Following father's footsteps

Lions Tour: New Plymouth, where the Lions met Taranaki this morning (8.10 Irish time), is a little gem. Its stylish coastline (studded with fantastic houses and a modern museum) nestles against the Tasman Sea, and with the Taranaki Mountain inland, is the principal city of Taranaki.

Although the population is a mere 65,000, it is known as an immigrant region since English settlers were brought over by the Plymouth Shipping Company in the 1840s and this is reflected in the city's diversity of influences, cultures, restaurants and the like.

A crystal blue sky greeted the Lions along with a small advance party of the Barmy Army, in sharp contrast to the downpours which marked their last visit here 12 years ago, or England's win over the Maoris at the Yarrow Stadium two years ago.

That's somehow in keeping with the first, ultra-professional Lions tour to this spiritual home of the game, yet this tour continues to resonate with the past.

All Black Mils Muliaina has spoken of his memories as a starry-eyed 12-year-old on the last Lions tour here, and acquiring Gavin Hastings' autograph at a training session. Clive Woodward, to his credit, has done his damndest to ensure such stories will be repeated in another 12 years' time.

The day before, All Blacks coach Graham Henry had waxed lyrical about Lions' tours back to 1959. Countless others remember that tour fondly, among them John Horgan, who was born and reared in New Zealand.

It lasted six months and 25 matches, with Tony O'Reilly ensuring his place in Lions' folklore and the Horgan household with 17 tries. In another neat sense of symmetry, John's son Shane will make his Lions bow in Taranaki.

"I wouldn't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of the game but I do know a bit from my dad," said Horgan yesterday. "He saw Tony O'Reilly play for the Lions in 1959, so I was growing up in a house where dad often mentioned his greatness and how much the Lions would have meant to New Zealand. That was a special experience for my dad and Tony O'Reilly was the star. I used to hear about how they called him the Red Devil.

"Mum and dad are coming down to New Zealand later this month," Horgan confirmed. "They're looking forward to it. It was always a dream for me. I think it was a dream for dad in some ways. Maybe in the back of his mind there was a hope that I could be a Lion as well."

However, even all of those childhood stories and insight into what Lions tours mean to New Zealanders could not prepare him for what he has experienced. "The level of professionalism and the intensity of training and the work ethic is definitely what I expected, if not above what I expected. It's been a pleasure.

"We've been really welcomed here, at every turn. It's been really nice. From the moment our plane touched down and as we've moved through the different regions, we've had different welcoming ceremonies. It's been touching."

Curious for more information about his native Meath's defeat to Dublin last Sunday, the media coverage has also been an eye-opener for him. "If you pick up a paper, their sports section might be 20 pages long and it seems that 19 of them are dedicated to rugby, which is bizarre."

As good as it's been so far, there's no substitute for pulling on the famous red shirt and playing. Watching the Bay of Plenty match has only whetted his appetite.

"There was a massive physical confrontation in that game. The physicality of the game down here is maybe something we haven't quite caught up with in the Northern Hemisphere. Every contact seems to be huge. Rucks are complete car-wrecks. Physically we're able for it. Mentally is the next step. To be able to put out bodies on the line and have no respect for our own bodies, as well as theirs. That's something we plan to do."

It is palpably clear too the Lions have identified their sloppy clearing-out at ruck time as a major target for improvement. "In a technical sense, it's very important that we ruck over the ball very strongly and that's something we have to look at, maybe get a defensive position over the ball, because as was shown the other night, they're very good at disrupting our ball."

Horgan missed the Irish tour to New Zealand in 2002, but in one of his earliest Tests he was inspired by playing directly opposite Jonah Lomu at Lansdowne Road in 2001, when Ireland lost 41-24 after leading 21-7 early in the second half in what would be Warren Gatland's last game as Ireland coach and John Mitchell's first in charge of the All Blacks.

"The most distinct memory is afterwards in the dressingroom how devastated everyone was. I remember Keith Wood took us all into a huddle and just told us this was no longer acceptable. Just acquitting ourselves well against the All Blacks - that can't be the bar for Irish rugby or for Irish rugby any more."

Ireland and Horgan have come a long way since then, as is proven by him being one of 11 out here. "It's no longer we look at ourselves as Irishmen or Englishmen or Welshmen. We're Lions, which is a completely different outfit. You have to put nationalities aside and buy into the Lions. The New Zealanders' own public and media put them on a pedestal because of their tradition. But it can be fun to try and knock them off this pedestal."

TARANAKI: Scott Ireland; S Tagicakibau, Mark Stewart, Chris Woods, Lifeimi Mafi; Sam Young, Craig Fevre; Tony Penn, Andrew Hoare, Gordon Slater, Scott Breman, Paul Tito (capt), John Willis, Chris Masoe, Tomasi Soqueta. Replacements: Phil Mitchell, Hamish Mitchell, Jason Eaton, Richard Bryant, Mathew Harvey, Brendon Watt, James King.

LIONS: G Murphy (Ireland); Shane Horgan (Ireland), Will Greenwood (England), Ollie Smith (England), Denis Hickie (Ireland); Charlie Hodgson (England), Chris Cusiter (Scotland); Graham Rowntree (England), Andy Titterrell (England), John Hayes (Ireland), Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), Danny Grewcock (England), Martin Corry (England, capt), Lewis Moody (England), Michael Owen (Wales). Replacements: Shane Byrne (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Ben Kay (England), Martyn Williams (Wales), Gareth Cooper (Wales), Jonny Wilkinson (England), Gavin Henson ( Wales).

Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand).

Previous meetings: (1908) Taranaki 5 Lions 0; (1930) Taranaki 7 Lions 23; (1950) Taranaki 3 Lions 25; (1959) Taranaki 3 Lions 15; (1966) Taranaki 9 Lions 12; (1971) Taranaki 9 Lions 14; (1977) Taranaki 13 Lions 21; (1993) Taranaki 25 Lions 49.

Betting (Paddy Powers): Taranaki, Draw, Lions. Handicap odds (= Taranaki + pts) 10/11 Taranaki, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Lions.

Forecast: The Lions to win, but inside the handicap.