Lions Greatest XV: Wingers

When it comes to the finishers who play in the two wing positions The Lions come second to no-one.
A list of Lions’ wingers reads like a Who’s Who of the greatest runners and try scorers the sport has produced: Whether it is Gerald Davies or David Duckham in 1971, JJ Williams, Andy Irvine, or his fellow Scot, Billy Steele, in 1974, Ieuan Evans and Rory Underwood in 1989 and 1993, the irrepressible John Bentley in 1997, or his 2009 counterpart, Tommy Bowe, The Lions have had players who have risen to the occasion and thrilled audiences with their pace and guile.
Nick Cain, The Rugby Paper’s chief correspondent, says:  “What sets the great wingers apart is an in-built homing device which enables them to get over the try-line irrespective of the odds that are stacked against them.
“While some use raw speed and acceleration to devastating effect, others employ deception and changes of pace – along with a box-of-tricks in the skills department – to achieve the same end.
“The victory over New Zealand in 1971 showcased the flair and elusive speed of Davies, the Welsh wing whose jack-knife changes of direction left defenders bamboozled and saw him score three tries in the Test series, and ‘Dai’ Duckham, the long-striding Englishman who was as hard to pin down as a hare in full flight.
“They were succeeded in 1974 by JJ Williams, one of the fastest men ever to play for The Lions, as South Africa discovered to their cost.
“However, although Williams was a Welsh sprint champion who competed in the 1970 Commonwealth Games, he was also a very clever footballer who perfected the chip-and-chase, and he scored two tries in each of the Second and Third Tests to sink the Springboks.  That series also heralded the arrival of another great Lions running back in Irvine, who showed his class in the final two Tests.
“Although Irvine, JJ Williams (1977), Mike Slemen (1980) and Roger Baird (1983) kept the torch alight during less auspicious Tours, two lethal finishers, Evans and Rory Underwood, emerged to tie down the wing positions during the 1989 victory over Australia.
“Where the Welshman weaved his way over the try line with a mixture of footwork and speed, the Englishman was an instinctive finisher whose main weapons were pace and power.
“When Evans was injured early in the 1997 Tour, The Lions looked short of strike power on the flanks, but Bentley rose to the challenge in the second and third Tests against South Africa after scoring a brilliant try against Gauteng. With Alan Tait also using his experience tellingly throughout the series The Lions made capital in an area which looked weak on paper if not on the pitch. In 2001, it was the turn of the brilliant Jason Robinson to light up a series.
“When The Lions returned to South Africa in 2009, Bowe emerged as the most consistent finisher and line breaker, although Ugo Monye and Luke Fitzgerald also had their moments in a memorable series.
“Rest assured, come next summer another battery of speed machines will be looking for their chance to make history. Be there.”