As Ireland prepare for the opening test of their three-match tour to Australia rugby writer Alex Broun joined The Hard Yards this week to preview the upcoming Test series.
Broun feels like Ireland will be the favourites in what should be a physical series between the Grand Slam winners and the Wallabies, but maybe not as physical as the tour Ireland took to South Africa 20 years ago when the visitors were defeated convincingly by the Springboks over two Tests.
Ireland were facing a South Africa team that had bulldozed their way through France, Scotland and England the previous November and the Boks headed to Pretoria for the second Test of the tour with a 37-13 win from the opening match in Bloemfontein.
South Africa shut Ireland out with a 33-0 whitewash at Loftus Versfeld but the game will be more widely remembered for its physicality and violence than the scoreline itself.
Former Ireland captain Donal Lenihan had been appointed as manager of the tour and he was in no mood to entertain press conference requests from Broun amid a changing room of battered and bruised bodies.
“Donal and I have a very interesting history,” said Broun.
“I was very surprised two-and-a-half years later when Donal rang me and asked would I like to be the media officer for the Lions tour so obviously I did make an impression.
“If you haven’t seen it get on YouTube and watch The Battle of Pretoria it was one of the filthiest games in the history of rugby. It was appalling.
[Listen to the full conversation from the 19:30 mark]
“Both teams were at risk. I’m not sure if they kicked off because they were frustrated with the way the tour was going but then the Boks certainly picked it up and it was just…. I mean the ball would be 30 yards away and there would be guys bashing each other.
“It was an appalling game of rugby and the most violent thing I’d ever seen. Of course, I was working with the Springboks then and there were guys there that I was very attached to.
“I remember going into the Irish dressing room because I had to get them to come to the press conference. Looking around that room ever Irish player was dazed, bruised, bleeding and Donal looked at me and went ‘what the f*** are you doing here? Get out’.
“He saw me there standing in my Springbok blazer, which I can understand, but I said ‘I’m sorry Donie but you’re going to have to come to the press conference’.
“It was just such an odd game of rugby.”
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