2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand

In 2005 the British and Irish Lions Rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, suffering a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of the New Zealand All Blacks. For the Lions, having toured Australia in 2001 and South Africa in 1997, it was the first time for 22 years they lost every test match on tour.

Tour squad

The tour 44-man squad was announced on 11 April 2005, with 20 Englishmen, eleven Irishmen, ten Welshmen and three Scots selected. Many criticised this distribution, saying that when England had performed so badly in the 2004 and 2005 Six Nations Championship the selection of so many Englishmen was unjustified. However many of these might be seen as squad players, unlikely to start the test matches, having experience in the tough competition of the Zurich Premiership. The original 44-man squad was named as:

Related Topics:
Scots - Zurich Premiership

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• Full backs / wingers
• Iain Balshaw (Leeds Tykes and England)
• Josh Lewsey (Wasps and England)
• Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers and Ireland)
• Jason Robinson (Sale Sharks and England)
• Gareth Thomas (Toulouse and Wales)
• Shane Williams (Ospreys and Wales)
• Centres
• Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster and Ireland)
• Will Greenwood (Harlequins and England)
• Gavin Henson (Ospreys and Wales)
• Shane Horgan (Leinster and Ireland)
• Brian O'Driscoll (captain; Leinster and Ireland)
• Tom Shanklin (Blues and Wales)
• Ollie Smith (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Fly-halves
• Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks and England)
• Stephen Jones (Clermont Auvergne and Wales)
• Ronan O'Gara (Munster and Ireland)
• Scrum-halves
• Gareth Cooper (Dragons and Wales)
• Chris Cusiter (The Borders and Scotland)
• Matt Dawson (Wasps and England)
• Dwayne Peel (Scarlets and Wales)
• Props
• John Hayes (Munster and Ireland)
• Gethin Jenkins (Blues and Wales)
• Graham Rowntree (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks and England)
• Matt Stevens (Bath and England)
• Julian White (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Hookers
• Gordon Bulloch (Glasgow and Scotland)
• Shane Byrne (Leinster and Ireland)
• Steve Thompson (Northampton Saints and England)
• Andy Titterrell (Sale Sharks and England)
• Locks
• Danny Grewcock (Bath and England)
• Ben Kay (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster and Ireland)
• Paul O'Connell (Munster and Ireland)
• Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster and Ireland)
• Back Row
• Neil Back (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Martin Corry (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Lawrence Dallaglio (Wasps and England)
• Denis Hickie (Leinster and Ireland)
• Richard Hill (Saracens and England)
• Lewis Moody (Leicester Tigers and England)
• Michael Owen (Dragons and Wales)
• Simon Taylor (Edinburgh and Scotland)
• Martyn Williams (Blues and Wales)

Injured England players Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Mike Tindall were pencilled in, to be added to the squad subject if they regained fitness. Only Wilkinson subsequently did so and was called up on 8 May. Iain Balshaw suffered a torn thigh muscle and was replaced in the squad by Mark Cueto on 17 May. Additional players were called up when players suffered injury (and in one case a ban) during the tour proper. The full list of call ups is:

Related Topics:
England - Jonny Wilkinson - Phil Vickery - Mike Tindall - 8 May - Iain Balshaw - Mark Cueto - 17 May

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• Jonny Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons and England) — Added 8 May
• Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks and England) — Added 17 May for Iain Balshaw
• Simon Shaw (Wasps and England) — Added 2 June for Malcolm O'Kelly
• Simon Easterby (Scarlets and Ireland) — Added 4 June for Lawrence Dallaglio
• Ryan Jones (Ospreys and Wales) — Added 10 June for Simon Taylor
• Brent Cockbain (Ospreys and Wales) — Added 26 June for Danny Grewcock, who was banned for 2 months after allegedly biting the All Blacks' Keven Mealamu during the first test.
• Jason White (Sale Sharks and Scotland) — Added 27 June for Richard Hill

Three team members did not travel to New Zealand with the bulk of the touring party. Jason Robinson was excused in order to spend time with his pregnant wife. Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas were forced to delay their departures due to commitments to their French clubs. Jones arrived in New Zealand on 31 May, before the Lions played their first tour match, while Robinson arrived on 7 June. For a time, it was doubtful whether Thomas would be able to contend for a spot in the first Test, as he had not been released by his club, Toulouse. However, Toulouse, which were trying to add a French league title to their Heineken Cup, crashed out in the French semifinals, allowing Thomas to leave for New Zealand. Thomas also arrived in New Zealand on 7 June. Eventually, Thomas would substitute for Brian O'Driscoll as tour captain after O'Driscoll suffered a tour-ending dislocated shoulder soon after the start of the first All Blacks Test on 25 June.

Related Topics:
French - 31 May - 7 June - Toulouse - French league - Heineken Cup - All Blacks - 25 June

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