The memory board Lions are using as fuel for historic 3-0 Wallabies sweep
The British & Irish Lions are openly boasting about their plan to sweep the Wallabies 3-0, and they’ve turned to the heroes of yesteryear to fuel their quest to make history.
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The Lions have revealed the secret photo board driving them to become the best touring team of all time, hell bent on defeating the Wallabies 3-0 to become history makers.
The revelation of their photo board, full of pictures of iconic moments in Lions history that are inspiring the tourists on this tour of Australia, is behind their bullish claims of sweeping a series for the first time since 1904.
Lions backrower Henry Pollock made the surprise revelation this week that the Lions’ goal is to beat Australia 3-0 and become the best team in Lions history, a notion backed up on Monday by captain Maro Itoje.
It then emerged that the Lions players are looking daily at a spread of photos of great moments, firing them up to achieve their ambition.
“I guess the whole idea is that it’s a link to history,” Itoje said.
“When you wear this badge to represent the Lions, you have a responsibility because you are representing all four nations, but you’re also representing all of the amazing players who have played and worn the jersey and been successful in the jersey. The idea is that it’s now our turn, our opportunity and it’s up to us to take it forward.”
The picture board was the brain child of the Lions coaching staff, led by Andy Farrell.
Assistant Lions coach John Dalziel said the photos were particularly valuable for younger members of the squad who weren’t born when they played in some iconic matches but have seen footage on social media.
“We’ve got memory board and to be honest it goes back, and it’s surprising even the young lads remember that they’ve watched that numerous times,” Dalziel said.
“I suppose when they were growing up, probably their dads or whoever were loving the Lions videos that they’ve seen, so they’re all aware, they’re all students of the game and a bit nosy in terms of they love the rugby and they know the story, going back as we all did, you know the history.”
The memory board has been divided into backs and forwards.
The backs have photos including that of Jeremy Guscott kicking the winning drop goal in the second Test against South Africa in 1997, while the forwards are staring at England forward Alex Corbisiero scoring the opening try against Australia in the deciding Test in 2013.
“There’s been a lot of work internally with the lads around setting up – whether that be in units or as a team – and it is quite clear that you don’t just come and let the opportunity go by,” Dalziel said.
“They’ve sat and thought, how do they want to be remembered as a Lions team. It only happens every four years, some players may only get the one experience, so they’ve chatted long and hard and trying to set up something that when they get to the end of the tour, that they can look back on of how they want to be remembered.
“There’s a set of values and goals that they’ve been living towards as well, so a lot of that’s been internal with the players.
“There’s a lot of great images when you look through all the years of Lions rugby and there’s always standout moments for all of us, your first Lions memory that you remember, and all of us reflect differently, so the players went through that process, they looked at the images and they talked also about the youngster watching the TV for the first time and the Test, what are they going to remember?
“And I think they’re thinking more down the line, what are the memories that they’re going to install in the young supporters that are going to be talking about that in 15 to 20 years, as well those iconic Lions moments that they want to be creating as a group of players.”
This is the first time a touring Lions team has openly boasted about winning a series 3-0, but Itoje says that is a necessary mindset.
“We have the capability to do that – it is on us now to deliver,” Itoje said.
“And it’s on us to deliver over the next three weeks, over these next four games (including the First Nations Pasifika game in Melbourne next Tuesday).
“If we want to do that, if we want to be that, then it’s not about talking about it, it’s about being about it. The performances over the next three weeks will ultimately be the judge of that.”
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Originally published as The memory board Lions are using as fuel for historic 3-0 Wallabies sweep