YOU’LL GET BASHED!

Brutal warm-up will tell Gatland who can take it, says Fitzpatrick

THE Lions are set to be ‘bashed around’ in the opening weeks of their 10-match tour but the gruelling schedule will stand them in good stead for the Tests against the All Blacks, according to Sean Fitzpatrick.

Former All Blacks head coach Graham Henry has labelled the itinerary ‘suicidal’ but Fitzpatrick, who captained New Zealand to a 2-1 series victory over the Lions in 1993, says it will ensure that battlehardened Lions take to the field against Steven Hansen’s men.

‘Not being disrespectful to Australia or South Africa but you speak to any Lion, this is the tour they want to go on because it’s the biggest challenge,’ said Fitzpatrick.

‘They’re going to get bashed around in those first few weeks. They’re probably going to lose a few of those first six games but, come that first Test, Warren Gatland is going to know who’s got it in terms of being able to cope with the pressure. In those first six games in New Zealand, the men are going to be weeded out from the boys.’

The challenge facing the Lions is hard enough, even before they try to inflict a first home defeat on the All Blacks in eight years.

The first and third Tests are at Eden Park, where the All Blacks are unbeaten since 1994. You have to go back to 1993 for the Lions’ last win against them and 1971 for the last series win in New Zealand.

For Fitzpatrick, a Lions series remains the pinnacle.

‘It’s once every 12 years and for me it’s probably the greatest jersey I have. You ask Gavin Hastings, you ask Brian Moore, they’d probably say the same. That’s the one that they want. You talk to Willie John McBride, he’d say the same.

‘The Welsh went to New Zealand in ’69 and got beaten up, literally beaten up. All the Welsh on that ’71 tour then said “that’s not going to happen to us again, we’re not going to take it”, and it was a pretty violent tour.’