British And Irish Lions Selected For South Africa Tour

The 37-man squad of the British and Irish Lions rugby team wasannounced today, April 21. In what will be seen as a surprise in somequarters, Ireland’s Paul O’Connell has been handed the captaincy overhis countryman, and Ireland’s Grand-Slam winning captain, BrianO’Driscoll. O’Driscoll – who captained the Lions in 2005 – fared betterthan the other home nations captains in that he at least made thesquad; England’s Steve Borthwick, Wales’ Ryan Jones and Scotland’s MikeBlair are not among the final selection.

The Lion’s last tour to South Africa was in 1997 when Martin Johnsonled the tourists to a 2-1 series victory. That side, as is this latest,was coached by Ian McGeechan who was also a part of the most successfulLions team in history. In 1974, under captain Willie John McBride, theLions travelled to South Africa and became the first touring rugby sideever to go unbeaten – playing 22 games and winning three Tests anddrawing a fourth. McGeechan will be hoping for a similar result 35years on, but perhaps without the level of ferocity and violence thatbeset that legendary tour.

Brian O’Driscoll, Martin Johnson and Willie John McBride are allcontributors to Genesis’ signed limited edition – The Lions: TheComplete History of the British and Irish Rugby Union Team. Written byDavid Walmsley and featuring original text by 27 Lions and oppositioncaptains and hundreds of photographs and items of memorabilia sourcedfrom museums and collections around the world, The Lions is the mostcomplete history of the world’s most famous rugby team that’s ever beenproduced. It covers every tour from 1888 up to and including the 2005tour to New Zealand, as well as previously ‘lost’ tours to Argentinabetween 1910 and 1936, and games with the likes of Brazil and Ceylon.

For more information, click here.

The full squad of the 2009 British and Irish Lions is as follows: LeeByrne (Wales), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Shane Williams (Wales), LeighHalfpenny (Wales), Ugo Monye (England), Luke Fitzgerald (Ireland),Tommy Bowe (Ireland),Tom Shanklin (Wales), Jamie Roberts (Wales), BrianO'Driscoll (Ireland), Keith Earls (Ireland), Riki Flutey (England),Ronan O'Gara (Ireland), Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales),Harry Ellis (England), Tomas O'Leary (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales),Adam Jones (Wales), Andrew Sheridan (England), Phil Vickery (England),Euan Murray (Scotland), Jerry Flannery (Ireland), Lee Mears (England),Matthew Rees (Wales), Paul O'Connell, capt (Ireland), Alun Wyn Jones(Wales), Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), Nathan Hines (Scotland), SimonShaw (England), David Wallace (Ireland), Stephen Ferris (Ireland), AlanQuinlan (Ireland), Joe Worsley (England), Martyn Williams (Wales),Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Andy Powell (Wales)

'If you could dislocate this one Tans...' Brian O'Driscoll and Tana Umaga before the 2005 Test series begins.