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As Warren Gatland prepares to name his squad for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, we take a look back at the last time the men in red ventured to the home of the All Blacks and ask – what the hell happened to them? We open with a look at the men who started the first test in Christchurch, starting with the back line…
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15: Jason Robinson
Arguably the most successful cross-code converts winning trophies and accolades across both League and Union, Robinson announced his international retirement post-tour to focus on his family and his club career. It proved to be a shrewd move when he led Sale Sharks to the 2005/6 Guinness Premiership. He returned to the England side in 2007, though a horrific injury in the World Cup Final against South Africa accelerated his already impending retirement. He would turn his hand to coaching with long-time club Sale in 2009, though briefly revived his playing career for a spell with Fylde in National League Two in 2010/11. He’s now doing the rounds on the reality TV circuit, having appeared on celebrity paralysis-factory The Jump, and is serving as an ambassador for several brands and admirable causes promoting ethnic diversity in sports.
14: Josh Lewsey
One of the few Lions players to emerge with much credibility from the tour, Lewsey continued his try-scoring form with England en route to the 2007 World Cup semi-final, where he limped off with a hamstring injury which ultimately ended his international career. He was named Wasps’ Player of the Year in 2008/9, after which he retired from rugby. However, Lewsey’s CV outside of rugby is arguably more impressive – prior to dedicating himself to the game full time he was a Troop Commander in the Royal Artillery, and in 2005 completed a postgraduate diploma in law. He managed to keep an expedition to K2 in the Himalayas in 2006 secret from his club lest he incur their wrath, though nearly died in 2010 after running out of oxygen 500 feet from the summit of Mount Everest. He spent a few years in increasingly corporate sounding roles with various high profile businesses before being appointed as interim CEO at Cornish Pirates, then spearheading grassroots campaigns as Head of Rugby at the Welsh Rugby Union. He now runs the incredibly lah-de-dah sounding SkyBar, which produce pop-up bars billed as “an après sea event” around the South West of England.
13: Brian O’Driscoll
His Lions tour ended prematurely due to what was either a freak accident as the result of a legitimate clear out, or a vicious attempt at murdering the captain by Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu depending on your allegiance. Nonetheless, BOD ended his career in 2014 as arguably one of the greatest players of all time. He captained the side on the subsequent Lions tour of 2009 and became only the third player in history to tour four times after being selected for the 2013 trip. He’s won more trophies than I’ve had nervous breakdowns, though the 2011 Heineken Cup Final comeback victory was surely the result of some sort of witchcraft. World Rugby Player of the Decade (2000-2009), O’Driscoll has been awarded honorary doctorates from both Dublin City University and Queen’s University of Belfast, had dinner with the Queen, written(ish) an autobiography and now serves as a pundit, analyst and professional Dallaglio-mocker.
12: Jonny Wilkinson
One of the greatest 10s ever to set foot on a rugby field lined up at 12 for the opening test to accommodate Stephen Jones. Wilkinson spent the next couple of seasons accumulating various injuries for Newcastle and England before heading to Toulon in 2009/10 held together primarily with gaffer tape and bits of Lego. He traded international records back and forth with Dan Carter alongside winning various honours and adulation over in France. He firmly established himself in the side, delivering team talks in French and becoming known as Sir Jonny and so adored by locals he could probably go around Toulon punching kittens and no one would care. He ended his career by leading Toulon to back-to-back Heineken Cup victories and a Top 14 title, launched his own clothing line in 2011, and just to rub in the fact that he’s simply better than you, now spends his days helping kids at Great Ormond Street Hospital and advocating for mental health charities.
Part 2 coming soon…
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