McGeechan inspired by rugby-mad South Africa

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 22:51

BRITISH and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan claims playing in South Africa always inspired him to raise his game and he now wants his squad to feel the same way as they begin their ten-match tour of the country.

The Lions arrived in South Africa yesterday for the first time in 12 years and play their first game against a Royal XV in Rustenburg on Saturday, with the highlight of the trip the three Test matches against the world champions in June and July.

The tour is McGeechan's third to South Africa – he was also in charge of the side in 1997 and toured as a player in 1974 – and he believes playing against the Springboks is motivation in itself for the players.

"The rugby is number one and certainly for someone like myself who came here first as a player and then as a coach," he told a press conference in Johannesburg.

"To come to a country where rugby has always been number one and so important raises your own ambitions, because you know you're in an environment where it is important to everybody in the country.

"Of course it's a tough place to tour. I think we have to become part of South African rugby over the next seven weeks. We take it on board, we embrace it and we are part of it.

"I never knew any easy grounds and I don't anticipate any on this tour either."

The Scot believes the tour will be more difficult than in 1997, when his team clinched a 2-1 victory over the hosts.

"Yes, it will be hugely more difficult," he said. "South African rugby is in very good shape – the structures with the Super 14, the players who have come through that, a settled Springbok side with a very good captain and a very strong coaching team.

"So, having come through from a World Cup, I think they've established themselves post that and that stability at international level is very important. I think there's a lot of players hitting form at the right time. Obviously, there have been some really good performances (in the Super 14]. It shows there's a lot of players in good form.

"When you get towards the final of the Super 14 that's what you want, the competition raises another level of the game.

"Building up towards our Test series, I would think (South Africa coach] Peter de Villiers will be pretty pleased with a number of his key players."

McGeechan was pleased to finally have all his players in camp after the conclusion of the European season.

He continued: "We're delighted to be here now. It's always a relief when you arrive. We're here together now and everybody's fit.

"We watched the European Cup final together and it's good to have those players on board now and we're ready to go I think."

Looking ahead to his playing XV for the first Test in Durban on 20 June, the 62-year-old said he would like to look at all his players before deciding on his final line-up.

He added: "We've got to get on the field as a brand new team. We have to look at how we want to play, what we want to do and where we want to start from.

"Rustenburg is the start against the Royal XV and then we'll look to build from that. I think the key for us is we have to be looking at our own team and giving ourselves a starting point from which we can build.

"We'll look to give everyone a game in the first three matches. We'll play combinations. I've already said to the players that they'll all get an opportunity to play for a Test place. I don't anticipate picking the Test team until Test week.

"The Test team will probably have its first game together in the first Test, but we will obviously be working on combinations and see different players playing together.

"That's a bit of a uniqueness for the Lions where we have top players that have not played a lot of rugby alongside each other. I think it's important that we can see the opportunities that they can be given and how they can bring different things.

"As coaches, we've got to keep an open mind for the first six games of the tour."