Professional in every sense
The 2009 British and Irish Lions arrived in Joburg yesterday morning for the start of their five week, ten match tour. The tour, including three tests, gets underway with a match against a Royal V on Saturday and ends on July 4 with the final test in Joburg.
ESPN has been running a series on the 1974 'invincibles' over the past few weeks and the programmes, including interviews and re-runs of matches from that tour, have made for fascinating viewing. Another thing that has fascinated me is the difference in preparation and support between the two tours some thirty five years apart.
The 1974 tourists played 22 matches, winning 21 and drawing the other during a tour that lasted from 15th May to 27th July - that means that in an additional 38 available days they managed to play an additional 12 matches, all this during the amateur era. What really illustrates the differences between the amateur and professional eras though is the backroom support. The 1974 tour was managed by the genial Welshman Alun Thomas and they were coached by the Irishman Syd Millar. The squad consisted of 32 players - 9 Welsh, 6 Scots, 9 Englishmen and 8 from Ireland - the captain was the great Willie John McBride.
What has come through loud and clear during the repeated post match interviews by Nigel Starmer-Smith is the humility of Alun Thomas, even after the crushing 28-9 victory in the Second Test he still insists that the opposition will get better and his team must guard against taking it easy in the Third Test. The Lions win the Third Test 26-9 scoring only three tries compared with five in the Second Test.
So 1974 - a team of 2 management, 32 players, 73 days and 22 matches.
In 2009 there is a management team of 24 looking after 37 players for 35 days and 10 matches. The 2009 tourists have a Head Coach and 4 Assistant Coaches in addition to which they have the following: Manager, Conditioning Coaches (2), Analysis (2) Medical Staff (2) Physiotherapy (3), Masseur, Operations Manager, Logistics Officer, Baggage Master, Chef, Communications (3) and last but not least a Legal Advisor.
Let's hope they can win the series otherwise there will be an investigation into why one of the three physios can't carry out a massage, why the players can't carry their own bags and why it takes three people to carry a laptop and look for a Wi-Fi hotspot!
2 comments:
hahaha...brilliant. I remember well the tours of old, all my dad's family (except him!) moved to South Africa in the 50's, and he was on the middx committee and so Twickenham was a common venue of my youth. Isn't it incredible what you say re teh polayers and the support staff etc. The other thing about those amateur days is that I don't recall so many mistakes (I know there were plenty but these days it's rife) the genuine talent shone through...maybe nostalgia is clouding my memory.
You mention wifi...well that's how I'll be watching most of it via Rugby Zone
That's interesting about your Dad, you and HQ. I don't know about the mistakes in the old days but I was watching a France v Wales game from the heyday of Welsh rugby recently and every pass seemed to go to hand and every kick find touch so you could be right.
There's something magical about a Lions tour, I think that's down to nostalgia when you could only see it on Grandstand or Sportsnight after the event rather than live.
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