Missiles: It’s all part of the fun

to believe in each other and play series in Australia, 1989 “It’s about togetherness. You’ve got to do it for each other.” However you put it, you’ve got to have a group of guys who want

the most of it – he played brilliantly, and made the most of it off the pitch. If you ever thought you were the last person left in a place, you’d look around and find Paul.

GH Scott Hastings. I hated rooming with him but we had fun.

PO I refer you to my previous answer, regarding Mike Phillips.

nightclub. I realised it was time to get the boys out of there. SW Above all, it’s belief – you know you’re going to the hardest place in world rugby to play, in their back garden, against a team that’s been waiting 12 years to roll you over. The most important thing is believing that you can do it.

MJ Togetherness. You’ve got to believe in each other and play for each other, it’s as simple as that. However you put it, you’ve got to have a group of guys who want to do it for each other.

GH The midweek side needs its own identity. In ’89 we had Donal Lenihan and his midweek side was called Donal’s Doughnuts. We got some T-shirts produced and they became a badge of honour. If you’ve got a midweek team that Donal Lenihan leads out the midweek side, 1989 “The team was called Donal’s Doughnuts. We got T-shirts produced and they became a badge of honour.” Andy Powell in South Africa, 2009 “Andy came in with a bandage on his wrist and thumb where he self-diagnosed that he’d broken both. The following day he was playing golf.”

take that role seriously, you have a chance. In 2005, Clive Woodward had two different teams – well done Clive, who came up with that bright idea?

PO Having a group of people, from staff to players, who realise how hard you have to work to actually become a team. Some people are naturally quiet and stand-offish, and build bonds and relationships over a long time, but you simply can’t do that on a Lions tour.

in a bad place; they’re very intense experiences and, whilst they can be very good, they can be very tough.

GH History. The Lions have only won 18 per cent of Tests in New Zealand and there are only five winning captains still alive. There have been more men on the moon than there have been winning Lions captains in the modern era. PO Time. You hear about these relationships that Lions players from the Seventies had – Ian Mcgeechan talks about them almost with a tear in his eye. He even still calls Willie John Mcbride “skipper” when he meets up with him, but they were three-monthlong tours. There’s still pressure to create those relationships, but the tour nowadays is only seven weeks long. SW We played Western Province in midweek [in 2009] and Andy Powell had a great game, but he came to training the next day with a bandage on his wrist and thumb where he self-diagnosed that he’d broken both without the physios even knowing. The following day Andy was playing golf. So, whether he ever intended to play in any of the Tests is open to question …

MJ The ’97 Court story.

GH In New Zealand in 1993, Rory Underwood scored a try in the second Test to win the game and Brian Moore went back up the field to flick the Vs at this massive stand in Wellington. All these p----- off Kiwis were chucking beer cans at him and one full one came crashing down next to him. He picked it up, pulled the pin, slugged it back and chucked the empty can back into the stand.

PO Early on in 2009 having a few beers together was really encouraging, and Adam Jones said to me: “I’ve been off drink for a year to try and get picked on this tour, and since I’ve been on it, I can’t get off it.” SW Pride, pinnacle, history, winning, togetherness.

MJ Very, very, very, very special.

GH Experience. Honour. Pride. Fun. History.

PO Pressure. Inspirational. Enjoyable. Tough. Historic. SW Owen Farrell could be key to the Lions and their chances of success. The All Blacks will target him with his temperament.

MJ There’s no one player who can do it all, rugby’s the ultimate team game – you can’t pick one out.

GH Owen Farrell.

PO Whoever plays out-half. My pick is Johnny Sexton, because I played with him and I know him. Whoever it is, no one makes more decisions than the out-half, no one sets the tone of how you’re going to play more than the out-half, so I think he’s the guy who can decide it all.

SW The Lions are capable of winning the physical battle up front. The Lions to win 2-1.

MJ 1-1 and the last Test tied so we have to play a fourth Test.

GH 2-1 or 1-2.

PO 2-1 to the Lions.

Shane Williams, Martin Johnson, Gavin Hastings and Paul O’connell are ambassadors for British & Irish Lions Principal Partner, Standard Life Investments