Who are the greatest players that represented the British and Irish Lions?

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Can you name a XV players not from the country you support that were the Greatest Lions you have ever seen tour for Britain and Ireland...?

The Lions pulls us all together, and in that spirit lets look at who we respect the most from other nations and celebrate each others skills.

In an effort to strike good gentlemanly lets see all you pundits out there post a XV before you choose to comment on anyone else's.

It is almost impossible for me to be objective about this because I think that any player who manages to become a Lion has achieved magnificence and each era will have its own "greatest" players, but for me, being an old fart, I have never experienced the sheer pride and exhilaration I felt following the return of the 1974 Lions from South Africa because it reinforced the same feelings I'd had following the All Blacks tour of 1971. Possibly it helps that Wales were so heavily represented in both teams, and possibly it was because the tours were so long in those days and the players had to give so much more, but I have never felt quite the same about any of the subsequent tours.

So my accolades go to all the test players who represented the Lions on those tours. For being amateurs and being away from home for a combined period of over five months, with a record of played 46, won 43, drew 2, lost 1, with Series wins against both the All Blacks and Springboks. I don't think we'll ever see the like of it again.

JPR Williams
Gerald Davies / JJ Williams / Andy Irvine
John Dawes / Ian McGeechan
Mike Gibson / Richard Milliken
David Duckham / John Bevan / William Steele
Barry John / Phil Bennet
Gareth Edwards
Sean Lynch / Fran Cotton
John Pullin / Bobby Windsor
Ian McLauchlan
Willie John McBride
Delme Thomas / Gordon Brown
John Taylor / Derek Quinell
Peter Dixon / Fergus Slattery
Mervyn Davies / Roger Uttley

RuggerBoy wrote:It is almost impossible for me to be objective about this because I think that any player who manages to become a Lion has achieved magnificence and each era will have its own "greatest" players, but for me, being an old fart, I have never experienced the sheer pride and exhilaration I felt following the return of the 1974 Lions from South Africa because it reinforced the same feelings I'd had following the All Blacks tour of 1971. Possibly it helps that Wales were so heavily represented in both teams, and possibly it was because the tours were so long in those days and the players had to give so much more, but I have never felt quite the same about any of the subsequent tours.

So my accolades go to all the test players who represented the Lions on those tours. For being amateurs and being away from home for a combined period of over five months, with a record of played 46, won 43, drew 2, lost 1, with Series wins against both the All Blacks and Springboks. I don't think we'll ever see the like of it again.

JPR Williams
Gerald Davies / JJ Williams / Andy Irvine
John Dawes / Ian McGeechan
Mike Gibson / Richard Milliken
David Duckham / John Bevan / William Steele
Barry John / Phil Bennet
Gareth Edwards
Sean Lynch / Fran Cotton
John Pullin / Bobby Windsor
Ian McLauchlan
Willie John McBride
Delme Thomas / Gordon Brown
John Taylor / Derek Quinell
Peter Dixon / Fergus Slattery
Mervyn Davies / Roger Uttley

Can you name a XV of players not from your own country?

Sorry MM, but I was trying to take the nationality out of the Lions by mentioning all the individuals who had played in the Tests of my personal "greatest" Lions tours.
So, in keeping with your instructions, my greatest players that have represented the British and Irish Lions - that are NOT from my own country are:

Andy Irvine - Scot
William Steele - Scot
Ian McGeechan - Scot
Richard Milliken - Ire
David Duckham - Eng
Mike Gibson - Ire
John Moloney - Ire
Fran Cotton - Eng
John Pullin - Eng
Ian McLauchlan - Scot
Willie John McBride - Ire
Gordon Brown - Scot
Andy Ripley - Eng
Fergus Slattery - Ire
Roger Uttley - Eng

...but all the above players are still from the same two tours!

And very good recommendations all of them.

15-9 JPR, G Davies, Bateman, Gibson, Robinson, Townsend, Howley
1-8 Sole, Moore, Wallace, McBride, D Thomas, Teague, Hill, Richards
16-23 T Smith, B Williams, Ackford, F Calder, Edwards, John, JJ Williams.

Glas a du wrote:15-9 JPR, G Davies, Bateman, Gibson, Robinson, Townsend, Howley
1-8 Sole, Moore, Wallace, McBride, D Thomas, Teague, Hill, Richards
16-23 T Smith, B Williams, Ackford, F Calder, Edwards, John, JJ Williams.

Pick players not from your own country mate..

A few people have picked Jeff Probyn - wasn't he actually left out of the 1993 tour? I don't think he ever went on a Lions tour

maestegmafia wrote:

Glas a du wrote:15-9 JPR, G Davies, Bateman, Gibson, Robinson, Townsend, Howley
1-8 Sole, Moore, Wallace, McBride, D Thomas, Teague, Hill, Richards
16-23 T Smith, B Williams, Ackford, F Calder, Edwards, John, JJ Williams.

Pick players not from your own country mate..

Then they won't be the best will they!

Anyhow:
15-9 Irvine, Duckham, Hastings, Gibson, Robinson, Townsend, Dawson
1-8 Sole, Moore, Wallace, McBride, Ackford, Teague, Hill, Richards
16-23 T Smith, Pulling, Weir, F Calder, Armstrong, Andrew, Underwood.

Well for me picking a Lions not including the some of my Welsh heroes maybe hard but here goes

Leonard (Faulkner)
Wood
Wallace (Price)
Willie John
Johnson
Teague
Richards (M Davies)
Winterbottom

Armstrong (Edwards)
Townsend (P Bennett)

Duckham (G Davies)
Greenwood
Gibson
Robinson

Irvine (JPR)

Welsh players I would have if could in brackets.

BedfordWelsh

Did Armstrong ever play for the lions? I can't recall myself

Jones was 1st choice in 89 and Morris in 93 if I recall.

Otherwise a very good side and I like the backrow esp... the 89-93 backrows were IMO the strongest I've seen (I've seen Lions tours since 89).

15 Irvine
14 G Davies
13 BOD
12 Gibson
11 JJ Williams
10 John Rutherford
9 Gareth
8 Merve
7 Slattery
6 Jeff Squire
5 Willie John capt
4 Doddie Weir
3 Adam Jones
2 Wood
1 Sandy Carmichael

mr_stonelea wrote:15 Irvine
14 G Davies
13 BOD
12 Gibson
11 JJ Williams
10 John Rutherford
9 Gareth
8 Merve
7 Slattery
6 Jeff Squire
5 Willie John capt
4 Doddie Weir
3 Adam Jones
2 Wood
1 Sandy Carmichael

good backline. Liked every one of those backs. lots of pace

fa0019 wrote:BedfordWelsh

Did Armstrong ever play for the lions? I can't recall myself

Jones was 1st choice in 89 and Morris in 93 if I recall.

Otherwise a very good side and I like the backrow esp... the 89-93 backrows were IMO the strongest I've seen (I've seen Lions tours since 89).

fa,

I thought he did though cant be def, even as a Welshman I loved that backrow and when you consider Hill not there either says a lot.

TycroesOsprey, re Eddie in the quote "Given Cockbain never played and Butler wasnt picked for the Lions", see

http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=15530&includeref=dynamic

fa0019 wrote:BedfordWelsh

Did Armstrong ever play for the lions? I can't recall myself

Jones was 1st choice in 89 and Morris in 93 if I recall.

Otherwise a very good side and I like the backrow esp... the 89-93 backrows were IMO the strongest I've seen (I've seen Lions tours since 89).

Armstrong toured australia back up to rob jones. Would have been first choice in Nz but was out injured.

Ospreydragon wrote:TycroesOsprey, re Eddie in the quote "Given Cockbain never played and Butler wasnt picked for the Lions", see

http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=15530&includeref=dynamic

Wasnt picked initially I should have said although tbh I didnt remember him going out after Squire got injured and he didnt play in any of the tests so not sure what game he played in on that tour.

maestegmafia wrote:

fa0019 wrote:BedfordWelsh

Did Armstrong ever play for the lions? I can't recall myself

Jones was 1st choice in 89 and Morris in 93 if I recall.

Otherwise a very good side and I like the backrow esp... the 89-93 backrows were IMO the strongest I've seen (I've seen Lions tours since 89).

Armstrong toured australia back up to rob jones. Would have been first choice in Nz but was out injured.

Can I still pick them Maes lol

TycroesOsprey, Eddie Butler was not a great Lion, nor do I suspect Eddie himself sees himself as anything remotely such. I had to look it up -- because I could not remember him on that tour. He didn't play in any Tests.

Eddie Butler wasn't a great anything

bedfordwelsh wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

fa0019 wrote:BedfordWelsh

Did Armstrong ever play for the lions? I can't recall myself

Jones was 1st choice in 89 and Morris in 93 if I recall.

Otherwise a very good side and I like the backrow esp... the 89-93 backrows were IMO the strongest I've seen (I've seen Lions tours since 89).

Armstrong toured australia back up to rob jones. Would have been first choice in Nz but was out injured.

Can I still pick them Maes lol

I think so. He toured. To be honest if your welsh there aren't many scrumhalfs to choose from if you could only pick test players.

Depends on whether we mean greatest players end of story or most effective Lions. If the latter, there is already a nightmare in prospect at lock where one of McBride, Johnson and Gordon Brown can't play. Still, I prefer the idea of greatest Lions performers for this exercise, so, bearing in mind that I go back to the 1968 tour of SA, the Lions team of my lifetime is:

1) Cotton 2) Windsor 3) Price 4) Johnson 5) McBride 6) Hill 7) Slattery 8) M.Davies 9) Edwards 10) John 11) JJ Williams 12) O'Driscoll 13) Dawes 14) Robinson 15) JPR

Obvious bias to the great successful teams of the early 70s, I concede. Cotton and Price were part of the front row that forced the All Blacks to scrummage with just three forwards in the hope of not getting massacred up front again and in the knowledge that our backs in 77 were useless enough to toss away the advantages conferred by our pack. JJ Williams was just the most celestial finisher in a Lions jersey, and John wins out over Bennett by virtue of the latter's strangely hesitant tour of NZ as captain in 77, Benny's triumphant march through SA three years earlier notwithstanding.

I see that I haven't included a Scot here, which isn't ideal, although men like Gavin, Broon, Mighty Mouse and Irvine would all get mighty close. Still the selected side, especially up front, could give any side that ever lived a bit of trouble. Great leaders all over the park too.

Blwdi tough front five there mate

Ospreydragon wrote:TycroesOsprey, Eddie Butler was not a great Lion, nor do I suspect Eddie himself sees himself as anything remotely such. I had to look it up -- because I could not remember him on that tour. He didn't play in any Tests.

I take it then you have never read Eddie's book. According to Eddie he was the grestest 8 the world has ever seen. Complete dellusional drival, but an amusing read for anyone unfortunate to see him actually play.

"JJ Williams was just the most celestial finisher in a Lions jersey" -- He certainly was. As my games teacher at schoold, I often sprinted against him -- and I can testify that he was exceptionally quick, far quicker than most wingers playing the game today (with the exception of that American sprinter who's turned to 7s recently).

Lucky you...

Two of my lads were taught by Dai Morris and both proved to be pretty decent school boy flankers. He was a legend to me let alone the kids.

Wales would include Cliff Morgan,Jack Mathews,Ken Jones,Bleddeyn Williams,Alun Pask,Bryn Meredith,terry Davies,Roy John, Rees Stephens,
Barry John,Phil Bennett,Malcom Thomas,Gareth E dwards.

My dad's first rugby boots were hand me downs from Rhys Stephens.

emack2 wrote:Wales would include Cliff Morgan,Jack Mathews,Ken Jones,Bleddeyn Williams,Alun Pask,Bryn Meredith,terry Davies,Roy John, Rees Stephens,
Barry John,Phil Bennett,Malcom Thomas,Gareth E dwards.

The idea is that you nominate players from nations other than your own. If you are English you nominate scots Irish and welsh.

Maesteg I am an Anglo-Scot,and could`nt start to pick a team of the GREATEST Lions.I would`nt presume to that list is SOME of the many Wales contenders.
When people talk of THE greatest Lions and quote 1971 and 1974 an era when Nz at least was very weak and Coaching in the NH had caughtup and overtaken the SH.They should consider the 1955 Lions who drew with THE strongest Bok team in my Lifetime 1955.
In1971 most of THE Great NZ players had gone,Meads was playing with virtually one arm.In the Crucial Third test Peter Whiting THE prime Lineout forward was injured.His replacement Brian Lochore was never a world class Lock in his whole career.
To put things into perspective NZ lost 11 tests and one series 1950-69,15 and at least 3 series 1970-1979.Six matches alone in SA in 1976 including 3 tests.

Aye.

Thought you were a kiwi thus enabling you a wide ranging choice, as an Anglo scot you limited to the greats of Ireland and Wales. Still plenty to choose from.

55 lions were extremely good I vaguely remember them.

One easy give-away is players who were test Lions on 3 tours. Not many of those. From Wales, I can think of Graham Price, Gareth Edwards, and Ieuan Evans in the modern era (well, my rugby-watching life!), and Merve would have been had it not been for his illness (was due to captain 77 Lions). Willie John must have done it, Fergus Slattery and Mike Gibson too?

Richard Hill would have to be in a best Lions team. Keith Wood as hooker. I'd go for Fran Cotton as loose-head, that guy was hard as they come.

F/B between JPR, Gavin Hastings and Andy Irvine.