‘Those days are gone’: Why Waratahs-Lions won’t get punchy

A World Cup-winner with England in 2003, Mike Catt played on two British and Irish Lions tours, to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001. He has since become a world-renowned coach and this year joined the Waratahs as attack coach. Catt will be opposing the Lions on Saturday night, when they meet the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium. He spoke to Iain Payten about what he learned about being a Lion, and from coaching young Australian stars.

Making the Lions

Playing for the British and Irish Lions is the pinnacle of your career, so I was gutted when my name wasn’t read out in 1997.

I was part of a strong England team, so not getting selected in the initial squad to tour South Africa was tough. It was the first time I sort of had that sort of disappointment. But we went with England down to Argentina to play, and within a week I was called up to the Lions squad.

I grew up in South Africa, so it was special to be touring there. My theory was always if you aren’t going to play for them, you want to beat them. I was an unused sub in the second Test and got my opportunity in the third Test, but by that time we’d won the series ... and we’d partied hard to be fair.

That was the beauty about those early tours – 1997, even 2001 – they were still pretty amateur. We were still trying to find our feet in professionalism, so you still enjoyed yourselves. It was brilliant fun. There’s hard work on the pitch, but wow, what a fun time we had off it.

Mike Catt with Matt Dawson after a series in South Africa in 1997.Credit: Getty

The brutal tour of Australia

The 2001 tour was painful and frustrating ... but it also ended up one of my most memorable rugby trips.

I had a back injury before the tour but Graham Henry put a lot of faith in me and said, “we really want you to come on the tour”. I knew in the back of my mind I would doing well to get a game in.

Mike Catt with Dr James Robson after suffering a calf injury against Australia A.Credit: PA Images via Getty Images

It was a brutal tour from day one. We started going bone on bone, competing for positions really, really early. In the first session we went to, three blokes got split open and needed stitches. I missed the first three games but eventually played against Australia A, and tore my calf after 40 minutes.

Dan Luger and Phil Greening also got injured that week, so we hired a car and did a roadtrip up to Brisbane. Stupidly they let us follow the tour, they said, “we’ve booked your rooms and stuff, so why don’t you just keep following”. Lawrence Dallaglio joined us as well. When we got to Byron Bay no-one could decide if we would stay or push on to Brisbane, so we tossed a coin: heads we stay, tails we leave. It was heads. We ended up spending all our tour money. We all would have preferred to stay on the tour and play obviously, but that wasn’t to be.

Putting rivalries aside

One of the biggest things I learned on Lions tours is how guys who hated each other become firm friends. The English hated the Scots and vice versa, and being from South Africa, I couldn’t understand this hatred and the disdain from both sides. It’s a game of rugby, lads. But there was this real hatred, they didn’t like each other.

Touring British Lions rugby union players Brian O’Driscoll (L) and Keith Wood (R) take a stroll in the shallows of Sydney’s famous Manly Beach in 2001.Credit: REUTERS

But what I really love, and it’s the beauty of our sport, is when they did come together as Lions, the Irish and the English, the Scots, the Welsh, they were all brilliant. Just flipping good people: good guys, hardworking, funny, proper tourists. Working with different guys you have a perception of, or only see when you’re playing against them ... then to actually getting to know them and understand them, that was the real eye-opener for me.

The other thing you come to understand in a Lions environment is just the massive challenge of it. You’re working with the best of the best, everyone wants to be a Test Lion, and then you have to go to another country and have to quickly get together and become a team. That’s tough. It’s not easy.

The other big thing that blew me away, especially in 2001, is the support. When we came out to Australia, I reckon the whole of Wales was here. It was the most incredible sight, anywhere you went.

I still remember Brisbane for the first Test. You walked out the stadium, and all you saw was just red, everywhere.

Why the Tahs won’t rough up the Lions

It has happened in the past, but there is no talk in the Waratahs camp about trying to bash up the Lions on Saturday.

Everyone remembers the Waratahs-Lions game in 2001 (when Duncan McRae was sent off for repeatedly punching Ronan O’Gara). And midweek games in South Africa, they were pretty old-school. They were some tough, tough games. You just had to survive them. It was a different mentality.

The Waratahs’ Duncan McRae punches Ronan O’Gara of the Lions in 2001.Credit: Adam Pretty/ALLSPORT

But that’s not in the game anymore, to be honest. Those days are gone. It’s too fast. You can’t get away with it. Which Lions star are you going to rough up anyway? They have so many good players so they don’t really rely on one person, do they?

Embrace the challenge

It will be the biggest game in some of the Waratahs players’ careers so we have told the boys to savour the experience.

Because it’s a Saturday game, the Lions may opt to play their Test team. So it’s going to be the best of the best. Waratahs coach Dan McKellar has mentioned a lot to the boys: just embrace it.

The Waratahs take on the Lions in 2013.Credit: James Brickwood

Don’t miss this opportunity to play your best footy, against the best of the best. Don’t think it’s just going to happen. It’s a special day. You’re probably not going to get this opportunity again.

Suaalii and Jorgensen on another level

Having coached them this year, I have been blown away by the talent – and potential – of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Max Jorgensen.

There’s been a huge learning for Joseph. A lot of people forget how young he is, and he’s had to try and find his feet and adapt to it.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii poses for a portrait during an Australian Wallabies Portrait Session.Credit: Getty Images

But the beauty with Joseph is that he’s brought another level of professionalism. So there’s professionalism, that people think is professionalism, and then there’s Joseph Suaalii professionalism – as a 21-year-old. It’s that real want from an individual to get better. And now. He doesn’t want to wait two years, three years down the line. That’s the mentality that I saw up north a lot.

For the youngsters here, having somebody like Joseph come in and show that real drive – that’s a great example. He’ll make his mark in this Test series, no doubt, just with just his physical presence in a Test match. He’s a beast.

Then you have got Max Jorgensen, who I think is proper special. If he keeps himself on the rugby pitch, he’s another one that we could be talking about for years and years to come. He’s got everything.

Those two will only go to another level. They trust themselves. They believe that they’re capable of playing at that level and they’re going to go and get it. I love that. I love that mentality.

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