News article – Style E 4632

The British and Irish Lions landed in Auckland earlier today. Captain Brian O’Driscoll summed up the squad’s mood, when he said: “we will not fear” the All-Blacks, ahead of the first Test on June 25.

The 26-year-old Dubliner is staring down the barrel of unquestionably the biggest challenge of his career to date, but showed no ill effects of an arduous 27-hour flight from London when facing the press for the first time on New Zealand soil.

“I feel a great sense of excitement now we have arrived in New Zealand. New Zealand is one of the great rugby nations and it is a tremendous honour for me to be standing here as captain of a touring British & Irish Lions team,” announced O’Driscoll, who kicked two drop goals the last time he lined out against the All-Blacks, for Ireland.

“I look at some of the players around me and it makes me very proud to lead them. When we take the field everyone understands the passion of New Zealand rugby. We will respect all of our opponents, but we will not fear them.

“We realise if we train well, prepare well and play well, we can win. That’s the challenge at hand and it’s a challenge we are looking forward to.”

Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward is aware though, of what has come to pass in previous tour visits to “the Land of the Long White Cloud.”

In 10 series between the two teams, the Lions have won just once, in 1971, which former England boss Woodward admitted was “not a great record.”

“The other two major countries we go to, South Africa, we have a 30 percent success rate, and Australia, a 60 percent success rate.

“I’m very keen for this group of people to reverse that side of history. We have to be at our absolute best if we have any chance of winning.”

Woodward, who on Wednesday names his opening Lions tour side to take on Bay of Plenty on Saturday, June 4 in Rotorua, added: “I make no apologies for saying I believe this is the best prepared Lions tour in the history of Lions rugby. The squad has the makings of a great Lions Test side.

“The players here have been successful but if the British & Irish Lions were to win the Test series in New Zealand it would surpass any achievement any of us have achieved in the past.

“We come here with enormous respect for New Zealand rugby, for the New Zealand players and the New Zealand coaching staff – but we have no fear.

“I believe we can win. We have world class players and the challenge in the coming weeks is to blend them into a world class side.”