South Africa is a tough place to tour - just ask the 'Invincible' Lions of 1974, who came up with the '99 Call'.
Lions must stand up and fight or fold
If you are in any doubt about how tough South Africa is a place to go, cast your mind back to the Lions 'Invincibles' tour of 1974.
Skipper Willie-John McBride and more greats of the game tell the
Rugby Club about the wonderful spirit required to counter Springbok intimidation and the infamous 'Call 99'.
Gareth Edwards (Lions 1968, 1971 & 1974) "It was always physically tough and rough, whenever you played against the South Africans. What we did decide upon is that there would be no backward steps."
Willie-John McBride (1962, 1966, 1968, 1971 & 1974) "I said that if there is anything out of place we all deal with it together and then we are back playing rugby. I don't want guys chasing other guys around the field to get their own back."
JPR Williams (1971 & 1974) "He concocted this call and said 'if you hear 99' you've got to hit the nearest South African to you. If you all do that, the referee can't send us all off."
Bobby Windsor (1974 & 1977) "There was one spark and there was no messing about - everyone was straight in and you belted the bloke stood next to you as long as he had a green jersey on."
J.J Williams (1974 & 1977) "I think that surprised the South Africans because they hadn't experienced anything like that from British sides in the past who had been good losers but didn't have the attitude of the '74 Lions."
Fran Cotton (1974, 1977 & 1980) "If anyone touched one of our players then you really were dealing with the rest apart from JJ and Phil Bennett who were stood there with their hands on their hips while it was all going on!"
J.J Williams (1974 & 1977)"Well, I'm out on the left wing! Being only 12 stone I wasn't going to do anything about it, I had no influence on it. But I heard about it! People like Andy Irvine, Phil Bennett and myself used to say to people 'once you boys have finished beating up the whole of South Africa throw the ball out to us and we'll try and win a Test match for you'."
Andy Irvine (1974, 1977 & 1980) "I remember on one occasion in the third Test Gareth Edwards and I were looking at each other wondering 'what the hell is going on now' and JPR flew past to try and get in there."
JPR Williams (1971 & 1974)"There was me running 40m hit their biggest guy, Moaner van Heerden, and Phil Bennett and Andy Irvine running the other way."
Gareth Edwards (1968, 1971 & 1974)"You either stood up and met it head on or you folded and I'm glad to say we had the guys who could stand up and it showed that we could be successful from that."
