Three times the Lions got big decisions badly wrong

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5 hours ago

As the 2025 Lions tour prepares to launch, anticipation is high and the mood is overwhelmingly positive.
However, history teaches us that it pays to be cautious heading into these expeditions, the heightened exposure and pressure-cooker environment can ruthlessly expose cracks in the operation, leading to bad decisions.
Here are three examples from the last 40 years when the Lions got it badly wrong… Will Carling (centre) and the rest of the team wait for a Waikato conversion attempt. Pic: Anton Want/Allsport
The midweek team is essential to all successful Lions tours, providing playing and morale-boosting support to the Saturday or Test side.If the midweek team is winning, it boosts overall confidence as well as players with a spring in their step if called into Test action. Conversely, if the midweek team flops, the knock-on effects can be disastrous – as happed in New Zealand in 1993.On that tour, England were by far the dominant force and it created a somewhat disgruntled midweek side, made up primarily of Scottish players who lost interest fairly early on and suffered fefeats by Otago, Auckland, Hawke's Bay and a hammering by Warren
Gatland's Waikato. Richard Webster charges past Waikato players. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport
The Scottish contingent were exposed as way off the pace but there were good players dragged down with them – notably the English pair of Stuart Barnes and Will Carling while Ireland's Mick Galwey, who had done superbly well to make the tour during a difficult period for Irish rugby. was also affected by the midweek malaise. Mick Galwey with the Lions in 1993. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport
It was a hugely damaging experience with a chunk of players going 'off tour' – prioritising the social side over results as a rift grew within the party.
'Attitudes left a lot to be desired,' recalled Test wing Ieuan Evans years later. Ieuan Evans rounds Sam Doyle of New Zealand. Pic: AllsportUK/Allsport
'Too many were content with merely being a Lion instead of pushing themselves to the limit – they gave the impression they were on holiday.
'Some of those who played against Hawke's Bay didn't give a monkey's. They simply weren't trying. It was as if they were saying to themselves, 'We're not bothered. We're not going to get a Test place so we may as well enjoy ourselves'.'
Having done superbly to tie the series 1-1, the midweek fiasco took its toll by the time of the decisive third Test and a talented Lions side lost a series they should have won. Martin Johnson, Andy Robinson and Graham Henry in 2001. Pic: Dave Rogers/ALLSPORT
The 2001 Lions squad that travelled to Australia was one of the most talented groups of players ever assembled. When you look at some of the names – Martin Johnson, Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Wood, Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Hill, Jason Robinson – it was a collection of World XV icons, brimming with belief and natural ability. However, while there was no issue with their playing resources, there was a serious problem in another key area – the coaching ticket.
Graham Henry is now revered as one of rugby's best-ever coaches and his record of success with Auckland and New Zealand stands up to any scrutiny. But Henry was entirely the wrong choice as coach of the Lions. Matt Dawson in action for the Lions in 2001. Pic: Adam Pretty/Allsport
For a start, he was the first southern hemisphere Lions head, a fact which did not sit well with a lot of people — including a cohort of his players. His personality (stereotypical gruff Kiwi) was also at odds with creating the right spirit to mould four cultures into one over a short period.Henry's sense of 'humour' veered more towards put-down than punchline, which quickly created a gap between the head coach and his players that was never bridged.
And, to top it off, Henry's coaching philosophy — in tandem with his equally intense assistants Andy Robinson and Phil Larder — was to work the players into the ground, to the point where injuries proved corrosive and players clearly ran out of juice as the tour progressed. Austin Healey playing for the Lions against the ACT Brumbies in 2001. Pic: Dave Rogers/Allsport
The 2001 Lions tour documentary is highly watchable (the last one that is) and it is clear from that account just what a slog it all was.It seems mad now in the era of micro-managed media but, back in 2001, players were allowed to produce newspaper columns that did not need to be cleared by managementEnglish scrum-halves Matt Dawson and Austin Healey were two who had such columns and both laid into the touring experience with the coaching, and Henry in particular, getting a proper kicking.
The passage of time has not lessened the sense of just how 'off' it all was and, just to add to the 'what were we thinking?' vibe over appointing Henry, four years later he coached the All Blacks to a 3-0 series romp against the Lions. All Black match captain Richie McCaw and coach Graham Henry during the All Blacks captain's run at Lansdowne Road in 2005. Pic:Perhaps Henry's rank unsuitability for the 2001 task was summed up by a speech he gave on that tour, captured on the tour documentary, in an attempt to motivate his squad.He spoke about how the Lions were not respected or rated in Australia and New Zealand, how people did not think they were skilful enough, fit enough or strong enough.'And I should know,' Henry concluded, 'because I am one of them.' Inspiring stuff. Lions coach Ian McGeechan (centre) in 2009. Pic:After the 2005 calamity, there was a lot of pressure on the Lions heading to South Africa four years later.
Ian McGeechan was the safe pair of hands entrusted with getting the Lions back on track and he immediately brought the tour back to basics.The tourists lost a superb series 2-1 and, although their sole victory came in the dead-rubber third Test when the Springboks had rotated their team, there was lots of respect for how the Lions had played as credibility was restored.However, if you place sentiment to one side and subject McGeechan's performance to some clinical scrutiny, his selection for the first Test in Durban has to be seriously questioned. Lions forwards Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell and Lee Mears in 2009. Pic:The Lions had gone extremely well in the build-up but the Test series was always going to be a different beast and the dogs in the Durban street knew the Boks were going to bulk up to bully their opponents.That 2009 South Africa team was enormous, packed with leviathans like 'Beast' Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith and Pierre Spies — and that was just in the forwards. In order to beat them, the Lions needed to muscle up in the forwards before they could even think about playing rugby but McGeechan went for the more mobile route that had worked in 1997.That meant starts for the front row of Gethin Jenkins, Lee Mears and Phil Vickery with Alun-Wyn Jones also picked in the second row and Tom Croft at blindside flanker.
All good players but they could not compete their opponents when it came to size. South Africa's Jean de Villiers with teammate Bismarck du Plessis tackles Brian O'Driscoll. Pic: Duif du Toit/Lee Mears was a solid hooker and good at the basics but Mears was only 5ft9in tall up against yjr 6ft3in Bismark Du Plessis.Jones in the second row was early into his career and not ready for the raw power and nous of Bakkies Botha, who was three inches taller and nearly three stone heavier.
Tom Croft was a superb top-of-the-ground backrow but only weighed in at 94kg, against the likes of Smith and Spies who were both around the 118kg mark. Springboks take part in a film shoot on Table Mountain ahead of the Lions tour. Pic: Carl Fourie/The frustrating aspect to it was that there were bigger Lions alternatives available. Loosehead Andrew Sheridan was a 6ft5on, 20st beast of a man, second row Simon Shaw was 6ft9in and pushing 20st, while Adam Jones at tighthead and Matthew Rees at hooker were big lumps also. The Lions also had access to the likes of Nathan Hines and Donncha O'Callaghan who had experience of playing in the backrow and the size to match the Boks.But McGeechan opted for 'Lions Lite' and got caught out.As it turned out, the Boks blitzed the Lions in the first 25 minutes and by the time the tourists got over their shell-shock, there was too much ground to make up — although they gave it a valiant try. For the second Test, the penny dropped and the Lions bulked up considerably — dominating the Boks for large chunks of the game and looking set for a famous win save for a freak Morne Steyn penalty.
McGeechan did so much right for the Lions over the years, but his 2009 first Test selection was definitely not his finest hour.