Lions are Gatland’s ‘Special Forces’ and can storm South Africa’s fortress Cape Town, claims Lawrence Dallaglio
LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO billed the Lions as the SAS of rugby.
And the 1997 hero backed has Warren Gatland’s troops to storm fortress Cape Town on Saturday and capture a 2-0 series win against world champions South Africa.
England’s 2003 World Cup hero was on the winning side here 24 years ago and Dallaglio ranks that achievement under Sir Ian McGeechan and trusted lieutenant Jim Telfer as his Everest.
The rugby legend, 48, told SunSport: “The Lions are the Special Forces of rugby — it is unique.
“It is a very select group, but it is not good enough being a Lion, you want to be a winning one.
“There is now an enormous Springbok hurdle to overcome and to go away and beat them in enemy territory is probably the hardest challenge in rugby – along with going to New Zealand.
“The way that Jim Telfer described it – there is one thing being a Lion, but there is another thing being a winning Lion.
“The easy bit is done – now the challenge is to create history and to make sure they come back as winning Lions.
“And I for one would be thrilled to bits if they can do that.
“Everyone talks about the future and if the Lions has a place – so it is up to the players to write the next chapter in Lions history. “
There have been lots of tours, but not that many successful ones as everything about a Lions tour is set-up to fail.
“It is not easy, but no one said it would be and no one wants it to be.
“The nine weeks I had in 1997 was the greatest rugby experience of my life bar none.
“Better than anything I achieved with England or my club. It was the pinnacle of my career and the greatest achievement of my career.”
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Maro Itoje and the Lions have been studying rugby history all this week to inspire them to greatness.
And No 8 Dallaglio also bashed the books before bashing the Boks here as they won their series 2-1.
The Wasps hero said: “I was greatly inspired by the feats of the guys that had gone before me and I used that as an extra motivation to try and create my own bit of history.
“From the great Mervyn Davies to Tony Neary – all these players – to guys like Mike Teague.
“When I got picked, I wrote down the names of all the players that had played in my position in the last 10 tours before me.
“Then I wrote my own name on that list at the bottom and I thought to myself. . . I’ve got it all to do. And that is the challenge.
“You have to make sure that you add value and something to that list and that shirt – so then people remember your name in the future for the very same reasons.
“The players are the custodians of the Lions – so they have to build on the legacy and add to it.”
Gatland’s first tour here as an assistant in 2009 saw them lose the first two games and the series.
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Dallaglio, a Land Rover ambassador, added: “There is that unfinished business with South Africa.
“There’s that unfinished business with South Africa.
“Warren understands the Lions, he loves the concept and that is why he is still involved.
“Yes, it’s great for continuity, but they could and should have won that series in 2009 and they let South Africa off the hook really.
“This feels like there is unfinished business for him personally and the Lions themselves – so I am dead excited about this one.”
Lawrence Dallaglio was speaking on behalf of Land Rover. Join Land Rover’s Lions Adventure on Twitter @LandRoverRugby #LionsAdventure