Leadership Vital On Lions Tour Say Legends

Rugby World Cup winners and former British and Irish Lions Richard Hill and Will Greenwood have spoken of the importance of strong leadership ahead of the Lions tour to Australia. Speaking at a Benchmark Talent Showcase Breakfast, the pair insisted that forming bonds between players who traditionally meet each other as rivals will be vital to the success of the squad.

‘The Lions head to Australia as favourites for the series, but the individual talent in the squad will not necessarily translate into wins if the relationships between the different nations are not handled correctly,’ said Hill, a veteran of three Lions tours. ‘When it comes to it, the camaraderie of the team is a big marker on how successful a tour is going to be. You spend four years basically trying to beat each other up and all of a sudden you’re thrown into a room and you just have to drop it.’

Both men are well-placed to comment on victory in Australia, having played key roles in both the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and the successful tour in the build-up. 

‘We went to the tour Down Under with a full starting team, in a World Cup year,’ recalled Greenwood of a move that drew some criticism at the time. ‘The psychology behind it was that when we beat them in Wellington and Melbourne, when it got to the World Cup we could stand in any tunnel and face any player and know there was nothing to fear. In that situation you’re halfway there already.’

Taking questions from Sport Broadcast Journalist of the Year, Mark Pougatch, the England legends explained the diverse leadership techniques of both Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson at that time was crucial to England’s success.  

‘Clive was articulate, it was about tactics and boosting the confidence of players,’ Hill explained. ‘With Johnno it was different – he may have been speaking to you in a very basic language but it was a language that everyone understood. More importantly, you knew that when it came to putting your body on the line and running through a brick wall for your team, he would be the one running through that brick wall first. You can’t beat that kind of on-field leadership.’

‘You can go back through the years and you will never find a bad word said about Johnson from one of those 2003 players,’ added Greenwood. ‘That dedication that he showed us to put himself on the front line – when we lost, he was there in the press conference saying it was my fault; when we won, he would say look at my team. An incredible man.’

Greenwood and Hill were speaking at a Benchmark Talent Showcase Breakfast hosted by private members club Pasley-Tyler at 42 Berkeley Square.

For more information on Benchmark Talent events or athletes represented by Benchmark Talent, contact Lisa Norman at lisa@benchmarksport.com. 

For more information on event space at Pasley-Tyler, contact millysmith@pasley-tyler.com.