it to say the process of Lions selection has changed over the years. The first tour in 1888 was dreamt up by three cricketers and was on the whole
Scott Laughton Womens Jersey of players from northern England looking to make a few quid. One of them, Jack Clowes, was even banned from playing any of the matches by the RFU for accepting a generous ?15 kit allowance on the eve of the tour – he spent eight months away without officially playing a game. Ben Youngs makes a ‘nice little last push’ for place in Lions squad Read more Even after the dawn of professionalism, however, things were not quite so stage-managed as now. On Wednesday those players selected can find out by turning on their TVs and watching the tour manager, John Spencer, reading out Warren Gatland’s chosen few. Only the captain has already been given the official nod by Gatland but it was not always
http://www.authenticflyerstore.com/authentic-14-sean-couturier-jersey.html this way, as Simon Shaw, a three-times tourist in 1997, 2005 and 2009, explains. “Before the 1997 tour I got called to sit at the same table at the Rugby Writers’ dinner with Fran Cotton,” says Shaw. “Midway through dinner he whispered in my ear – it sounds a bit creepy doesn’t it – he basically said if I can carry on in the same mode post-Six Nations and stay injury free, then in all likelihood I’d be on the plane.” In those days it was made official with a letter through the post – Austin Healey famously hid his flatmate Will Greenwood’s in 1997 – and while different players will adopt varying approaches on Wednesday – some will be at training, others on holiday and one or two perhaps even hiding under the covers – it is the coaches who have agonised over the
Matt Harvey Womens Jersey past weeks and months. Phil Larder served as assistant to both Graham Henry in 2001 and Clive Woodward four years later, having been England’s defence coach between 1997 and 2006. “The difficulty always is trying to be 100% honest and fair with your Lions hat on,” he says. “I knew the England players inside out and one of the problems that [fellow assistant] Andy Robinson and myself had in 2001 was that if we had picked our strongest team, it would have had 12 English players in it. “Even after the tour we felt that, if England had been out there instead of the Lions, we would have won the series. If you look at the Lions, you’ve
http://www.officialmetsproshop.com/Michael_Conforto_Jersey got only two or three matches before the Tests start in which to blend a team. It’s a hell of adifficult job.”
