We are very excited to announce that ex Scotland hooker and captain, Colin Deans, is to be an LWTL ambassador on the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
Capped 52 times by Scotland and a tourist with the Lions to New Zealand in 1983 Colin is well qualified to discuss the upcoming tour. He led Scotland into the 1987 World Cup quarter finals and even has the honour of being the first Scot to score against New Zealand in the Land of the Long White Cloud back in 1981.
Some opponents (well, they would!) pointed out that he spent a lot of his career offside – especially at the lineout – but many, Bill McLaren included, described him as being tactically astute and a hooker of flaring speed who formed a wonderful lineout partnership with David Leslie. He led Scotland, Hawick and South of Scotland to many victories.
We sat down with Colin and asked for his views on the tour and some favourite memories. I think you’ll agree his answers are insightful and will provide many talking points. We are lucky to have him along!
LWTL Sports Travel – What are you most looking forward to about the tour to New Zealand?
Colin Deans – The 2017 tour has the hallmark of being one of the most successful Lions tour since the 1974 tour to SA. The squad selected is one of the strongest and well balanced to leave our shores for a long time with raw fire power up front with pace, guile and experience in the backs. I’m also looking forward to catching up with the elderly ABs that I had the pleasure to play against from 1978-1987.
LWTL Sports Travel – Which current Lions squad member would you be most excited to play with and why?
Colin Deans – Would love to have played with all the current squad, but if I were to pick anyone it would be the Vunipola brothers, George Kruis in the second row, all the backrow combinations, Johnny Sexton and Stuart Hogg. Hogg I select, due to the fact that I played with his father in my home club rugby and he is one very exciting player who could light the tour up with his electric pace.
LWTL Sports Travel – Two Scottish players selected: critical oversight by the coaching team or a justifiable response to the defeat by England?
Colin Deans – My answer would be a bit of both, I thought that there may well have been another 2/3 Scottish players who could have been selected. Either Gray brothers and Hamish Watson, who nullified the Welsh backrow in the second half of the Scot V Wales game and played very well throughout the whole 6 nations.
LWTL Sports Travel – Do you have a standout memory and an opponent you would preferred to have played with rather than against from the tour in 1983?
Colin Deans – The AB’s I had the privilege to play against, they were of the same mould as now, pulling on the famous black jersey was the pinnacle of their rugby career. Players like Wayne Shelford, Murray Mexted, Andy Haden, Graham Mourie, Grant Fox, Wayne Smith, John Kirwin, I could go on and on.
LWTL Sports Travel – If you could choose 2 props (past and present) to hold onto for one final scrum who would they be?
Colin Deans – 2 Past props would be Ian Milne and Robert Paparemborde, present would be Mako Vunipola and Tadgh Furlong.
LWTL Sports Travel – And a prediction: Test score aggregate over the three games and who comes out on top…?
Colin Deans – Test score aggregate over the 3 test matches I would take a guess at 87 points for the Lions, with 71 points for the AB’s and a 2-1 series win for the Lions. I predict we will lose the first test and win the remaining 2.
