lost out to the Scottish-English axis of Scott Hastings and Jeremy Guscott for the last two. Donal Lenihan took command of the midweek team that affectionately came to be known as Donal’s Donuts – hooker Steve Smith played his part – and that team’s success was an integral part of the tour. The Lions won a fractious Test series 2-1 – they lost the first Test – going down just once on that 12-match tour.
The 1993 tour to New Zealand was a low point in terms of Irish representation with only two players, prop Nick Popplewell and secondrow cum flanker Mick Galwey named in the original squad.
St Mary’s centre Vinny Cunningham and Garryowen wing Richard Wallace would be called out as replacements. The Lions lost the Test series 2-1 handicapped by a significant injury list, some dreadful performances by the midweek side and generally low morale.
Ian McGeechan was named head coach for the third successive Lions tour in 1997, assisted by fellow Scot Jim Telfer. It was to prove an irresistible combination.
Four Ireland players were selected for the original squad, Keith Wood, Jeremy Davidson, Eric Miller and Peter Clohessy. The latter was forced to withdraw prior to departure with a back injury and was replaced by Paul Wallace, who, along with the other three Irishmen, would go on to play such a pivotal role in the tour.
Only Wood would have been considered a strong contender for the Test side at the outset but Davidson and Wallace joined him among the elite Lions that won the series 2-1. Miller – he came on in the third Test – would have started the first two but the flu ruled him out of the opening Test, a match the Lions won and so he could not get back in for the second.
New Zealander Graham Henry led a Lions squad top heavy with his former Welsh charges to Australia in 2001 but despite winning the first Test – a young Brian O’Driscoll scored that memorable try – they lost the next two. Rob Henderson and O’Driscoll formed a lethal midfield combination but the tour was less memorable for most of the Irish contingent.
Four years ago Clive Woodward elected to take 44 players – it went over the 50 mark by the end of the our – to New Zealand but the cast of thousands was whipped 3-0 by the All Blacks. O’Driscoll’s tour ended in agony while the only Irishmen to really excel were Donncha O’Callaghan and replacement Simon Easterby.
IRISH ON LAST FIVE LIONS TOURS
1989 to Australia: Ireland (4): B Mullin (London Irish), P Dean (St Mary’s College), D Lenihan (Cork Constitution), S Smith (Ballymena).
1993 to New Zealand: Ireland (2): M Galwey (Shannon), N Popplewell (Greystones). Replacements: V Cunningham (St Mary’s), R Wallace (Garryowen).
1997 to South Africa: Ireland (4): K Wood (Harlequins), P Wallace (Saracens), J Davidson (London Irish), E Miller (Leicester).
2001 to Australia: Ireland (6): R Henderson (Wasps), B O’Driscoll (Blackrock College), R O’Gara (Cork Constitution), J Davidson (Castres), M O’Kelly (St Mary’s College), K Wood (Harlequins). Replacements: D Wallace (Garryowen), T Howe (Dungannon).
2005 to New Zealand: Ireland (11): G Murphy (Leicester), G D’Arcy (Leinster), D Hickie (Leinster), S Horgan (Leinster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, capt), R O’Gara (Munster), S Byrne (Leinster), J Hayes (Munster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), M O’Kelly (Leinster). Replacement: S Easterby (Llanelli).
