British and Irish Lions 1971

1971 British Lions  Squad to tour New Zealand 

British Lions Tour Party Team Group

Back-row (left to right): Dr Doug Smith, Mike Gibson, Chris Rea, Ian McLauchlan, Fergus Slattery, Sandy Carmichael, Derek Quinnel, Mike Roberts, John Spencer, Sean Lynch, Delme Thomas, Mike Hipwell, Peter Dixon, Carwyn James.

Middle Row: Ray “Chico” Hopkins, Willie-John McBride, Mervyn Davies, Gordon Brown, John Dawes, Bob Hiller, John Bevan, Alistair Biggar, John Taylor.

Front Row: Ray Mcloughlin, Arthur Lewis, John Pullin, Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Frank Laidlaw, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams and David Duckham.

Possible Rugby Immortality Awaits Gatland Lions

All Blacks return to the nation's capital this weekend for the final meeting in the three test series with the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park. A venue where the hosts are unbeaten in 23 years and the place that Graham Henry and Richie McCaw finally secured the rugby world cup in 2011. A triumph that was first achieved in the inaugural world cup in 1987 at the same venue The history and the statistics favour the home nation in Saturday's third est series decider with the Lions hopes revived by a most unexpected win in Wellington last saturdy. For the historic contest Warren Gatland has chosen to field an unchanged side leaving no room for a return for Peter O'Mahony who captained the opening test a coupe of weeks ago and Sam Warburton remaining also as the Lions captain.

The Welshman missed the series-clinching third Test win over Australia in 2013 with a hamstring injury.

"It feels like all the sacrifice over the past four years and all the little things I have done have come to this moment," Warburton told BBC Sport.

Warburton was on the bench for the opener in Auckland, which ended 30-15 to the hosts, having suffered an ankle injury against the Provincial Barbarians, but returned to the starting XV for the thrilling 24-21 triumph in Wellington.

The 28-year-old has been beset by injuries in recent years, missing six weeks at the end of the domestic season with a knee injury, while in October 2016 he suffered a fractured cheekbone that put him out of action for three weeks.

"I am delighted that my body has held up more than anything," said the Cardiff Blues flanker. "That is half the battle with me, my fitness.

"I was delighted when I heard my name read out for the third Test and to have the chance to finish a Test series and potentially to win it.

"For me four years ago does feel like unfinished business because I was gutted I could not play that third game - even though I was over the moon and it was a career highlight to win, you still, as a player want to be involved in that and have your small contribution to the game.

"So for the past four years in the back of my mind I have set my sights on this tour and I wanted to be in the Test team and play in the last game."

The British and Irish Lions have named an unchanged team and bench for the third and decisive Test against New Zealand. It means they will field the same starting XV in consecutive Tests for the first time since 1993.

A victory on Saturday at Eden Park would give the Lions only their second ever series win in New Zealand.

Lions head coach Warren Gatland, who saw his side win 24-21 win in Wellington last week to level the series, said: "It is not very often on a Lions tour that you get to pick the same 23 for the following game.

"We felt we should reward the players for the result and the courage that they showed in coming from behind from 18-9 down, digging themselves out of a hole and then finishing strongly in that last 10 to 15 minutes [to win the second Test]."

Gatland has decided to retain the 10-12 partnership of Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell from the second-Test win on Saturday.  The creative duo gives the Lions more attacking options and Gatland has clearly decided that is more important than shoring up a defensive channel that was targeted by the All Blacks last time out.

Ngani Laumape - who came off the bench to replace the red-carded Sonny Bill Williams and was sent down that channel with some success in Wellington - will make his first start for the All Blacks on Saturday.

England loose-head Mako Vunipola - the target of criticism after an ill-disciplined second half that saw him sin-binned last weekend - retains his number one shirt. Wales' Liam Williams has shrugged off injury concerns to once again start at full-back.

Gatland said the Lions are expecting a "backlash" from the world champions in Auckland but added: "We still feel there is another level in us.

"This is a huge chance for this group of players to show their abilities and reap the benefits of the work everyone has put in. It is their chance to make Lions history."

Lions: Liam Williams (Wales); Anthony Watson (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Owen Farrell (England), Elliot Daly (England); Johnny Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland); Mako Vunipola (England), Jamie George (England) Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales) Sam Warburton (capt, Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Taulupe Faletau (Wales)

Replacements: Ken Owens (Wales), Jack McGrath (Ireland), Kyle Sinckler (England), Courtney Lawes (England), CJ Stander (Ireland), Rhys Webb (Wales), Ben Te'o (England), Jack Nowell (England)

New Zealand: Jordie Barrett; Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read.

Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden, Malakai Fekitoa.

#AllBlacks #LionsOfficial 

Don't Rule Out Gatland Wellington Win

Gatland celebrates series win in Sydney 2013

Wellington offers Warren Gatland his best chance of redemption when the Lions take on the All Blacks for the second time in seven days. In what looks like an impossible task, Gatland will revel in the challenge and thrive on the fact that the odds stacked against him. The Lions are given no chance to avoid a white wash in this three-match series with New Zealand. However, such a view fails to acknowledge Gatland’s speciality, winning against the odds. Which was best exemplified in that final Test in Australia four years ago at the Telstra Stadium, when the Wallabies were deemed favourites for the final match against a supposedly weakened Lions. The pre-match view coloured by the absences of captain Sam Warburton, Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, with the visitors desperate for an emphatic victory that would strike the 24 years of defeats in Australia from the record books. 

On Saturday, New Zealander Gatland hopes Wellington will be a repeat of another famous victory under his tutelage and a return of that spirit with his 2017 squad.

As a coach, he is famous for galvanising his players in the hour of most need. With Ireland, in his match in charge in Paris against France – a side who had already run rampant on their opening fixtures of the 5 Nations - Ireland just lost 18–16 defeat at the Stade de France. Then twon years later returning to Paris Gatland saw a hat-trick of tries from Brian O'Driscoll that brought Ireland to a 25–27 win and that first away victory in the French capital since 1972.

At London WASPS as Director of Rugby the cub won multiple Premiership titles; in 2003, 2004 and 2005. These included Wasps beating Northampton Saints in the semi-final in 2003 and again in 2004, while they also had to beat Leicester Tigers in the final in 2005. While in Europe, they won the 2002–03 European Challenge Cup, winning eight from eight matches, before beating Bath 48–30 away in the final. With their promotion, up to the Heineken Cup for the 2003–04 season, London Wasps clinched the title, losing only to the Celtic Warriors on their way to a 27–20 victory over French giants Toulouse. 

On returning to New Zealand to coach Waikato in the National Provincial Championship (NPC), Gatland led his side to seventh in the Division 1 table. However, under the new competition format, the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006, Gatland then took Waikato to the final of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup, beating Wellington in the final 37–31.

In 2007, Gatland was named head coach of Wales and in his first game of the 2008 Six Nations Championship Wales beat England 26–19. Their first victory in Twickenham since 1988. This was followed by victories over Scotland and Italy/ After which Wales went on to beat Ireland at Croke Park 16–12, to win the Triple Crown. The first time Wales has held this trophy since 2005. In the final fixture Wales also beat France at the Millennium Stadium 29–12, to clinch their 10th Grand Slam.

In 2011 Gatland led Wales to fourth in the Rugby World Cup, winning three of their four Pool D matches; 17–10 win over Samoa, 81–7 win over Namibia and a record breaking 66–0 win over Fiji, their loss was a 17–16 defeat to the Springboks. Wales beat Ireland 22–10 in the quarter-final, but lost to France 9–8 in the semi-final. Wales were ranked fourth in the world, their highest ever ranking again under Gatland. In the 2012 Six Nations Championship, Gatland won a second Grand Slam in four years.

In 2009 tour of South Africa, Gatland was named as assistant coach, specialising as the Forwards coach under Ian McGeechan. He then was appointed Lions Head Coach for the 2013 tour of Australia. After winning the first test Gatland saw his Lions collect a defeat in Melbourne in the second test and so headed back to Sydney to win the series. But his preparations were to be filled with controversy after the decision to drop O’Driscoll adding to the week’s PR woes. Albeit it was the right decision based on the errors committed by the Irish centre in the second test. Then the victory in the final test secured that first series against the Wallabies since 1989 and the first series victory since the 1997 tour of South Africa. 

Before that third test in 2013, Gatland was heavily criticised by the amount of Welsh players in the match day 23 – a total of 11. Despite all the furore the Lions won the final test 41–16, which was a record winning margin for the Lions against Australia. He will be hoping to face the same criticism in Wellington this week with the same type of performance on the pitch.

British and Irish Lions:

L Williams, A Watson, J Davies, O Farrell, E Daly, J Sexton, C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, AW Jones, S Warburton (c), S O'Brien, T Faletau.

Replacements: K Owens, J McGrath, K Sinckler, C Lawes, CJ Stander, R Webb, B Te'o, J Nowell.

New Zealand 

I Dagg; W Naholo, A Lienert-Brown, SB Williams, R Ioane; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).

Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, N Laumape.

Future Not Looking Black for Gatland

Warren Gatland’s winter solstice this year was spent in his homeland leading the British and Irish Lions against his own people and could well prove his fall from grace. A challenge he was determinedly focused on since winning the final test against the Wallabies in July 2013 at Stadium Australia, his ambition to perhaps even position himself as Steve Hansen’s replacement with a possible record breaking tour to New Zealand. It may have just been a long white cloud of optimism distracting his normal ruthless decision making. The potential fallout now from the drawn midweek game against the Hurricanes placing the tourists in a tough predicament. Low on momentum, struggling with confidence after a poor opening test in Eden Park, and the challenge of Wellington now only days away. With the hosts riding high following their decisive victory last Saturday and seeking to improve their efficiency and prove even more clinical.

The ambition of Gatland to place himself in the shop window for the All Blacks coaching job which Hansen will leave at the after the 2019 World Cup, may have been in the eyeline at one point. But the battle he has engaged with the Kiwi media may yet backfire and make him the type of noisy coach the New Zealand rugby board don’t not want. With plenty of alternatives already in the running. Albeit one, Wayne Smith, is no longer a contender having announced that he would step down from New Zealand’s coaching team at the conclusion of this year’s Rugby Championship in September. Thus, ending as a 20-year association with the All Blacks as a player and then in three spells as a coach. One of them under John Hart. But having recently turned 60, Smith sees it as the right time for him to walk away having been Hansen’s right-hand man and helping deliver the 2011 and the 2015 World Cups. 

Smith opted for the All Black option after working with Northampton and then losing out to Eddie Jones when there was a vacancy at the RFU. Also in 2012, Smith was offered a role with England under Stuart Lancaster but chose the All Blacks backroom role. This week his replacement was announced and it will be Scott McLeod who moves from the Highlanders to All Blacks HQ and may in time be another contender for the No 1 spot. Adding to the current traffic jam which includes not only Gatland but Joe Schmidt, Verne Cotter and the current assistant All Blacks coach, Iain Foster 

McLeod played with Waikato Colts making his provincial debut for Waikato in 1995 and his Test debut for the All Blacks in the same year. After playing in Japan, he returned to New Zealand to coach as Waikato's Assistant Coach (2008-2012) and Assistant Coach of the Chiefs (2008 to 2011) with a specific focus on skills and defence. He coached the New Zealand Under 20 in 2012 before joining the Highlanders in 2013. In the meantime, Cotter has returned to France with Montpellier, Schmidt has extended his deal with Ireland to 2019 as all synchronise their availability for when the NZRFU go seeking their next coach.  

For Warren, the sort of homecoming he would have preferred on this to New Zealand no doubt was something rather different. The achievement in Australia now a distant memory on his rugby CV unless he can devise a win in Wellington on Saturday to make the final test more than just a rubber in two weeks. However, that challenge becomes a mightier feat after the listless second half performance in the first test that would have won Gatland’s few admirers with the All Blacks selectors. Apart from one moment of pure inspiration and talent from Liam Williams. 

Listless is something that no Gatland team can be accused of in matches under normal circumstances. But in Auckland the Lions were outfoxed and outgunned in almost every part of the game and even after the break Gatland’s coaching team were unable to find a way to build on Williams’ genius. The normal roster of old reliables also fading as the match progressed, including Alun Wynn Jones, Peter O’Mahony, Owen Farrell and Conor Murray. None able to find the kind of form that earned them a test spot and could reverse the New Zealand onslaught. The All Black machine smothering every move in the final forty minutes. The tone of Gatland’s remarks in the post-match interviews highlight his general disappointment and disaffection with the last few days. Indeed, even more so after the Highlanders game.

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