Will new RFU president John Spencer fight to save Lions?
“Spencer is very much a man for the traditions of the game and its historical roots”
As predicted, the squabble as to the future of the Lions has started already with both sides firing their opening shots across the bows of the other. First, I have ask, am I the only one who didn’t think this was a great series? Yes, there was passion, dedication and pride in the shirt while the effort on Test match days was Herculean – but that’s enough about the fans.
As far as the games go when two of the Tests in a three-match series are decided by the actions of the referees rather than the players, you have to ask questions.
Early in the tour Gatland joked that he wished all the games had French referees and having watched the Tests you can understand why.
Although I do respect both Romain Poite and Jerome Garces as two of the best referees in the Northern Hemisphere, there can be no doubt that the way they refereed the games gave a definite advantage to the Lions.
I disagree with fellow columnist, Nick Cain, who underplays the Lions acts of foul play when compared to the All Blacks. Yes, Sonny Bill Williams was stupid and under the new guidelines for contact with the head area deserved to be sent off. Surely the fact that even if he was attempting to target the ball, Sean O’Brien’s contact with Naholo was also reckless under those same guidelines because it caused a concussion (Williams did not) that kept Naholo out of contention for the final Test.
The same is true of MakoVunipola who deliberately targeted Beauden Barrett with his forearm after the ball was won and Barrett had moved clear of the tackle.
The fact that Barrett wasn’t hurt is neither here nor there, the laws don’t state that an injury has to be caused for someone to be sent off, otherwise Williams would have been free to play on.
Rugby is a physical game and players sometimes overstep the boundaries, we’ve all done it and got away with it but the last thing the game needs is the media pleading its own national players innocence.
Although I’m stating a cynical point of view, the efforts of the players and coaches should not be underestimated and their collective achievement was monumental – even if with a little help from our French friends.
Tour manager John Spencer’s call for the protection of the Lions could be the start of a revolution within the game. John is the next president of the RFU and could make a huge change in policy between the Union and its professional clubs. Spencer is very much a man for the traditions of the game and its historical roots, as his support of the Lions and role with the Barbarians show.
Two of the greatest teams of the amateur era learning to survive in the professional game and the lessons learned by John in his role with the Barbarians may well help solve the crisis that is about to engulf the Lions.
As with all things, now the tour is over the back pages will find new topics to fill the space while rugby take its summer break.
Although there will be little or nothing in the papers, the negotiations will begin into what the Lions need to achieve to gain the extra few weeks they need to survive and flourish.
Nigel Wray’s suggestion that Lions games be played here has some merit, in that it could produce larger revenues for the Lions as we have bigger stadiums, enabling them to compensate clubs for the use of players. However, it certainly won’t find favour with Australia, New Zealand or South Africa because of the boost to their economies with the massive amount spent on non-rugby related industries by traveling Lions fans.
Also has he considered that we already have the potential for the equivalent of the Lions playing here with the Barbarians?
The Barbarians were a virtual Lions side that played at home in the amateur days but had to break with their traditional values and pay players, agents and clubs to get a team together. They have also had to spread the net wider making it an international team more akin to a world fifteen than the home Lions with the odd Frenchman that it used to be. This is partly because the Premiership clubs demanded too much money for the release of players on top of all other payments that have to be met to stage a game, making it more economical to look abroad and pay airfares.
The Lions don’t have that luxury, they can’t just choose players from other more amenable countries pleased to release their players for the honour of playing for one of the great traditional clubs.
As RFU president, Spencer could use that position to reignite the RFU council and restore some of the powers that have been ceded to the professional clubs.
The question is, whether he will use his power to fight to protect some of the traditions of the game, or be content to be just as a figure head for the Union?