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People could very easily have been talking about the 2001 Lions in glowing terms This time we're throwing everything at it. We're not in the business of getting it wrong and I think we'll become a very formidable outfit. There's quality throughout the squad and I know what we're capable of History is against us. We've sent some very good teams to New Zealand and not won.''Ian McGeechan, invited to join the coaching party after a connection with the Lions spanning more than three decades, was indebted to Dallaglio in South Africa yet the Scot feels you should let sleeping Lions lie, which means retirement from Test rugby should mean just that. "When you retire you're out of that arena and are mentally off the pace,'' McGeechan argues. "It's difficult to get it back.'' Dallaglio intends to disprove the theory of the new Wasps' coach."Playing 10 Tests a year takes its toll,'' Dallaglio said "I haven't lowered the energy I'm putting into my rugby. Focusing on one team rather than two has benefited me and I'm in the best shape I've been for a long, long time.
I've got a huge amount of experience to bring to the table and there's no point holding back.''Will Woodward make him leader of the pack? "I'm not expecting anything and I'd have to earn it In a way that helps me to front up every time I play This could be a life-changing experience.'' Once again.. In the annual competition, designed to boost the game in North America, England play Canada and if successful face either the United States or Argentina for the trophy. The Pumas seem to be everywhere.Despite the end-of-term feel to this match, which still attracted an audience of 31,200, there were still a couple of exam papers to be taken: England to enhance their career prospects and the Barbarians to protect their reputation after a heavy defeat by Scotland. Yes, Scotland.So Bob Dwyer, the Australian coach, fielded his strongest Baa-Baas team. It included at No 10 the former All Blacks show-pony Carlos Spencer.
He is no longer considered good enough for New Zealand but Northampton are paying him a fortune for his services from next season. He is also still wanted by the Maori and will return to New Zealand to prepare for their lip-smacking Lions match.On yesterday's evidence Spencer, who will sell a few season tickets at Franklin's Gardens, can cause the Lions considerable problems.King Carlos, as he was known when he was strutting his stuff in Auckland, had an impressive return to Twickenham, running through his entire repertoire of tricks to inflict on England a far more damaging defeat than was probably good for them.The loss through injury of both props, Micky Ward and Mike Worsley, meant the scrums were uncontested in the second half, which did not exactly stem the Barbarians' flow. Leading 17-13 at half-time they demolished England with a devastating four-try spell early in the second half.Spencer was instrumental in creating their first try after seven minutes, a huge pass enabled his fellow Northampton Saint Bruce Reihana to score. On his Roland Garros debut, the fourth-seeded Nadal has yet to drop a set.
