The good old booze boat race. The first second man drinks only after the first man finishes and so on. First team to finish wins. Easy! Short clip of the a few 1997 Lions taking on the 1974 pedigree. Not so common in the professional era!

We didn't have a video for you yesterday (apologies!) so we'll be posting two today by way of recompense! To begin with, this quite astonishing solo effort from John Bentley against the Gauteng Lions when the 1997 vintage faced them at Ellis Park. Quite possibly the best individual try I've ever seen in terms of running a defence ragged, beating so many players on your own, and finally making it to the line without support. Stunning.

The 2005 tour to New Zealand was an unmitigated disaster from most angles. A 3-0 'blackwash', a loss to the NZ Maori, an injured captain in the first half of the first test - it wasn't good! However, there were highlights and the opening of the Bay Of Plenty game showed that the 2005 Lions did have a semblance of class. Not test rugby maybe, but a great opening 10 minutes for an otherwise doomed tour.

The British & Irish Lions have called James Hook into the squad as a replacement for the injured Leigh Halfpenny. Halfpenny will miss the beginning of the tour due to a thigh injury, but is expected to rejoin the squad after intensive treatment. The replacement player will however stay with the squad throughout the tour, regardless of Halfpenny's return.

Unveiling Hook, Tour Manager Gerald Davies said, "Leigh Halfpenny has returned to Cardiff where he is to undergo treatment for his thigh injury. As the injury means he will miss the start of the tour Ian McGeechan and his fellow selectors have called up James Hook to the squad for the tour to South Africa."

Commenting on the replacement Head Coach Ian McGeechan said, "After analysing our requirements for a replacement as we head to South Africa on Sunday we decided that James was the ideal person to come into the tour squad."

"A very important consideration for us was to strengthen the goal kicking options in the squad. James is an accomplished goal kicker and has scored over 200 points for his country in his 33 appearances. Also, he has played at fly half, centre and fullback for Wales but is also comfortable at outside centre."

"He is very familiar with other backs in the squad having played in the same Welsh team as Mike Phillips, Stephen Jones, Jamie Roberts, Shane Williams and Lee Byrne. Three of these also play in the Ospreys team with him that also includes Tommy Bowe. Therefore there is an existing understanding between all of these players."

"James has been pulled out of the Wales tour to Canada and USA by the Welsh Rugby Union. He was due to leave with them today for Canada but instead James will now join us in camp in Bagshot. We are very grateful to the WRU for releasing James for the British & Irish Lions tour."

Hook's announcement comes as something of a surprise. Delon Armitage of London Irish and England was the clear front runner to fill the slot, offering similar goal kicking and positional utility options to Leigh Halfpenny. Armitage was probably unlucky to miss out on the original tour selection, so being overlooked as a replacement for Halfpenny will be especially galling.

As a fly-half/centre and occasional full-back who hasn't yet found their position of choice, Hook is something of a different animal to Halfpenny. Goal-kicking has clearly been an important factor in selection and his choice over Armitage, may be a tacit acknowledgement of a squad weakness in this area.

Hook was due to tour North America this summer with the Welsh national side and Ospreys centre Sonny Parker will replace him.

Sky Sports are airing a number of very worthwhile films in the run-up to the Lions tour this summer. First up is a new documentary called 'The Invincibles' which follows the famous unbeaten 1974 Lions tour to South Africa. It apparently includes unseen home-video of the tour and a number of candid interviews as well as original footage of matches. The film will be shown in two parts - tonight at 10pm on Sky Sports 2 with the conclusion tomorrow night at 9pm on the same channel.

The second film 'Living with Lions' is probably the most famous Lions film of them all. The story of the 1997 Lions in South Africa is the definitive behind-the-scenes view and as far as I'm aware, this is one of, if not the only time it has been broadcast on television. 'Living with Lions' will also air in two parts, on Monday and Tuesday at 10pm on Sky Sports 1.

The Invincibles: Part 1 - Friday 22nd May @ 10pm on Sky Sports 2
The Invincibles: Part 2 - Saturday 23rd May @ 9pm on Sky Sports 2

Living with Lions: Part 1 - Monday 25th May @ 10pm on Sky Sports 1
Living with Lions: Part 2 - Tuesday 26th May @ 10pm on Sky Sports 1

Ian McGeechan and the Lions management have called up Scottish hooker Ross Ford to replace the injured Jerry Flannery. A replacement for Leigh Halfpenny has not yet been announced, but it is understood that a player will be announced in due course.

Tour manager, Gerald Davies said, "Munster hooker Jerry Flannery tore ligaments in his left elbow in training on Wednesday that unfortunately ruled him out of the tour. His place in the tour squad is taken by Edinburgh's 25-year old hooker Ross Ford who played in all five of Scotland's 2009 Six Nations championship matches."

They also clarified the extent of Flannery's injury, explaining that he saw an orthapedic specialist yesterday who confirmed that surgery would be required. Flannery will be operated on today and begin recovery immediately.

Ford becomes the fourth Scot to join the tour, up from two in the original touring party, after the earlier addition of Scottish captain Mike Blair was called up to replace the injured Tómas O'Leary.

Asked to comment on the call-up Ian McGeechan said, "Jerry has had a terrific season and he anchored the Irish scrum during Ireland's Six Nations Grand Slam season. It is disappointing that after selection for the Lions his season should end with a pre-tour injury."

"Injuries are a part of the game and while very distressing for the affected player we as a squad have to accept them as a fact of life. It is a part of the game we play. We are focussed on moving forward, concentrating on the task at hand and the first match. Ross is a terrific player and he will naturally slot straight in as hooker. I look forward to welcoming him into camp tonight,"

One of the greatest, most dramatic tries ever. Jason Robinson's opening try in the 1st Test against Australia on the 2001 tour. Robinson was a relative unknown quantity on the Union stage at this point, his adversary, Chris Latham, one of the greatest back three players in Australian history.

The build-up, the timing, the rookie versus the star, the step, the acceleration, the willpower and that fist-pump. This try had it all. Heady stuff.

The Lions management confirmed this afternoon that replacements for Jerry Flannery and Leigh Halfpenny (who is expected to return to the tour following treatment) will not be made until Friday 22nd May.

Given how many injuries seem to be affecting the camp at the moment, we thought a video of a Lions legend getting patched up was suitable for today's Lions memory. Tomorrow, we'll get started on some tries!

Leigh Halfpenny is set to miss the early stages of the Lions tour due to an existing thigh injury that is more serious than first thought.

He will return to his Cardiff club tomorrow where he will receive treatment for the injury which is more serious than initially thought. Having had a scan of the area today, the injury is expected to take up to two weeks to recover. The Lions management have clarified their view that only fit players should depart for the tour.

A replacement will be announced shortly, but it is expected that following treatment and on the condition that a full recovery is made, Halfpenny will fly to South Africa to rejoin the Lions squad. This will return the squad to it’s pre-injury complement of 37 player. (The touring party dropped to 36 after McGeechan chose not to replace the injured Tom Shanklin.)

The 1989 series in Australia doesn’t have the nostalgia attached of 1971, 1974 or 1997, but they won against an Australian side full of legends of the game. This video is a rarity, and many thanks to RugbyDump.com for making it available. It’s a surprise Campese ever had the nerve to open his big mouth after that attempt at a pass....

Second in our series of memorable Lions clips, it’s worth remembering the importance of bonding and togetherness during a British and Irish Lions Tour. The team are currently at Pennyhill Park preparing for their departure this weekend and this video from the 1997 tour is a hilarious example of Lions off-pitch dynamics! Ian McGeechan can certainly put his drink away!

Rory Kockott, the in-form scrum-half with the Sharks Super 14 franchise has not been included in the Springbok training squad announced today. The Bok training squad will face a Namibian Invitational XV on May 29 as the South African national side gear up for the test series against the Lions.

After a superb Super 14 campaign, the omission is a surprise. Despite his form, Kockott recently received a red card and one match ban for an ‘open-hand slap’ on Highlanders flanker Adam Thomson. Instead, head coach Peter de Villiers has opted for Ricky Januarie and the uncapped Jano Vermaak.

De Villiers’ squad includes 6 uncapped players and leaves for Windhoek on May 28 following a three day training camp. Neither Ruan Pienaar or Deon Carstens were considered for selection due to injury. De Villiers also expressed his hope that Pienaar would be available for the test series.

"Ruan is expected to be out for about three weeks and we will closely monitor his progress, I am hoping that he will be fit to play in the first Test against the Lions in Durban but we are fortunate in that we have adequate cover in the fly-half position if it is required".

Jaque Fourie was also exempt from consideration as he is getting married the day after the game against the Namibian Invitational side. Likewise, no players from the Blue Bulls were considered due to their involvement in the playoff stages for the Super 14 competition.

Springbok Training Squad

Andries Bekker, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Jean de Villiers, Jean Deysel*, Bismarck Du Plessis, Wian Du Preez*, Peter Grant, Adi Jacobs, Ricky Januarie, Ryan Kankowski, Tendai Mtawarira, Johan Muller, Odwa Ndungane, Morgan Newman*, Jongi Nokwe, JP Pietersen, Earl Rose*, John Smit (c), Juan Smith, Adriaan Strauss, Steven Sykes*, Jano Vermaak*.

*Denotes Uncapped Player

Everyday from now until the 30th May, in the run-up to the Lions first game, we will be posting a classic Lions video from the archives. The greatest tries, the greatest tackles, the greatest team-talks of yesteryear.

The 2009 Lions meet-up for the first time today and fittingly we’ve chosen a video of another meeting - this time the famous ‘Everest’ speech given by Jim Telfer to 1997 Lions forwards prior to the first test.

The first match of the 2009 Tour is less than two weeks away and it’s time to get the passion flowing!

The Lions gathered for the first time today for a week long training camp prior to departure for South Africa. The tourists met at Pennyhill Park in Surrey with 34 of the 36 selected players present.

Euan Murray and Alan Quinlan were the only two not available today. Euan Murray has not yet been released by Northampton while Quinlan, currently banned for gouging, is expected to contest the decision which if it stands will rule him out of the tour.

Tour manager Gerald Davies expressed his displeasure with Northampton’s stance regarding Murray: "We were informed this morning by Northampton that Euan Murray will not be released," said Davies.

"We informed the Unions of our plans for this week back in the autumn and no one responded to say that they disagreed with those plans. We did emphasise that there would be no training whatsoever today and that players would be released back to those clubs involved in the two finals by 6pm this evening.

"Euan will be joining us after the European Challenge Cup Final at the weekend. We are very disappointed with that.”

On a more positive front, both Ian McGeechan and Paul O’Connell spoke united on the challenges awaiting the Lions in South Africa. "First and foremost, the talent is here," explained O'Connell, who will be embarking on his second successive tour following the 2005 series in New Zealand.

"The coaching staff have very good ideas on how we want to play and how we want to perform. I think all those bits are going to be ticked off so it's about us coming together as a team.

"We don't have a lengthy time frame so we don't have time to suss each other out. We really have to work on coming together as a team in a short space of time. If we can do that then we'll have a very good chance in South Africa."

The British & Irish Lions will not replace Tom Shanklin in their touring squad, following his dislocating shoulder ruling him out of the tour.

At a press conference at Pennyhill Park in Bagshot, Surrey, Ian McGeechan explained that originally going with 37 men was a safeguard against the possibility of Lions playing in the Heineken Cup final. "When we selected the extra player back in April we were really trying to cover all our bases regarding the Heineken Cup final, where we could have been without 16 players," McGeechan told a news conference to mark the squad's first day together.”

"As it's transpired, for the first two tour games we can cover the squad and really we want to give the opportunity and the responsibility to the players who are there to try to fill that role. "Going back to 36 just gives us the chance to give players and combinations a bit more game time which is so important with so little time before the first test."

The BBC is reporting that Leicester flanker Tom Croft is expected to replace Alan Quinlan should the Munsterman’s appeal fail. Quinlan was cited, and subsequently found guilty of gouging in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Leinster.

The BBC are also reporting that the Lions are not expected to replace injured Blues centre Tom Shanklin, although it is unclear whether this is a short or long term decision. If Ian McGeechan intends not to replace Tom Shanklin for the duration of the tour, then the Lions player squad will be reduced to just 36 players.

We’ll have confirmation of these reports as soon as the management make their decisions known.

Tom Shanklin has been ruled out of the British & Irish Lions tour following his shoulder injury against Dragons on Wednesday night. The 29yo Cardiff Blues centre has been ruled out for 16 weeks and will require reconstructive surgery to repair the damage.

Blues Chief Exec. Robert Norster expressed the clubs sympathy for Shanklin upon hearing the news. “I’m sure I can speak on behalf of the entire Blues family, indeed the entirety of Wales when I offer our sympathies to Tom following his devastating shoulder injury suffered last night that will prevent him traveling with the Lions to South Africa this summer.”

A replacement is yet to be named, but we’ll be bringing you all the latest news and an article covering the possible replacement options for the two injured players and Alan Quinlan should he be banned for apparent gouging.

After a considerable wait, Alan Quinlan’s citing hearing has been scheduled. The Munster back-rower will face a citing panel on Wednesday to decide his fate. If he is banned he can expect at least 12 weeks on the sidelines and will miss the Lions tour.

Recent similar incidents involving Neil Best and Dylan Hartley have seen bans of 18 weeks and 6 months handed out respectively.

Cardiff Blues head coach Dai Young has expressed his optimism regarding the shoulder injury suffered by Tom Shanklin on Wednesday night. Although the suspected shoulder dislocation looked very serious he remains hopeful that the injury doesn’t mean the Cardiff center will be missing the flight to South Africa

“We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the injury is nowhere near as bad as it looks. We’re quite confident that it won’t be a problem and he’ll be on that plane. He has a bit of time. Hopefully a long-term injury does not mar an otherwise outstanding performance by Tom as he was our man-of-the-match by a country mile.”

Tom Shanklin looks set to be the next player to drop out of the Lions touring party due to injury. In tonight’s Magners League game between Cardiff Blues and the Dragons Shanklin suffered a dislocated shoulder after a powerful carry down the right flank.

Although the extent of his injury is as of yet unknown, he looks likely to join a growing contingent of players who, originally selected, will now probably not travel. He joins Munster scrum-half Tómas O’Leary on the injury list while flanker Alan Quinlan waits on a disciplinary hearing for what appeared to be a gouging incident. With two and a half weeks until the opening Lions tour match, Shanklin is unlikely to be fit in time.

Keep an eye out here for an article covering the possible replacements for the injured and potentially disciplined players.

Alan Quinlan may be set for a wait before finding out whether or not he is to tour with the British and Irish Lions this summer. Following his citing for making contact with Leo Cullen’s eye-area in last weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-final, the Munster back-row is a doubt pending a disciplinary hearing.

It is thought that the hearing may not take place until May 13th as the European Rugby governing body will require some time to organise a panel.

In other news, Leicester and England fly-half Toby flood is out for six months after rupturing his achilles in the nail-biting game against Cardiff on Sunday. He will play no part in England’s summer tours and given the relative fragility of the Lions squad in the fly-half position, any hope of him joining the tour as a late replacement is now dashed.

South Africa’s injury worries continue to grow with news today that Sharks utility back Francois Steyn is out for six to eight weeks with a knee injury. The first test in Durban on the 20th June is now less than 7 weeks away and the player faces a fitness battle to recover in time.

Following Conrad Jantjes leg break this weekend, Steyn was already pencilled in by many to fill the Springboks 15 shirt. 10 days earlier, the Lions are also due to face the Sharks in Durban and at this point it seems highly unlikely that Steyn will be fit for the mid-week clash.

Springbok head coach Peter De Villiers will also have concerns over a number of other players carrying minor injuries. Fourie du Preez has a calf strain, Andries Bekker a rib injury and Adrian Jacobs a shoulder problem.

Following Alan Quinlan’s contact with Leo Cullan’s eye-area during Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final he is now likely to miss out on his Lions dream. Although he has not yet appeared before a disciplinary panel, if found guilty he can expect a minimum of 12 weeks suspension.

John Byett, the independent citing commissioner decided a citing was in order after the video replay clearly shows Quinlan making contact with the fingers. He will appear before the citing panel ‘as soon as practicable’ and if he is handed a ban, which seems likely at this stage, he will lose his Lions place.

Both his captain and coach stood up for his character following the match against Leinster. "Quinny isn't that type of guy," said Paul O'Connell. "He is a tough player. It is the one thing he hasn't got in his record book. If it looked bad, I am sure there was nothing in it."

Read the first article for Pride Of Lions by Contributing Editor Matt George, covering his assessment of how the Lions can beat South Africa and the strategic possibilities Ian McGeechan will have been chewing on for months.

What Strategy To Beat The Boks?

South Africa have lost another likely test squad member ahead of the Lions tour this summer with the news that full-back Conrad Jantjes is out with a broken leg. The Stormers player was involved in a collision with Liam Messam of the Chiefs in the early stages of Saturday’s Super 14 game.

Jantjes has been a firm favourite with Springbok head coach Peter de Villiers since he took over the reigns prior to last years tri-nations and was a likely if not guaranteed test starter for the boks.

Jantjes becomes the most recent in a string of injury concerns for the Boks management following the loss of Butch James to ligament issues. Centre Jean De Villiers faces a fitness battle over a groin injury in the latest in a string of unfortunately timed injuries while Schalk Burger also limped off last Saturday with a calf strain. He is due for a scan today to assess the extent of the damage.

Read our latest article on the possible impact of Munster’s loss to Leinster and the effect it may or may not have on the touring party. (Yep... we’re hedging our bets on this one!)

Check it out here - The Munster Effect

Munster’s Alan Quinlan, a surprise inclusion in the Lions touring party has a nervous wait on his hands following a possible citing incident in his teams defeat against Leinster this weekend. The back-rower was clearly seen to make contact with Leo Cullen’s right eye and worryingly, based on the TV footage it appeared that he seemed to dig his fingers in.

Gouging is typically dealt with very seriously indeed. Lengthy bans are typically only ever exceeded by drug related offences like those handed out to Matt Stevens and Australian Wendel Sailor. Earlier this season Northampton’s Neil Best was banned for 18-weeks for a similar offence. It goes without saying that if he is cited and found guilty, his touring dreams will be over. If that is the case, Tom Croft is likely to be the first number in Ian McGeechan’s phone.

Croft has already been talked up by the Lions management as a player who was very unlucky not to make the cut, and we’ll be keeping you up to date with developments regarding this story.