Eugene Fogarty selects the greatest ever Lions XV.
15 Tom Kiernan
A former Irish captain and Lions captain on the 1968 tour to South Africa, Kiernan was once Ireland’s record caps holder, and had an international career spanning. The Cork native also toured in ’62, but played in all four tests as captain in ’68. The full back is also considered one of the founding fathers of the Heineken Cup.
14 Anthony O’Reilly
Tony played in ten Lions tests, across 1955 and ‘59, scoring six tries. His tally of 37 tries in all for the Lions is a record that will never be beaten, but he is most widely known as one of the country‘s richest men. O’Reilly earned only 29 caps for Ireland across 15 years, and is also the record cap holder and try scorer for the Barbarians, further records that will never be broken.
13 Brian O’Driscoll
The former Lions and Ireland captain, now on his fourth tour, is yet to taste victory in a series. His Lions career has had everything, his memorable debut try in Brisbane 12 years ago, the corporal punishment delved out by Kevin Mealamu and Tana Umaga four years later, and his massive hit on Danie Rossouw in ’09. Having won his first test in ’01, O’Driscoll has lost all five tests he’s been part of since.
12 Mike Gibson
A five time tourist with the Lions, Gibson is not only one of Ireland’s greatest ever players but one of the finest centre’s ever to play the game. The Ulsterman hid his peak in New Zealand in 1971, slicing open defences with his pace, footwork and killer sidestep, and gaining the respect of the adoring New Zealand public while he did it.
11 Dave Hewitt
Traditionally a centre, Hewett makes it into the team on the wing considering the vast talent available in the middle. A tourist in 1959 and ‘62, the Queen’s University student made a major impact as both a try scorer and goal kicker in ‘59, becoming top test point scorer, only to be hampered by injury three years later in South Africa.
10 Jack Kyle
One of only two men to have lead Ireland to a Grand Slam, Kyle toured to New Zealand and Australia in 1950, scoring tries against both and winning two tests against the Wallabies. With 46 caps for Ireland, Kyle was named the country’s greatest ever player in 2002.
9 Colin Patterson
An exciting and dynamic scrum-half, who was always a step ahead of his Irish teammates, found his level with the Lions in 1980 in South Africa. The Ulsterman played in all three tests in South Africa, but his international carer was cut short by injury by the end of that year, with just the 11 Irish caps to show for it.
1 Syd Millar
A former IRB Chairman, Lions Manager and Lions coach, the Ballymena man played in nine tests across three tours, 1959, ‘62 and ‘68, losing five and winning just the two. Despite his huge contribution on the field, Millar is now best known in Lions circles as coach to the 1974 Invincibles who toured South Africa.
2 Keith Wood
The former Ireland captain played a pivotal role for the Lions in 1997 and 2001, winning three tests and losing two, before missing out on the third test in Australia through injury. IRB player of the year in 2001, the Clare man put in a monumental psychical effort in the second test in Durban against the Springboks, a game the Lions somehow contrived to win, and with it the series.
3 Paul Wallace
The 1997 stalwart is better known as a Sky Sports pundit these days but he is one of three brothers to have represented the Lions, and played every minute of every test against South Africa in the last side to win a test series. Martin Johnson, tour captain, described Wallace as his player of the series.
4 Willie John McBride
Willie John has more Lions caps than anyone else, 17, and, like Gibson, has played on a record five tours. The Antrim man was a lynchpin of the tour victories in New Zealand and South Africa in 1971 and ’74 respectively. For all his success as a Lion and Irish captain, the Irish legend only took up the game at 17.
5 Paul O’Connell
O’Connell will earn his seventh Lions cap, on his third tour, this Saturday morning, having lost all of the first five. As captain, the Munsterman came close to a Lions series victory in 2009, but despite his fine leadership and motivation, they were agonizingly edged out by the Springboks in a ferociously physical series.
6 John O’Driscoll
Brian’s cousin played six tests for the Lion’s between the tours of 1980 and ‘83 against South Africa and New Zealand. Both series ended in heavy defeat but the former Connacht man left the southern hemisphere with distinction.
7 Fergus Slattery
Slattery was another member of the infamous parties of 71 and 74, playing all four tests in the series victory over South Africa in ‘74. The all action openside was known for his speed around the park, as well as his enduring toughness. In 2007, the Dubliner was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
8 Willie Duggan
Duggan played 15 matches for the Lions on the ‘77 tour, appearing in all four tests against the All Blacks in the 1-3 series defeat. Despite the series defeat, the heavy smoker came away from the tour with his reputation enhanced and became one of the pre-eminent number 8’s in world rugby, despite being known as a man to do his warm up in the car, with the heating on.
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