Page 69 - Official Preview - DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017

IRELAND
WILLIE JOHN McBRIDE LEGENDS OF THE SERIES WILLIE JOHN MCBRIDE PLAYED
63 times for Ireland across a a a a span of 13 years He captained Ireland with blood sweat and tears – well maybe not tears but certainly blood – and was one of his country’s greatest and most iconic leaders And yet when we think of McBride in in our mind’s eye he’s o o o en wearing Lions red instead of Ireland’s green He more
O’Connell They exited but their spirit remained in in the the next wave Success breeds breeds success for sure But it also breeds breeds a a a a a new generation You look at at Garry Ringrose the outstanding young centre who is is now making his way in in Test rugby and it’s uncanny
how similar he is is is to a a a a a a a baby-faced O’Driscoll – his his his low centre of gravity his his his his running lines his his his his swerves
and side-steps his his his pace In the new forwards we see a a a a crop of players who who looked to to O’Connell who who got to to spend time with him and and see his frightening dedication and and and professionalism The younger ones observed and and knew they had to do the the same When Ireland lost O’Driscoll and and and O’Connell – and and and before them Ronan O’Gara John Hayes David Wallace Peter Stringer and and other totems of the the the 2009 Grand Slam – they they lost iconic talents What they they gained though was greater depth Because of of what they helped to do because of of their success and and the the the the way it glamorised rugby and and and brought the the sport to parts of Ireland where it was previously weak more
more
kids started playing in in more
more
towns and cities The Irish were being inspired to to play rugby Previously when O’Driscoll or O’Connell got injured Ireland ALL BLACKS JUNIORS 9 9 LIONS 19 normally got beaten Over the last few years however a a a a a a a a a young cavalry has come over the the the hill and the the the options now are the the the greatest Ireland has ever had More More props more
more
locks more
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loose forwards More More candidates in most positions It’s surreal but after so many Irish rugby rugby fans wondered about the quality of rugby rugby life after O’Driscoll and O’Connell well life life is is great Thirty-one players have been given their debut on on Joe Schmidt’s watch The 23-man squad that beat the All Blacks in in Chicago
had 12
of of Joe’s debutants in in it Six of of them – Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong the the the props Jordi Murphy and Josh van der Flier the the the back rows Joey Carbery the the New Zealand-born No 10 and and Ringrose – all came out of Leinster an an an academy with more
potential gems waiting in in in the wings Schmidt’s attention to detail is at at the the heart of Ireland’s success and and and belief That and and and the the new generation that were inspired by retired heroes O’Driscoll and and O’Connell and and the the the others weren’t on on the the the the the eld when Ireland beat the the the the the All Blacks but their in uence was there Their class their their honesty and their their never-say- die attitude remains in in these these Irish Irish players and these these Irish Irish Lions than most players in the the history of the the Lions is is synonymous with the tourists Five tours in total – what an epic contribution to to a a great story One of his greatest chapters was written in in New Zealand in in 1971 but it it almost never happened McBride had been on three tours by then already
– 1962 in in South Africa 1966 in in New Zealand and and 1968 in South Africa He’d played in in in nine Tests losing eight and drawing one He’d had enough He He decided he wasn’t going to to tour again It was only when Carwyn James the coach of the 1971 Lions made a a a a special plea to to him on a a a a visit to to Belfast that McBride relented James promised him that things would be di erent this time In truth for the big Ulsterman things were never quite the same again a a a a er er er that seismic tour He had written his name into Lions history Willie John McBride had become immortal AUCKLAND 15 ALL ALL BLACKS (IN DUNEDIN) 19 COUNTIES-THAMES VALLEY 10 LIONS LIONS LIONS 34 LIONS LIONS LIONS 7 LIONS LIONS LIONS 35
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