NEWSMAKER-Rugby-Ruthless McGeechan epitomises Lions concept

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - Once a Lion, always a Lion has been Ian McGeechan's mantra but that "lifelong bond" is in danger of becoming a literal truth for the 61-year-old Scot as he plans his seventh tour in a 35-year association.

There is certainly no doubt that when he leads the British and Irish Lions to South Africa next year he will know the routine.

The Scot played an influential role in the Lions' crushing series victory over the Springboks as a player in 1974 and returned as coach in 1997 to mastermind an arguably more impressive series win over the then-world champions.

In between he also played four tests in New Zealand in 1977, coached the team to a series victory over Australia in 1989 and was desperately close to the greatest scalp of all when his 1993 team controversially lost 2-1 to the All Blacks.

Throw in a stint as assistant to Clive Woodward on the 2005 tour of New Zealand and a clear picture emerges of a man who has come to epitomise the Lions concept during four decades that have seen seismic changes in rugby.

He won 32 caps for Scotland, coached his country, including to the 1990 grand slam, coached Northampton and is currently director of rugby at Wasps but it is his connection with the Lions that will be his greatest legacy.

HUGE PRIVILEGE

"He encapsulates the spirit and ethos of the Lions - to have him wearing the tracksuit is a huge privilege and it's a joy to me to be able to share those seven weeks with him," said Gerald Davies, who will manage the 2009 tour.

To McGeechan, that ethos is that nationality is left at home and that every player in the squad begins the tour with a clean slate and an equal chance of selection.

In 1989 Jeremy Guscott had just appeared on the England radar when McGeechan called him up as a late addition to the squad and the centre duly delivered in the second and third tests which the Lions won to complete a 2-1 comeback.

Nobody would have predicted that Tom Smith and late addition Paul Wallace would be the test props in 1997 while McGeechan's decision to include six former rugby league players showed his hard-nosed approach to the new world of professionalism.

Guscott, who went on to play in 1993 and 1997 when his Durban drop-goal secured the series, said: "Each tour was different and each time McGeechan adapted to the opposition, yet his core values were always in place.

"He loves free-flowing, adventurous rugby and yet he is also the most ruthless, pragmatic coach I know. He is remorseless in terms of seeking out that weakness and does the detective work by watching hours of footage of the opposition."

McGeechan also relentlessly hammered home the teamship aspect of his own squads on every tour.

He insisted that each player shared a room with one of another nationality and informed everyone privately of the test team so that any disappointment would not impinge on the team.

"Geech" was never a fan of the separation of test and "midweek" teams and operated through gritted teeth when he and Gareth Jenkins led the "dirt trackers" through their unbeaten tour of New Zealand three years ago while Woodward's test team were being whitewashed.

That bloated tour, with 51 players and 26 backroom staff, all with separate hotel rooms, was a long way removed from McGeechan's preferred approach and he confirmed on Wednesday that he will take around 35 players next year.

"You have a limited timescale," he said. "If you want to get to know someone then you have to share a room with them."

(Editing by Miles Evans)