RUGBY:Mick Cleary
THE British Lions who stepped off the plane last weekend are big, physical men, selected for their size, their power and their brooding intent, the mirror image of those they are about to meet across the playing fields of South Africa over the next seven weeks.
But the South Africans will not be fazed or perturbed, still less intimidated, by these emblems of menace. They will relish the challenge to their manhood. But there was probably anxiety in the air, tiny seeds of doubt on the wind, as one of the smallest men in the party descended the steps, for he carries within him the means to unsettle their sense of supremacy. Ian McGeechan is affable, polite and unassuming, but the Springboks will fear him more than any.
McGeechan is coach of the British Lions for an unprecedented third time in succession. He helped win a series victory against the Australians in 1989, and was within a penalty kick of doing the same to the mighty All Blacks in 1993. His whole being is infused with the spirit and traditions of the Lions. It’s easy to forget at this distance, and when distracted by the rollicking myths of McBride and his hardened band of brothers, that McGeechan, slight and unimposing in appearance, played four Tests in the centre on that record- breaking tour of 1974, and again three years later in New Zealand.
He was a canny, agile centre, virtues which he has carried with him ever since. He is the most impressive character of his generation, one who has flourished as player and coach at the very highest level. He is not the type to send his reputation on ahead of him to taunt and to provoke. There is no need, anyway, for the Springboks already know that the battle, which will be stern and unforgiving on the field, will be just as keenly contested off it.
McGeechan has no high-falutin’ theory to peddle nor dogma to pound ears with. His is a simpler creed, but no less effective for it. He has elevated common sense to an art form, paying attention to detail and to character. The Lions assembled at a Surrey hotel two weeks ago, barely 24 hours after some of them had played their last club match. The whole week had been planned meticulously by McGeechan over the course of several months. On arrival he took one look at his players and promptly cancelled two of the sessions. “You must never be afraid not to do something,” he said. “The natural instinct is to do as much as possible. But the natural instinct can often be wrong.”
It is this strength of character, this inner conviction and courage, which can go unnoticed when first meeting McGeechan. But it’s there all right, enhanced by a passion for the game and for the players who play that game. Again he does not parade his emotions, but an hour spent in his company was enough to flush away any cynicism about the credibility of future Lions tours and to douse one’s own scepticism about their chances on this one. The Lions are a great, unique, romantic institution, and McGeechan its perfect embodiment.
“The Lions have such a short lifespan,” he says. “They have eight weeks together and then it’s over. They don’t exist again until another four years have passed. In international teams there is a rolling process, a gradual development of style and personnel. The Lions are an instant process. No one knows yet what the 1997 Lions will look like: how they will define themselves as a team and group of people. It’s such a short window of opportunity. Either it comes together or it doesn’t. There are no second chances. That’s why you can’t come to a Lions tour half-hearted. It’s an intense experience and a wonderful one.”
There was little rugby in their time together before leaving England . The Lions spent time, instead, making or renewing acquaintances. It’s not an easy process, for these are fiercely competitive men. The guy they’re being asked to act buddy-buddy with may just be the one who takes their cherished Test spot. He may also have been the bloke they knocked the living daylights out of a few weeks earlier, for club or country.
McGeechan is eager to get started. “The interest in the Lions is quite incredible,” he says. “It’s totally different to England, for example, turning up. The Lions give off a special feel. You become part of the whole environment and culture. Everybody gets swept along by it. You have to be ready for it. And certainly, with the Springboks, we can’t afford to show any weakness. If we do they’ll be all over us.
“I can’t wait. I can feel the hair prickling on my neck already at the thought of us running out at Port Elizabeth on Saturday. The Lions are something else altogether.”