Setanta.com takes a look back at the 2005 British & Irish Lions squad and asks what happened to and where is every member of that tour these days.
Sir Clive Woodward involved no less than 51 players for the duration of the tour to New Zealand. Some made decent impacts and have disappeared off the radar since; others failed to shine and will be looking to make amends in South Africa.
Second up, after the forwards, are the backs...
Iain Balshaw (England/Leeds Tykes)
Injury forced Iain Balshaw out of the 2005 British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand, having appeared in all three Tests against Australia four years previously. However, if he thought he might get one final shot at the red shirt, superior performances from those in similar positions has seen the Gloucester man lose out on this occasion. Balshaw continues to be injury-prone these days, but has become the latest English player to secure a move to France after signing a two-year deal with Top 14 side Biarritz recently.
Geordan Murphy (Ireland/Leicester Tigers)
Murphy did get the chance to make one start against the All Blacks in 2005, but, considering he is not even Ireland’s first-choice full-back these days, the odds were always against him getting the nod for the trip to South Africa. On the club front, Murphy has enjoyed much more success, however, with The Dubliner captaining Leicester Tigers in recent weeks and leading them to a Heineken Cup final against Leinster. He was also chosen as the primary back up for Rob Kearney at international level – ahead of Girvan Dempsey.
Josh Lewsey (England/Wasps)
Having announced his retirement from international rugby last April, it was always likely that the versatile London Wasps back would miss out – given some of the players on form in his preferred positions. Of course, that Ian McGeechan is his boss at club level could easily have worked in his favour, as could the injury to Tom Shanklin, but Lewsey, in spite of his versatility, did not manage to earn himself a seat on the plane to South Africa.
Gareth Thomas (Wales/Toulouse)
Thomas took over as Lions captain in New Zealand following the injury to Brian O’Driscoll and was one of the few to emerge with his reputation more or less still intact. Indeed, his try in the second Test against the All Blacks was one of the few highlights on an otherwise depressing Tour. Now retired from international rugby, ‘Alfie’ still plies his trade with The Cardiff Blues, having left the Welsh international set-up in 2007 after the nation’s early exit from the World Cup in France, but he is not even a guaranteed starter with his region.
Denis Hickie (Ireland/Leinster)
Now retired, Hickie ended his time with Leinster and Ireland having established himself as a first-choice pick for the number 11 shirt for both sides. He was not involved in any of the Tests games against the All Blacks in 2005, though, making appearances in five of the smaller games before going on to be a core part of the Irish side that competed at the 2007 World Cup.
Jason Robinson (England/Sale Sharks)
Always a player able to create something from nothing, Robinson arrived out to New Zealand after the rest of the touring party for family reasons and made two starts against the All Blacks – one at full-back and one on the wing. He did show brief glimpses of his talents during the Tour but would enjoy greater success with England two years later when he shone brightly on England's shock run to the final of the 2007 World Cup in France. It has since been confirmed that Robinson will this summer succeed Philippe Saint-Andre at the helm of the Sale Sharks, the club at which 'Billy Whizz' made his name in union.
Shane Williams (Wales/Ospreys)
Shane Williams will carry the burden of expectations into the 2009 Lions tour having plagued South Africa in the colours of Wales in recent times. The winger has failed to recapture the scintillating form that saw him crowned IRB Player of the Year last year, on the back of his country’s RBS 6 Nations triumph, but he will be one of the Lions’ biggest threats on Tour nonetheless. Perhaps all that was wrong about Sir Clive Woodward’s trip to New Zealand is summed up by the fact that Williams only appeared in one of the three Tests against the All Blacks, despite equalling the single-game Lions record for tries by getting no less than five against Manawatu earlier on the Tour.
Gordon D’Arcy (Ireland/Leinster)
Still being considered likely for a possible late call-up, D’Arcy made a late bid for Lions inclusion with his role in Ireland’s Grand Slam win in the spring. However, his contribution came on the back of a long time out of the game following a badly broken arm sustained during Ireland's 2008 RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy last year. The centre played seven game during the 2005 Tour – but did not feature in the Test series – and he surely would have made the plane for South Africa had he rediscovered his form and fitness earlier in the season.
Will Greenwood (England/Harlequins)
Greenwood is another of the Lions veterans to have retired from the game since the Tour of New Zealand. The centre had no less than three Lions trips under his belt by the time he hung his boots, and now works as an analyst for various media companies.
Gavin Henson (Wales/Ospreys)
Considered one of the players that would form the future of Welsh rugby when he was included by Sir Clive in 2005, Henson endured a nightmare Tour, with rumours abounding that he had had a major bust-up with Woodward after being told he would not be starting in the first Test against The All Blacks. The four years since New Zealand have been something of a mixed bag for the talented, perma-tanned back. There is no doubting his talent when on form but his attitude is questionable and his career has been repeatedly interrupted by injury. Hence, his exclusion from this year's squad.
Shane Horgan (Ireland/Leinster)
Once considered one of Ireland’s most potent attacking threats, Horgan has disappeared off the radar in the past 18 months – only to show brief glimpses of his old self in Leinster’s destruction of Munster in the Heineken Cup semi-finals this season. It is easy to forget that the big winger was brought on in all three Tests against New Zealand last time out and yet he was never even mentioned as a possibility this time round. A mystery, and one of the main reason we have embarked on the exercise of seeing where some of our 2005 Lions have gone!
Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland/Leinster)
Where to start? O’Driscoll will be hoping that his 2009 Tour lasts a little longer than his time on the pitch against New Zealand – all of a minute. If anything, however, that incident saw the centre return to action an even more accomplished player and he heads to South Africa not only with a point to prove but with the form behind him that could see him excel and lead the side to something special.
Tom Shanklin (Wales/Cardiff Blues)
Shanklin has, of course, been forced to withdraw from the 2009 Lions squad after, disappointingly, suffering a shoulder injury recently. The centre would have been one of the favourites to start against South Africa but if you felt for him already, then you’ll be even more gutted to remember that a knee injury also curtailed his involved in the 2005 Tour. He was involved in three games early on before seeing a premature end to his Tour.
Ollie Smith (England/Leicester Tigers)
Now playing in France with Montpellier, Smith was a relatively surprise inclusion for the 2005 Tour given that he had been unable to hold down a regular starting place for England. However, some decent club form saw him included ahead of the likes of Olly Barkley and Jamie Noon. Smith played in five of the more minor games out in New Zealand as well as the warm-up against Argentina, scoring two tries, before moving to France last year from Leicester Tigers.
Charlie Hodgson (England/Sale Sharks)
Hodgson is one player who continues to divide opinions across England. A regular for Sale Sharks, he is consistently inconsistent and the fact that he cannot even force his way into Martin Johnson’s thinking was always going to make a second Lions Tour a difficult one. The fly-half played four and scored a try in 2005, and was a relative success story amongst a collection of failures, but he will perhaps always go down as the lad not quite as good as Jonny Wilkinson in the record books.
Stephen Jones (Wales/Clermont Auvergne)
When Jonny Wilkinson was initially left out of the 2005 Lions squad, Jones was, seemingly, left to battle with Ronan O’Gara with the starting ten slot. The latter was relegated to third choice when Wilko was called up, as expected, with Sir Clive taking defeat in the first Test in the All Blacks as reason enough to slip his favoured kicker from centre (where he was bizarrely named for the 1st Test) into the half-backs. England’s World Cup hero fared no better next time out, though, and Jones was restored for the final Test with O’Gara on the bench. Only Jones and O’Gara have been included for 2009 and it will be a very close call between the pair for McGeechan and company.
Ronan O'Gara (Ireland/Munster)
O’Gara will probably admit himself that his Lions history to date has been a bit of a mixed bag. He has never really been given the chance to prove himself in the Tests proper, despite his remarkably consistent club form with Munster, and he will see 2009 as his best – and final – chance to get that monkey off his back. On his day, O’Gara can be one of the best tens in the world; he is, however, equally capable of absolute shockers.
Gareth Cooper (Wales/Newport Gwent Dragons)
Cooper played second fiddle to Dwayne Peel in the Wales set-up for several years, and, once Mike Phillips appeared on the scene, he dropped even further down the pecking order. Cooper is not included for 2009 after seeing a season in which he had made real strides towards making the Wales number nine jersey his own ruined by injury.
Chris Cusiter (Scotland/The Borders)
Cusiter had to be content with a supporting role in 2005, playing in the more minor games but catching the eye and making the bench for the second Test nonetheless. He has spent playing with Perpignan since but is set to return to Scotland – with Glasgow Warriors – this summer and that should help him with his battle for Scotland’s number nine shirt against Mike Blair, a late call-up for the 2009 squad because of Tomás O’Leary’s withdrawal.
Matt Dawson (England/Wasps)
Now retired, Dawson playing a largely supporting role for Dwayne Peel in New Zealand. After the opening Test defeat the outspoken Englishman did start the second Test, but was relegated to the bench once more for the third match in the series. Dawson retired from the game in 2006, and continues to have a career in the public eye appearing on Strictly come Dancing and celebrity Masterchef.
Dwayne Peel (Wales/Llanelli Scarlets)
Peel was Sir Clive’s main scrum-half at the beginning of the 2005 Tour to New Zealand, having just helped Wales claim the Grand Slam title in style. He was dropped for the second Test though following the opening defeat – being replaced by Dawson - before being recalled for the final Test. The years since have also not been straight forward for the number nine: his decision to join Sale last summer has seen him overtaken as Wales’ first choice at nine, though he did earn a recall under Warren Gatland for the 2009 RBS 6 Nations. Probably on the basis of his experience alone, he was considered a possible replacement for the injured Tomás O’Leary, though, in truth, he was never likely to get the nod ahead of the far more consistent Mike Blair.
Jonny Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons/England)
Wilkinson initially missed out of the 2005 Lions squad because of injury concerns, but, having proved his fitness to Sir Clive, he was later included as additional cover. The four years since have seen little change for the talented kicker, though he did at least feature in England’s run to the final at the 2007 World Cup in France. However, the Falcons man dislocated his knee while in action for his club last Autumn, which ruled him out of the RBS 6 Nations and all but ended his hopes for the Lions at that stage. He has still to return to date, and is expected to join Toulon in France next season should he pass their medical!...
Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks/England)
Considered an outside bet for the 2009 squad, Mark Cueto was a late injury call-up in 2005 when he replaced the injured Iain Balshaw. He started one of the Tests before being a key part of England’s 2007 World Cup run. Despite that, he was not selected for his country again until the 2009 RBS 6 Nations tournament, when he was one of England’s better performers.