Henry's Pride: Inside the Lions' Tour Down Under - Hardcover

An insider's view of the first Lions tour of the new millennium, this is an account of the contest for the unofficial "world championship" between Australia and the successors to the winning Lions of 1997 through the eyes of the Lions' first overseas coach, New Zealander Graham Henry. Can the Lions strike a blow for European rugby and break the mould of Southern Hemisphere dominance by beating the current world champions? This book looks at the rich heritage of the British Lions - the 1950s, Carwyn James in 1971, Ian McGeechan in 1997 - and draws a family line down through their coaching philosophies to Henry's own. It follows him through the debate about his own appointment, the process of selection and the bonding of four home unions into one squad with a common purpose. It traces the Lions' development through their first contact with Australian Super 12 sides, including the ground-breaking ACT Brumbies; considers the psychological/analytical battle with Henry's old adversary Rod Macqueen and his support team; and gives a fly-on-the-wall view of the seven-day build-up to a Test match.

Nick Bishop is the author of Remaking Poetry (1999), Challenge of Ted Hughes (1993) and New Selected Poems (1999). A writer of poetry, a rugby analyst and researcher, he works in the service industry. He will be contributing to the Welsh Mirror for the duration of the Lions tour. Graham Henry is the rugby coach for Wales and also the British & Ireland Lions. He contributes to the Welsh Mirror.