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had made his name in South Africa in 1974, six years on, he had been unable to commit to the full tour, in fact, he had withdrawn on business grounds when originally named, but had declared himself available as a replacement.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.

The Golden Decade Of Lions Rugby - The 1970s

Rampant Lions 6

WITH the 2017 British & Irish Lions in the air, en-route to New Zealand, I return to my series chronicling those Scots who have been Lions since 1888.

This edition looks at probably THE Golden Age of Lions touring – the unique 1971 squad, the only Lions to win a series in New Zealand; their successors, the Invincibles in South Africa in 1974 and the Nearly Men who came so close to glory in the rain-soaked 1977 tour which brought down the curtain on that glorious decade of the 1970s.

THE three tours in the 1960s had been painful for the Lions, but, lessons were learned. Over the three tours, there had been a gradual acceptance that, like their opponents, the Lions needed a coach. By the time the 1971 Tour preparations came along, all the home nations had coaches in place – although, stuck-in-the-muds as ever, the SRU referred to their coach, Bill Dickinson, as: “Adviser to the Captain”. It was clear, the 1971 Lions in New Zealand would have a coach, with the authority to set the tactics.

The management team the Lions committee came up with was an inspired choice. The manager was Dr Doug Smith of Scotland, one of the 1950 Lions in New Zealand. He knew the top men in the NZRFU with whom he would be dealing, while the coach was widely considered a genius. He was Carwyn James of Llanelli, a deep thinker on the game, whose own Welsh international career had been spent in the shadow of the great Cliff Morgan. Their captain was another Welshman, John Dawes, iconic captain of London Welsh, then arguably the best club side in the UK. Indeed, Dawes would be one of six London Welshmen in the original party, with a seventh joining them as a replacement.

Seven Scots made the tour. Roger Arneil, one of the successes of the 1968 South African tour was back, while hooker Frank Laidlaw was also a tourist for the second time, having been on the 1966 Australasian tour. Among the new boys, there were two three-quarters, laid-back London Scottish winger Alistair Biggar and Headingley centre Chris Rea. Sadly for both, the 1971 Lions had perhaps the most star-studded three-quarter line ever to leave the UK and, well though they played, they were destined to spend their tour as members of the midweek “dirt trackers”.

Up front, Laidlaw would not lack familiar faces, with the entire first-choice Scotland front row chosen, so he had alongside him, his regular Scotland loose-head Ian McLauchlan of Jordanhill College and Sandy Carmichael of West of Scotland.

McLauchlan, just five feet nine inches tall and weighing just under 15 stones, had long been considered “too wee” for international rugby. But, he was a formidable scrum technician, who could get underneath much-bigger tight-heads, or, take them down to heights at which they did not wish to operate. He was also ridiculously strong and fit, and had a reputation for getting around the park and scoring tries.

In New Zealand, he earned the nickname “Mighty Mouse” from the impressed New Zealanders.

Sandy Carmichael - punched out of the 1971 Tour

Carmichael was tall, strong and also mobile. He was expected to play tight-head in the Test XV, while McLauchlan was seen as back-up to Ireland's Ray McLoughlin on the loose-head side. However, in yet another punch-up, against Canterbury, Carmichael was ruthlessly punched out of the tour, sustaining serious facial injuries which meant he had to be flown home, while McLoughlin was also injured and had to be sent home.

McLauchlan and Ireland's Sean Lynch were promoted to the Test XV and, when McLauchlan scored the crucial try which helped the Lions to win the game, a legend and a sterling Lions career were born.

The final Scot in the touring party was the young Gordon Brown of West of Scotland. Some, including it is alleged, some veteran Lions, questioned the selection of this young, but big lock forward. He was baby-faced, comparatively inexperienced, but, on this tour, the lasting legend of “Broon from Troon” would be born as he battled his way into the Test XV, where he formed the most-iconic Lions boiler-house partnerships, alongside the veteran Irishman Willie John McBride.

These Lions were written off when they lost their opening match in Australia, a defeat manager Smith memorably put down to jet lag. But, on arrival in New Zealand, Smith forecast the Lions would win the Test series 2-1, with one game drawn. He knew what the New Zealanders did not. James would galvanise his pack to such heights, for the first time ever, the Lions backs had enough ball with which to hurt the All Blacks, and, in the likes of JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mike Gibson, David Duckham and the wonderful half-back partnership of Barry John and Gareth Edwards, they had the cutting edge to win. They played 24 games in New Zealand, lost one – the second Test, drew one, the fourth Test, and won the other 22 – they remain the only Lions ever to win a series in New Zealand.

THE series win in New Zealand in 1971 certainly raised expectations when the next Lions tour, to South Africa in 1974 came along. The brilliant three-quarters from '71 had all gone, but, JPR Williams was still there as was scrum-half Gareth Ewards. Crucially, however, three of the front five who had done so-much to supply possession in New Zealand, and two-thirds of the back row would be on the South African tour – parity of possession would be possible.

Six Scots were chosen for the tour, the three Glasgow-based forwards, Gordon Brown, Sandy Carmichael and Ian McLauchlan were all back for a second successive tour. Brown and McLauchlan would, as expected pre-tour, cement their places in the Test team, Carmichael, sadly, would endure the torment of a second successive tour in which he was unable to force his way into the Test XV, kept out by England's Fran Cotton.

 Gordon Brown and Ian McLauchlan - Invincibles in 1974

Big Broon would enjoy a dream tour, capped by a round of golf with Gary Player. He scored eight tries in the tour, a legend was born. As for McLauchlan, the big South African forwards proved to be no more of a problem than the New Zealanders had been and the combative wee man from Tarbolton definitely enjoyed taking part in the notorious “99” call to arms.

First of the three new Lions was the young Heriot's full-back Andy Irvine, the third Herioter full-back to go on a Lions tour. He made the Test XV too, but, on the wing, with Welshman JPR Williams, as he had in New Zealand, being first-choice full-back.

Irvine owed his Test place to injury to another Scot, RAF winger Billy Steele. The Langholm man had taken the 14 jersey in the first two Tests, before injury intervened and Irvine stepped in.

The final Scot was at the start of a long and successful Lions career. He was Yorkshire-born Ian McGeechan, who formed an excellent centre partnership with Ulster's Ray Milliken in all four Tests.

These Lions went down in history as: “The Invincibles”, winning 21 of their 22 games, the only match they did not win being the fourth and final Test. They had made history.

THREE years passed and it was time for the Lions to return to New Zealand. Gordon Brown was back, for his third tour. Selection for this one made him the only forward to be selected for all three tours during the 1970s, but, this one was a close-run thing.

He had been controversially suspended after dealing in his won way by a shocking attack on himself during an Inter-District match and he was picked for the '77 tour without featuring in that year's Five Nations. Indeed, the tour would be his international swan song.

 Andy Irvine cuts inside Ian McGeechan in 1974; both toured again in 1977

Brown was the only Scottish forward chosen for the tour, while, in the backs, both Irvine and McGeechan were back for second successive tours. They were joined by two new boys. The first was Boroughmuir's Bruce Hay, reprising his Edinburgh and Scotland role as back-up to Irvine; the second was Stewart's-Melville and Edinburgh scrum-half Dougie Morgan. Welshman Brynmor Williams would be the first-choice scrum-half, maintaining his international partnership with tour captain Phil Bennett. Morgan got on with life, as a key member of the midweek “dirt trackers” side, before, when Williams was injured in the third Test, playing well then holding his place for the final Test.

This, however, was an unhappy tour. The weather was generally miserable and the attrition rate was high. Brown, for instance, missed the first Test with injury and had to be carefully managed throughout. The final outcome, with the All Blacks winning the Test series three-one also indicated – the Lions' Golden Decade was over.

We All Had Scarlets Fever And We Caught It At The Game

I DECIDED to pass on yesterday's Scottish and English football Cup Finals, to watch the Rugby. I kicked off with the Aviva Premership final, well won by Exeter, before switching to BBC2 Wales, online, to watch Scarlets take apart Munster in even-more devastating fashion.

Scarlets played a brand of refreshing attacking rugby which was tyically Llanelli. I could see past Stradey Park maestroes such as Barry John, Phil Bennet and even the late Carwyn James and Ray Gravell purring at the quality of the Scarlets' performance.

John Barclay leads the Scarlets' celebrations

Right at the heart of affairs leading from the front was Scotland captain John Barclay, it was a glorious celebration of old-fashioned Welsh rugby. I do hope the powers-that-be in Welsh rugby look at that bout of Scarlets Fever (copyright Max Boyce) and maybe think to themselves: “Should we stick with Warrenball when we can have that?”

On second thoughts, let's home they stick with 'Warrenball' - easier to counter.

Munster rode a wave of sympathy following “Axel” Foley's tragic death, but, the truth is, they play a brand of non-rugby. It was good for the game that Scarlets won.

NOT that the Twickenham game was poor. It was a cracking game, with some good rugby, but, I always feel, the English game is, like English football, way over-hyped. It is not as great as their media make it out to be.

That said, I was so pleased for Exeter, I remember being at Millbrae some years ago, when Exeter, a team few of us had even heard of – we perhaps still thought of St Luke's College as representing Devonian rugby – arrived to face Glasgow, then still coached by Sean Lineen, in a pre-season game.

Exeter's Rob Baxter - One of the good guys

They beat Glasgow, and won well, and I was instantly converted to being an Exeter and Rob Baxter fan. Since that night, both teams have kicked-on, Exeter perhaps slightly more than Glasgow, but, still two good sides.

I hope the cider flowed in the South West on Saturday night.

WHEN it comes to partying – few, if any, Scottish rugby clubs can live with Ayr. The Millbrae Maddies fully justified this reputation with the cracking Land o' Burns Weekender, featuring, on Saturday, not only a beer festival, but also that Ayr RFC speciality, beach touch rugby.

Several sair heids this morning, a good time was had by all who were there.

JUST what is going on at Murrayfield right now? First of all, we have the sudden announcement that Keith Russell has left his post as Director of Domestic Rugby. This move is NOT good for the club game, we need somebody inside the tent making sure the club game is looked after, it is worrying.

Then, the SRU fails to tell the media that Corey Flynn has been released a year early from his contract with Glasgow Warriors. OK, Flynn is 36 and not the force he was when winning All Blacks caps, but, I feel his influence on a day-to-day basis has shown in the improved form of Messrs Brown and McArthur, the Warriors' top two hookers, while the two young number twos, James Malcolm and Cammy Fenton have both most-definitely benefitted from working with him on a daily basis.

Perhaps Dave Rennie doesn't fancy him, who knows. I am, however, a wee bit concerned that Renie should be so-quick to jettison Gordy Reid and Flynn – that's a lot of front row nous to lose at the one time.

 Dave Rennie - seems a bit dour to me

Time will tell, but, I am not all that impressed by the new guys Rennie has sanctioned signing.

OLYMPIC Games off-field/track politics is a complex minefield to negotiate, so, I am not too surprised at the news that the English, Scottish and Welsh Sevens squads might be sacrificed on the altar of Olympic success at the end of next season.

We in rugby are perhaps so wrapped-up in the politics of our own game, we fail to realise just how big a deal the Olympics is. For instance, I remember being told, over 30-years ago by one of the then honchos of the USA Rugby Union: “Rugby in the USA will not start to take-off until the game gets Olympic Games recognition”. That guy's reasoning was, as far as the American public, brought-up to ingest American Football, Basketball and Baseball like mother's milk, if any other sport did not have Olympics recognition, it would get nowhere on that side of the Atlantic.

Since the USA Sevens team got into the Olympics, rugby has increased its profile over there, so, yes, Sevens, and Olympic Sevens, will become increasingly important.

Mark Bennett - one Scot who knows all about Olympic Sevens

Mind you, with any luck, Scotland will only be out of the top flight for one or two Olympic cycles, before Independence. We will still, even if the worst happens and we have to go down the GB route, have Scottish players involved. In any case, the European Sevens GP series just might prove a fertile trophy-hunting ground for our Sevens squad. I would not hurry to condemn this suggestion of putting Team GB first.

The Sixties Did Not Swing For The Out-Gunned Lions

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THE Sixties didn't “swing” for the Lions, indeed, that decade was one of disappointment for the best of British, as they discovered the southern hemisphere nations were opening-up a wide gap over them in terms of preparation and team work.

The Lions made three tours in that decade, two to South Africa and one to Austalasia, during which they showed a good level of consistency – losing all three trips.

The Lions themselves have dubbed this decade as one of “decline and fall”, as things went from bad to worse for the tourists. The 1962 trip to South Africa was their first since the brilliant 1955 one, and while Reg Jeeps, the breakthrough star of that tour was back for his third Lions' tour, there was a distinct lack of star quality in the touring party, even though, that tour was a baptism of fire with the Lions for the great Willie John McBride of Ireland, on the first of his five tours.

The Great Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith, returning to South Africa where he had first toured in 1955, was a popular choice as tour captain. He had five other Scots with him, one of whom, Gordon Waddell, was making his second tour with the Lions having been in Australasia in 1959. Waddell was to remain in South Africa for a long time, after meeting his future wife on this tour.

Smith and Waddell had a third Scottish three-quarter on the tour, the young Ronnie Cowan of Selkirk, who had only broken into the Scotland team that season was that man. Cowan, who switched to Rugby League when he returne from South Africa, replaced the injured Smith for the final Test, scoring a try, while Waddell had been the starting stand-off in the first two Tests, after the designated first-choice, England's Richard Sharp was injured.

Among the forwards, the leading Scot was Army captain Mike Campbell-Lammerton. An outstanding second row for Scotland, big Mike found himself switched to number eight for the Lions, as they sought to beef-up their pack to face the Springbok juggernaut. He worked diligently in his new role, filling the number eight shirt in all four Tests.

Campbell-Lammerton's selection in the position was bad news for another Scot, John Douglas of Stewart's College FP. He had been Scotland's number eight throughout the Five Nations, but, in South Africa he was relegated to “dirt trackers” duties. That on the tour was the fate too of one of Scotland's greatest-ever forwards the Fife farmer, David Rollo of Howe of Fife. One-third of a superb Scotland front row, with Hughie McLeod and Ken Bruce, Rollo was good enough to have been a Test prop in South Africa, but, the Lions selectors preferred the bigger Kingsley Jones of Cardiff for all four Tests. However, Rollo's ability to play on either side of the scrum made him a handy man to have on such an tough tour.

Mike Campbell-Lammerton

FOUR years later, in Australia and New Zealand, Campbell-Lammerton was Tour Captain. However, in New Zealand, with Wilson Whineray's All Blacks, including Brian Lochore, Kel Tremain and the mighty “Pine Tree”, Colin Meads, at the peak of their considerable ability, the Lions struggled. Campbell-Lammerton realised, he was not worthy of a Test place and dropped himself, an example of what a fine man and leader he was.

Five other Scots joined the captain on the tour. Of these, two would play in five of the six tests. The first of these was full-back Stewart Wilson of London Scottish. The London-born Wilson broke through at Oxford University, before joining London Scottish. He was the Lions' main goal kicker in 1966, contributing 90 points, before his kicking form shaded in the latter stages of the tour.

The other Test regular, like Wilson playing in five of the six Tests, would make his presence felt off the field on the tour, before going on to become one of the true Lions greats. He was Jim Telfer of Melrose, whose comment in his speech at the post-game dinner following a battle against Canterbury, Telfer made headlines around the world when he said: “I would not say today's game had been a dirty one – every game in New Zealand is a dirty one”. The New Zealanders maybe did not agree with his assessment, but, they liked “Creamy's” gift for straight talking. He played in 22 of the 33 tour games, more than any other player.

London Scottish winger Sandy Hinshelwood played on two tests on the tour, and finished with 12 tries, making him the second-top try scorer. Some of his tries were spectacular too on this, the first of his two Lions tours, which came at the end of his first season in the Scotland side.

Another player making the first of two Lions' tours was hooker Frank Laidlaw, the second Melrose man to tour. He and Ireland's Ken Kennedy fought a tour-long battle for the hooking berth. Kennedy's greater aggression around the field mde him first-choice, but, as the tour progressed and the All Blacks took control, Laidlaw's ability to win the ball when under pressure and in reverse saw him drafted into the Test team.

If the 1966 Lions had strength-in-depth in any position, it was across the back row, which was bad news for the final Scot in the tour party, Hawick's Derek Grant. The abrasive Hawick man was limited to just ten games on the tour, mainly with the “dirt trackers”, but, like Hughie McLeod before him, what he learned in New Zealand was put into practice with Hawick when he returned and switched to coaching. As a coach he had a three-year spell with Scotland, in which he proved himself a master of the coaching game.

Jim Telfer

HINSHELWOOD and Telfer were in the Lions squad in South Africa in 1968, for their second tour, on which they were joined by a further three Scots as original picks. In the backs, the young Jock Turner of Gala, who was a solid ever-present in the centre in all four Tests. His ability to play either centre, full back, or his club position of stand-off made Turner a valued member of the 1968 squad.

The six foot-ten inch Peter Stagg, of Sale, was the tallest Lion on the tour and, as such, a crucial line-out presence in three of the four Tests – injury kept him out of the other Test. He was marked-out for some special and illegal treatment by the Bokke forwards, but, he just got on with his job regardless.

Edinburgh Academical flanker Roger Arneil played, alongside Telfer, in the back row in all four Tests in South Africa. He was a late addition to the party, coming in at the 11^th hour to replace injured Englishman Bryan West, but, he was deemed to be the find of the tour, appearing in 12 games in all.

There was one Scottish addition to the tour party, Trinity Academicals and London Scottish scrum-half Gordon Connell having to be flown out for the final three games, after both scrum-halves on the tour, Gareth Edwards and Roger Young of Ireland were injured.

Connell was certainly kept busy, going straight into action off the ' plane against Orange Free State. Three days later he was back on the field against North-East Districts, before paying his one and only Lions Test in the final game of the tour, in Johannesburg. Three games in a week, not a bad Lions' tour.