Legendary tag spurs O’Connell

PAUL O’CONNELL has revealed his burning desire for the 2009 British and Irish Lions to become legends.

That quest begins in Rustenburg tomorrow when O’Connell leads the Lions against a Royal XV – opening opponents who should prove mere cannon-fodder for the tourists.

The 10-match trip will ultimately be judged on what happens in the Test series against world champions South Africa, starting at Durban’s ABSA Stadium on June 20.

And captain O’Connell is inspired by the achievements of Willie John McBride’s 1974 Lions and the 1997 tourists led by Martin Johnson – squads which sank South Africa on home soil.

“Probably 1974 is what made those players legends and that is what we are here to do,” said the Ireland lock.

“If we can win a Test series against South Africa it would be massive for our careers. I think it is the ultimate for any player’s career.

“The Lions in South Africa tends to be the pinnacle of any player’s career in the four home nations.

“And for us to come here and win, that’s what legends are made of. That is what our goal is.”

O’Connell leads a side comprising four Irishmen, seven Wales internationals, England forwards Andrew Sheridan, Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley, plus solitary Scot Mike Blair.

It includes an all-Ospreys back three of Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe and Shane Williams, a youthful centre combination in Jamie Roberts and Keith Earls, and an early opportunity for barnstorming Wales number eight Andy Powell.

Only eight of head coach Ian McGeechan’s match-day 22 have previously played for the Lions, but the opening flurries are about assessing new combinations and units.

All seven of the players, meanwhile, who were involved in European finals last weekend – including Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll – are set for tour bows either against the Golden Lions next Wednesday or the Cheetahs three days later.

“It’s about making sure we develop as a team as quickly as we can,” added O’Connell.

“It is really about ourselves at this stage of the tour. Sure, we want to perform, we want to play well and score tries, but it is all about making steps in the right direction and becoming a team.”

The Royal XV encounter heralds McGeechan’s fifth Lions tour in a coaching capacity – and the 62-year-old’s sense of excitement is almost tangible.

“I don’t know what is going to come out on Saturday, in some respects,” he said.

“You do the training, but then it is the players really starting to bring things out of each other. That’s where you get the special relationship building in a Lions jersey.

“You look at any Lions team early on in a tour, it has that period where it is really starting to establish itself.

“We are ready to play. We’ll have rough edges and things to work on, we know that, but I think everyone is ready for the game and wanting to play.

“You want to be bringing the best out of each other. All these players have huge attributes, which is the reason why we selected them in the first place.

“What we are trying to do now is bring all those attributes to the fore in the combinations so it is an effective team performance that is drawing the best out of each player, and a little bit more.

“I am excited about the two young centres, and if you look through the units in the team, we’ve wanted to see groupings across the countries, which is quite important.”

McGeechan intends to play every member of his squad in the opening three fixtures, all at altitude. And tour manager Gerald Davies underlined the importance of all tourists harbouring Test team hopes.

“Every player must believe he has got a chance to play in the Test team,” said the former Wales and Lions wing.

“We want to make a winning statement on Saturday, it’s as simple as that.”