The Eighties - Great Fun But Few Great Successes

Rampant Lions 7

FULL professionalism was still 15-years away, but, as the Lions prepared to return to South Africa in 1980, the game was definitely becoming better-organised and more “professional”. There were suggestions that some of the top southern hemisphere players were professional in all but name, while money was now entering the game in the shape of sponsorship and leagues.

One result of this was the tour itinerary was shortened. No longer would players have to commit to months away from home, this tour, forming the template for those to follow, would last ten weeks, with a reduction in the flag-waving visits to the smaller district unions and thus, the chance to take the Lions brand to all points of South Africa.

The tour captain was Bill Beaumont – a replacement in New Zealand in 1977, who had grown into a full-blown Lion under the guidance of the now retired Gordon Brown. Beaumont had led England to a Grand Slam in the 1980 Five Nations, so, the Fylde man was the obvious choice to lead the party.

Something of a physique mismatch as Jim Renwick tackles Lions skipper Bill Beaumont in the 1980 Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield

Only four Scots made the original party, three of them new Lions. In the backs, Bruce Hay was back for his second straight tour, while Hawick's Jim Renwick continued his club's long tradition of providing Lions,which went back to the original 1888 squad.

Up front, the young John Beattie, of Glasgow Academicals was rewarded for an outstanding first season in the Scotland team with a place on the tour, where he was joined by a second Hawick stalwart – Alan Tomes – who had succeeded Brown as the “donkey” grafter in the Scotland boiler-room.

The tour was blighted by a succession of injuries to the Lions and no-less than seven replacements had to be flown out as players went down like nine-pins. One of the earliest replacements was Andy Irvine. The Herioter had made his name in South Africa in 1974, six years on, he had been unable to commit to the full tour, in fact, he had withdrawn on business grounds when originally named, but had declared himself available as a replacement. Injury to Mike Slemen caused Irvine to be called-up, to play in the final three Tests.

Neither Renwick, Beattie nor Tomes could break into the Test XV, but, Hay played on the left wing in the second, third and fourth Tests.

NINE Scots featured in the 1983 Lions squad in New Zealand. One of these was Jim Telfer, returning to New Zealand as coach, under another Lions Legend, Willie John McBride, who was tour manager.

Scotland provided three backs to the squad, all of them Borderers and all of them first-time Lions. Kelso's Rodger Baird was only the second player from his club to tour with the Lions, following Ken Smith from the 1959 squad. He started in all four Tests, in the third, managing something he failed to do for Scotland, and score a Test try.

Roy Laidlaw and John Rutherford - a kenspeckle pair  30-years on

The other two Scottish backs were the long-established half-back double act of Selkirk stand-off John Rutherford and Jed-forest scrum-half Roy Laidlaw. An established double act they might have been, but, this cut little ice with the two Irishmen on the selection committee – McBride and tour captain Cieran Fitzgerald. They opted for a half-back pairing of Ireland's Ollie Campbell and Wales's Terry Holmes and, while injury to Holmes allowed Laidlaw to wear the number nine shirt in the second, third and fourth Tests, Rutherford's solitary Test appearance came at inside centre in the third Test.

Of the forwards, the unluckiest was Hawick hooker Colin Deans. It was soon obvious that he was the better hooker, both in terms of ability and form, but, unlike Mike Campbell-Lammerton in 1966, Fitzgerald refused to drop himself, much to the amazement (and joy) of the New Zealanders, who felt Deans was the better hooking option for the tourists.

John Beattie was back for his second tour, one of two Scotland number eights chosen. The other was another “Soutar”, Iain Paxton, and it was the Selkirk man who got the number eight shirt in all four Tests. However, when Paxton was injured in the second Test, in Wellington, Beattie was able to win his Test cap.

Iain Milne of Heriot's was another unlucky Scottish Lion. He went on tour as understudy tight-head to Graham Price, of the legendary Pontypool Front Row. Price had worn the number three shirt in all four Tests in 1977 and again in 1980, so, it was no surprise that he should be tight-head in all four 1983 Tests as well. However, in the games he did play, Milne demonstrated what a dominant scrummager he was.

The final Scot in the tour party was Stewart's-Melville wing forward Jim Calder. Calder is one half of the only pair of twins to be Lions, however, brother Fin would have to wait until 1989 for his Lions' chance. Jim managed one Test, wearing the number six shirt in the third Test.

The Calder twins in action for Edinburgh - Fin taps back to Jim (6). Both were Lions, but, on different tours, Jim in 1983, Fin in 1989

FIN Calder did not merely go on the 1989 Tour, he went as captain. This tour was, if not ground-breaking, certainly a new departure for the Lions as, for the first time, they travelled exclusively to Australia. Previous tours to that country had been seen as add-ons to the New Zealand leg of the tour.

In another departure, the management team included two coaches, with England's Roger Uttley looking ater the forwards and his 1974 team mate Ian McGeechan of Scotland having charge of the backs.

Among the players, skipper Calder was one of nine Scottish players, reflecting the strength of that generation of Scottish players. The Scots provided both full-backs: Gala's Peter Dods and Watsonians' Gavin Hastings, then playing for London Scottish, with Hastings claiming the 15 jersey in all three Tests.

In the second and third Tests, he had family company, in the person of younger brother Scott Hastings. Scotland also, as in 1983, provided a pair of Borders half-backs. Melrose youngster Craig Chalmers wore the ten shirt in the opening Test, before giving way to England's Rob Andrew, but, Jed-forest nine Gary Armstrong had to be content with a seat on the bench for the Tests, as back-up to his great friend, the brilliant Welsh scrum-half Rob Jones.

Skipper Calder, of course, played in all three Tests, where he was joined by another Scottish forward, loose-head prop David Sole. Derek White of London Scottish wore the number six shirt in the first Test, before giving way to England's Mike Teague, while the final Scottish player, Kelso's John Jeffrey, was unable to break into the Test XV.

There were several punch-ups in what has been perceived to be a bad-tempered series. But, the Lions showed real character in coming back from losing the first test, to win the other two and take the series – character which stemmed from the hard-nosed pragmatic leadership of Captain Calder, who had at his disposal a tight-knit bunch of players who would have followed their skipper anywhere.

As ever, the Australian press did their utmost to unsettle the Lions and get under their skins, this approach being backed-up by some of the Australian players, notably winger David Campese, but, they were wasting their time with Calder, who refused to rise to the bait and got on with winning the series after that bad first test.

After 100-years of touring, the Lions were still showing the colonials how to play entertaining and winning rugby.