Top of the Food Chain

Rugby is an old game. An odd game.

The "other" football may have a truly global resonance, and the Superbowl may be a central aspect of the world's most brazen cultural superpower, but on the June 1st one of rugby's quaintest oddities will debut it's latest incarnation.  The 2013 British and Irish Lions (it's clunky moniker evidence of it's struggles to remain relevant in the modern world), will play the equally quaint, Barbarians at the Hong Kong Stadium.

It is a day when crimson corinthians roar in from the romantic histrionics to a reality of professionalism, corporate "events" and amateurish internet opinion (ahem), before disappearing again into the pages of biographia, or the inevitable "behind the scenes" DVD.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Lions continued existence against expectations is the players desire to tour. Sports men and women at the top all share the desire to win and stay at the top, the Lions is the apex of that desire and It's the desire of these athletes which makes the Lions compelling. it's that desire which will ensure the survival of the Lions for generations to come.

"The Warburton Way"

Captain Sam Warburton was born in Cardiff to English parents, after being honored with the captaincy he talked of his desire to become a Lion as first being stirred as a sixteen year old when he unwrapped a present to find a 2005 Lions shirt with "Warburton" written across the shoulders "I loved it and wore it everywhere for a year", a prophetic gift. Warburton made a schoolboy's promise, the next lions shirt he'd wear, would be his own. Yeah right.

At 24 (Sam is the youngest man to captain the Lions for 55 years) you'd be forgiven for thinking Warburton's career has been a continuous upward trajectory. but there was a time (minute 17 of the 2011 World Cup semifinals to be precise), when life wasn't exactly going the way Sam would've wanted!

Interestingly Warburton is the one player in the party who's desire has been openly questioned. Warburton "declined" the captaincy of Wales for the Six Nations Championship decider against England, and has publicly stated that he hopes the Lions selectors would not pick him on captaincy alone if his form did not warrant selection. This has given Warburton's detractors ammunition, he's not got that desire, he's not the right sort of personality to lead this group of egotistical competitors. He still has many within Britain and Ireland, let alone Australia to convince that he is the right man to lead the Lions.

Lions and Wales coach Warren Gatland has stated that Warburton is a team player, what others see as issues with his captaincy, he sees as selfless acts for the good of the team. The Warburton way is informed by his singular desire to see the team prosper, if the Lions are to win a first series in four attempts, there'll be more than one "Warburton" Lions shirt on display.

 

Unlucky for some

If you've not heard of O'Driscoll, then you really are new to the sport. BOD to most, GOD to Lienster fans, Brian is making an astonishing fourth tour. only two other men have achieved this, fellow Irishmen Willie John McBride and Mike Gibson. Durability is an annoying buzz word on Lions tours but the sight of O'Driscoll, seemingly held together by insulation tape and bandage, limping from the field in obvious pain, is an image of resilience and that desire.

former Ireland and Lions hooker Keith Wood said that when BOD first joined the Irish team he changed everything. His natural ability in training was irrepressible and with him in camp everyone had to train with greater intensity just to keep up, youngsters wanted to make a similar impact, the old boys had to adapt, or get lost. It was not long before that Irish team was being spoken of as "The golden generation"

At 34, BOD is not the player who first toured Australia in 2001, if he was he would not be on this tour. BOD is the Madonna of International rugby, changing everything about himself to remain relevant. In more attack minded days he had the pace to get through a defensive gap where two, maybe three defenders were closer to it than he. When ball retention became the focus, he again changed the role of a center by concentrating on defense and adding upper body strength to complement his low center of gravity and working like an openside, Ireland became formidable opponents to all but the All Blacks. What manner of player will BOD the 2013 lion be?

 

Mat Stevens, at the pinnacle again.

The selectors are entitled to at least one left-field choice, a "bolter", maybe a young unproved player to add something to the team dynamic and get the opposition annalists scratching their heads looking for footage. Mat Stevens is none of these things. Whilst Warburton and O'Driscoll are notable for the desire which gets them talked of as role models, others may prefer not to be mentioned at all.
 

Playing in the salubrious surroundings of Bath's recreation ground, running a local business with team mates and even becoming a national celebrity as a pretty impressive crooner, Stevens had it all, he'd even became an established and likable international, touring with the Lions in 2005 and becoming integral to Brian Ashton's England which finished as runners up in the 2007 Rubgy World Cup. But there was an issue in Stevens life which belied the contented public image.
 

Stevens may even of played in the 2009 Lions tour, however in January of that year he was banned from all rugby for two years after testing positive for cocaine. Stevens took "full responsibility", pleaded guilty and his actions and words evoked true feelings of pity, particularly when his agent spoke of "letting people down". Stevens world was shattered and he vowed to "return to the game a better person and rugby player", many felt he lacked that desire to get back to the top, but back he came. a new club, a new ethos, in his first season back, he was a quiet and unassuming cog in the Saracens machine which won the 2011 Aviva Premiership Final for the first time.
 

Whatever happens over the tour, Stevens will continue to attract questions, after being selected, Saracens and their Lions props were defeated first by Toulon at Twickernham and then by Northampton at Allianz park. Both games saw Stevens have a tough time and this tour in all probability represents his last foray into International rugby. One last chance to rewrite the Stevens story for the better.

 

Young Hogg, with Billy (left)

 

Finally, at the other end of an international career, the youngest Lion is expected to struggle with the traditional burden of making sure the team mascot makes it back to the hotel at the end of the day. an impossible task, particularly for 2013's "yoof" Stuart Hogg. The 22 year old suffers from Hay fever and has become convinced that the mascot, Billy, is inducing an allergic reaction. Nice try Hoggy, but you ain't getting out of it that easy. Luckily for Hogg the sneezing fits and stress of potentially having to wrestle the thing out of Mat Stevens' sleepy cuddle is tempered by the realization of a dream, playing with his boyhood hero, HRH Brian O'Driscoll.

"Getting picked is the easy part", as the Telferism goes.