Tour leaders blamed for Lions’ failure

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 36

Tour leaders blamed for Lions’ failure

NZPA London The manager, George Burrell, and the coach, John Dawes, were “two nice guys” who let the 1977 Lions down

badly on their New Zealand tour with weak, ineffective management, says the former England captain, Bill Beaumont, in his book “Thanks to Rugby” published this week.

Summing up the Lions’ feelings after their defeat in the final test, Beaumont says: “It was hard to believe we had crushed the All Blacks up front in two successive tests, only, to lose both.

1 “As I was choking back the disappointment, I looked round and saw Phil Bennett in tears.

“Our great dream had been shattered and although I personally had had a satisfactory tour in the playing side, I was every bit as bewildered and brokenhearted as the rest of the party at the result of the final match and the outcome of the series.

“For the players there would always be another chance, another day.

“But George Burrell and John Dawes are likely to go down in history as the two nice guys who led the 1977 Lions and let them down badly with weak, ineffective management." Beaumont, who has had to cut all official links with rugby because he accepted money for the book, published by Stanley Paul, says he had always got on well with Dawes and had great respect for Burrell. “I always got on well with John Dawes,” he says, “and I would like to emphasise that I have nothing at all against him personally — quite the reverse — but I think he would admit that he was not always seen at his very best during this tour and, unfortunately, he seemed to let the pressures affect him. “He had built up an enviable record with Wales as a player and as a coach, but he failed to grasp the initiative in New Zealand and events quickly overtook him, leaving him a sad figure who, as tour coach, seemed ter have lost his sense of purpose and direction. “I think he used his ener-

gies in the wrong direction and was not strong enough to be assistant manager. He did not have a great or particu-, larly beneficial influence and 1 think he became too preoccupied with himself towards the end of the trip and not involved enough with his players.” Burrell found it hard when the going became a bit rough, Beaumont says, adding: “Perhaps he was too nice a man.” “He did not really know the law of the jungle and found himself just a shade out of his depth. If he had been slightly tougher he could have coped much better.” Beaumont comments: “I found both the manager and the coach honest with him in all our dealings and it was disappointing that they both returned home broken men at the end of the trip when it might so easily have been different. “With just a little bit of luck the Lions could well have emulated the excellent record of the 1971 team which was well managed by Doug Smith and Carwyn James.”