The British and Irish Lions truly set the tone for the 2005 tour right from the very start… unfortunately, it was for disaster.
England’s World Cup winning coach from 2003, Sir Clive Woodward, led the team in their first tour of New Zealand since 1993.
The Lions tour got off to a bad start and only got worseGettyThere was a huge amount of talent and experience at his disposal, so all signs pointed to a competitive Test series at the very least.
First, though, the Lions had to play against Argentina in a match designed to help cover the £10m cost of the tour.
That’s when the cracks started to appear, with the questionable decision to bring Labour party spin doctor Alastair Campbell on board.
Important training sessions were interrupted so players could attend sessions on how to deal with the media.
A woefully underprepared Lions team drew 25-25 with Argentina thanks to a final minute penalty from Jonny Wilkinson.
“I trudged off the pitch, with three Tests looming against an All Black side that were on fire,” Moody wrote.
“I couldn’t help but think: ‘F***, this is going to be difficult’.”
That proved to be an accurate premonition as the Lions went on to lose all three matches against New Zealand, with each game ending in a thumping double digit deficit.
Major questions were raised about how Clive Woodward handled the tour and the mistakes that were made.
Speaking three years later, Moody said: “One of the disappointments of the last Lions tour was that we never went in with a set idea of who was going to start.
Wilkinson scored a last minute penalty to save a drawGetty“You need to give that team a couple of games and see how they get on.
“If someone is really performing out of their skin then they need to come in. But you’ve got to have an idea, otherwise your combinations don’t get time to work with each other.”
He added: “Sir Clive (Woodward) tried to look at rugby like a business, and with England that worked really well. The Lions ethos is completely different.
“It’s about coming together over a very short period of time and making the most of it. It’s almost like the Barbarians. It’s a case of just trying to get the lads to gel and get on with each other very quickly.
“It’s a difficult thing to do. You’re taking on the best teams in the world with a team that’s only had a few weeks training together, ever.
“It’s getting more and more of a challenge for the Lions to go out there and compete and play well.
The 2025 Lions will be hoping for a better start against Argentina this weekendGetty“You’ve still got the best players in Britain and Ireland in that side, though, so you’ve just got to try and keep a simple game plan and, more importantly, you’ve got to get the guys bonding.
“If the guys are getting on and enjoying playing with each other, then it’s going to be that little bit easier.”
That tour, however, only fared slightly better with the Lions losing 2-1 to South Africa.
This summer, they will be hoping for a much better result when they take on Australia for a three Test series.
Like in 2005, they start with a clash against Argentina in Ireland before heading Down Under.
Live to live and exclusive coverage of the Lions tour on talkSPORT.
The Lions on talkSPORT
talkSPORT has all of the British and Irish Lions matches live across the network. Eddie Jones is among the star-studded line-up leading the coverage Down Under.
June 20, Dublin: Lions vs Argentina
June 28, Perth: Lions vs Western Force
July 2, Brisbane: Lions vs Queensland Reds
July 5, Sydney: Lions vs New South Wales Waratahs
July 9, Canberra: Lions vs ACT Brumbies
July 12, Adelaide: Lions v ANZAC XV
July 12, Brisbane: Lions v Wallabies
July 22, Melbourne: Lions v First Nations and Pasifika XV
July 26, Melbourne: Lions v Wallabies
August 2, Sydney: Lions v Wallabies
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