Lions Tour 2009: How the English players rated

Lions Tour 2009: How the English players rated

The British and Irish Lions managed to keep their heads held high after ending the fantastic if ultimately disappointing series with a 2-1 narrow loss to the Springboks. Ian McGeechan and Gerald Davies went all out to restore the Lions' ethos on this tour, and did so by commendably immersing the players in local culture and introducing a back-to-basics policy on the tour. The squad of players performed admirably and although the Lions eventually ended up coming away as part of the losing side, they played their part in a memorable tour that was in the balance the whole way through, doing the Lions brand no harm at all.

Here’s our verdict on the squad, and in particular, how the England-based Lions got on.



UGO MONYE: Deserved the Test shirt after strong performances leading up to them, however one glaring error with the try-line begging blotted his copybook. Made amends with a 70 metre interception try in the third Test that practically sealed the win and ended up the Lions’ top try scorer with five. B

RIKI FLUTEY: Must have been frustrated to have a chance to stake a claim for the Test jersey robbed because of a nagging injury. When he eventually took part in the Third Test, he didn’t disappoint and put in a very strong showing. B

HARRY ELLIS: Put in two good performances prior to the Test matches, both behind struggling packs. Will either provide speedy service or marshal his forwards to keep the ball tight when required. Had to settle for a bench spot in the Tests but eventually got onto the pitch in the third. B

ANDREW SHERIDAN: With all the hype surrounding his fellow contender for the loosehead jersey, Sheridan made sure to impress when he was given his chances. This was particularly noticeable in the Test matches where he looked fired up, whilst performing well in the scrum and putting in a few powerful charges with ball in hand and big hits in defense. A-

PHIL VICKERY: All the headlines were about his capitulation at scrum time during the first Test and he will have been mighty relieved to have gotten a chance at redemption in the third. Performed fantastically well in the build up to the Tests, both in the tight and the loose and must have erased all the demons in the Third game against the Springboks. Total commitment and a great leader. A-

TIM PAYNE: Arrived as a late injury-cover for Andy Sheridan and got his first start a couple of days after getting off the plane. Held up extremely well under the circumstances and can be pleased with his cameo appearance. B

LEE MEARS: Firmly established himself as top in the pecking order after some fantastic matches early on against the Lions and the Cheetahs. Excellent lineout accuracy and work around the park, he even managing a try in the process. Will feel aggrieved to never be heard from again after a below-par 40 minutes in the first Test, but should be very proud of his early efforts. B

SIMON SHAW: Finally made his Test debut for the first time in twelve years of touring with the Lions, and was never going to let his opportunity pass with a whimper. Played the game of his life, particular in the second Test with an immense performance. Blotted his copybook slightly with the yellow card in the final match but did himself proud. Should have started the first Test. A

TOM CROFT: Was mystifyingly left out of the original squad but proved what a bright future he has ahead of him. Superb against the Golden Lions as well as in the first two Test matches, claiming two tries in Durban. Great work-rate around the field, coupled with pace and athleticism at the lineout proved a potent weapon for the Lions. A-

JOE WORSLEY: After a slow start to the tour, was given his Test debut in the Third Test and was part of a trademark huge defensive effort. Was referred to before the tour as a tree-cutter and put in a performance to do the tag justice. Even had a couple of rumbles in attack. B

LEE BYRNE: Started strongly in the early stages of the tour showing what a classy operator he is, and almost single-handedly offering a get-out-of-jail-free card to his side against the Royal XV. Will be bitterly disappointed having succumbed to a tour-ending thumb injury. B

ROB KEARNEY: After stepping up into the Test arena because of Byrne’s injury, the Irishman put in three stunning performances against the Springboks. Spectacular under the high ball, dangerous in attack and solid in defense in three nearly error-free displays. A

LEIGH HALFPENNY: Another to have his tour cut short after suffering a thigh problem which not only delayed his arrival in South Africa but forced him out a couple of weeks later. Played a part in the lackluster team performance against the Cheetahs. C

TOMMY BOWE: Made a fantastic start to the tour, managing to run the backline in combination with his centres. Proved a master at creating space for others in attack but faded by the time the Test matches arrived. Nevertheless can be proud of his performances on tour. A-

LUKE FITZGERALD: Unfortunately his most memorable impact on the tour came at the hands (fingers) of Shalk Burger. Managed to get a Test spot in the Pretoria but put in a disappointing showing with few opportunities in attack and a few defensive lapses. B-

SHANE WILLIAMS: Badly out of form before the tour even started and was given more opportunities than most on tour to turn it around. Eventually enjoyed a more than decent game in the third Test, finishing off two tries. B-

BRIAN O'DRISCOLL: A fitting finish to a spectacular season. His centre partnership with Jamie Roberts managed to achieve world-class status in the space of a couple of weeks. An inspirational presence and his skills in attack and defense gave the Springboks all sorts of problems. A

KEITH EARLS: After a nightmarish start to his Lions career, the Irishman bounced back with steadily improving performances, but was always far from a Test place given the options elsewhere. Will have learned a lot from the experience. B-

JAMIE ROBERTS: Appropriately named Man of the Series after managing to impress in every game he played and proving a real danger whenever he got the ball. Proved far too much for midweek and Springbok defenses alike, time and time again breaking the gainline and putting others in space.  A

GORDON D’ARCY: Didn’t really happen for the Irish centre. Arriving as injury cover, he didn’t hit top form against the Southern Kings and was never really in a position to challenge the Roberts/O’Driscoll axis. C

STEPHEN JONES: Looked likely to be first choice Test fly half throughout the tour matches and didn’t disappoint. Marshaled and ran his backline well throughout the Test matches, some lovely touches with ball in hand and a solid boot to boot. A

RONAN O'GARA: Rightly or wrongly, will be remembered by many as the man who gave away 10 points in the latter stages of the second Test costing the Lions the chance to win the series. Defensive issues remain and never really got going on tour. C

JAMES HOOK: Was unlucky not to get a cap in any of the three Test matches, and performed well on tour. Question marks remain about his ability to really control and close out a game, after his loose kick in the closing stages of the Emerging Springboks match handed the home side their chance for a draw. B

MIKE PHILLIPS: Combatitive is surely his middle name. Managed to improve both decision-making and speed & quality of service as the weeks went on, although still plenty of room to improve in that area. Sometimes takes too much on himself but was a constant threat to the Boks around the fringes. A

MIKE BLAIR: Clearly not part of the management’s plans at the start given his injury-based call-up to the squad. After a poor Six Nations, the Scot showed no signs of getting his form back after an awful start in Lions colours, and he rapidly faded away from the Test reckoning. C

GETHIN JENKINS: As always, phenomenal work-rate around the pitch for a prop, be it hitting rucks, putting in vital tackles or carrying the ball effectively. Played his part up front in the tight until a fractured cheekbone ended his tour before the final Test. A

ADAM JONES: Instantly stabilised the scrum on his introduction to Lions Test rugby and was more than capable of handling whatever ‘The Beast’ threw at him, if not managing to inflict a bit of damage of his own. Went into the second Test as first choice tighthead before injury struck and he was ruled out of the remainder of the tour. A

EUAN MURRAY: Played more of a supporting role in proceedings and didn’t get many opportunities to push for a Test spot before injury struck. A perceived lack of skills with ball in hand might have cost him in the eyes of the management. C

JOHN HAYES: Like Payne, also arrived late in the tour, this time for the injured Euan Murray. Performed well in the match against the Emerging Springboks and even got match action in the Third Test match as a replacement. B

MATTHEW REES: Was judged to be more solid in the scrum than his English competitor at hooker and was given his chance in the Test matches in the second and third games. Lineout was mostly hit and miss, but was part of a pack that was on the front foot and had a solid all round game. B

ROSS FORD: Got a call up to the squad at the expense of the injured Jerry Flannery. Poor performances early in the tour seemingly earned him a place on the bench in the second and third Tests. Came on in Johannesburg and did the basics well. B-

ALUN-WYN JONES: Put in decent performances in the early tour matches, but perhaps too slight a figure in the first Test, Jones is nevertheless a name for the future and already touted as Wales captain. Things didn’t really happen for the lock after the first Test and the balance in the lineout and scrum was improved immeasurably when Shaw was brought in. B-

DONNCHA O'CALLAGHAN: Captained the Lions in the match against the Southern Kings and led from the front, giving the Lions management a few headaches when it came to Test selection, particularly in an area as competitive as who to partner O’Connell in the second row. Had to settle with a bench spot in the first Test. B-

PAUL O'CONNELL: Captained the Lions to a stunning third Test win, although his form didn't consistently hit the heights some had expected. Sadly not as influential at the lineout as he would have hoped against Victor Matfield but nevertheless led from the front and never took a step back. B

NATHAN HINES: His ban for a dangerous tackle against the Emerging Boks effectively ended his hopes of a possible Test appearance, but his physicality around the field had placed him in the mix early on. A committed competitor in every game he played. B

STEPHEN FERRIS: Was enjoying a fascinating tussle with Tom Croft for the number 6 Test shirt before injury cruelly took the Irishman out of the Test reckoning. Performed very well when he was on the field though. A-

DAVID WALLACE: Won his battle with Martyn Williams for the opening two Test match shirts with the selectors no doubt looking for balance in the backrow with Croft on the blindside. Offered a powerful carrying game and was solid in attack and defense. B

MARTYN WILLIAMS: A totally different type of player to Wallace, he was eventually given the chance in the backrow in the Third Test and didn’t disappoint even coming up against the outstanding Heinrich Brussow. Quick to the break down, influential in attack and a thorough nuisance to the home side all afternoon, winning a couple of turnovers for the Lions on the floor. B

ANDY POWELL: It was always going to be a tough ask to dislodge Jamie Heaslip as the Test number 8 but improved steadily in each of his three games. Is still however considered one-dimensional offering not much more than his trademark route one approach not to mention being prone to stupid mistakes throughout matches. C

JAMIE HEASLIP: Was the outstanding number 8 of the Six Nations and looked to carry on his best work with a Lions call up. Although his early tour form was good, the Irishman was disappointingly quiet during both the two opening Tests, and only managed to finally turn it on with a colossal performance in the Third, by which time it was a bit late. B