The most crucial ingredient of any British & Irish Lions tour is genuine belief. Head south fearing the worst and abject failure will inevitably follow. Treat next summer’s expedition to New Zealand as mission impossible and there will be only one winner. Warren Gatland has been around long enough to know every Lions trip is a foaming cocktail made up of three parts optimism to one part common sense.
Hence his drum-beating address in the majestic shadow of Edinburgh Castle on Wednesday, a relentlessly upbeat tattoo even by world-class local standards. Had the New Zealand coach, Steve Hansen, popped in to listen he would have been left in no doubt his All Blacks will have to do more than simply turn up to claim the three-Test series. Aside from anything else, Gatland is a Kiwi himself and knows instinctively where to probe for possible psychological advantages.
It was no casual aside, then, when the former Waikato captain and coach wondered aloud about the flip side of All Blacks squad members facing the Lions in the early provincial games, suggesting it would actually do the Lions a sizeable favour. “I think it makes our job easier. In 2009 we came into the first Test under-cooked because the South Africans pulled their [top] players out. We won the warm-up games too comfortably and thought we were in good shape. In Australia in 2013 not all the games were of the competitive level you would like but you’re definitely going to get that in NZ. We’re going to be battle-hardened and ready before the first Test.”
He also reckons New Zealanders do not always appreciate the galvanising “power of four”, particularly when it is channelled correctly. In 2005, admittedly, Sir Clive Woodward’s squad were blown away, leading to the widespread assumption that something similar will happen again. Gatland, having already presided over one successful Lions tour, counters that the potential collective bond within next year’s squad could overcome any perceived shortfall in quality. “My experience – and talking to a lot of people about the Lions – is that potential success is [as much about] what happens off the field. If you get that right and get the harmony right, you have a chance of winning the series. That’s paramount for us.”
The thrust of his argument was that New Zealand, when it comes to it, will be under more pressure than the Lions, who have nothing to lose. It is Gatland’s sense, too, that the scale of the challenge will make the touring team yet more determined. “New Zealand will be incredibly tough but I am excited about that opportunity. There is no bigger challenge and that is what motivates and drives me to wanting to do it. You have to get on that plane believing you are part of a set-up that can go to New Zealand and win.
“I wouldn’t be doing the job if I thought that it was impossible. I’m the eternal optimist. If you look at the players who are out there, we have some real quality. There is genuine pace, great footwork, players with experience, size and physicality and hopefully some belief and confidence as well. It is a chance to tour one of the greatest rugby nations in the world.”
Given the only Lions team to conquer New Zealand was in 1971, it could be said a repeat success is somewhat overdue. Hope clearly springs eternal among the public, with the Lions’ chief executive, John Feehan, anticipating upwards of 30,000 fans will follow at least part of the tour and form a “sea of red” in the stands. “In 2005 we took 29,000 people and the indications are it will be in excess of that this time. The Lions brings romance – it is like a first date and you don’t know what is going to happen. It can be amazing or awful – that’s what makes it such an incredible thing.”
It is a nice analogy, particularly if cauliflower ears are your thing. There is unquestionably talent available, as well as a nice mix of youth and experience. If Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton, Owen Farrell, Stuart Hogg, George North et al are all fit and available, the Lions really should be competitive.
If the scant preparation time does no one any favours, there is at least a sense that Gatland has a clear plan already. He is due to fly out to New Zealand on Thursday to take in Saturday’s Test between the All Blacks and Argentina in Hamilton and lay some of the initial tour groundwork, with the identity of his assistants still to be decided.
They will not be named until 7 December; some will be old Lions hands to provide continuity but Gatland is also adamant there will be “some fresh faces” as well. The Welsh Rugby Union has said that, if necessary, it will release Rob Howley, who has been put in temporary charge of the national team in Gatland’s absence, after the Six Nations but, with seven months to go before the squad is announced, the bar-room debates about the Lions’ best options can continue to rage. Gatland, either way, is back and continues to be the most enthusiastic of torch-bearers. “There is something special about the Lions and we need to protect it as much as we possibly can.” He did not remotely sound, or look, like a man embarking on an impossible mission.
