Brian Moore reveals training ground tactic to beat Lions rival to No.2 shirt and why he called tour manager about Scottish roommate
Ex-England and Lions hooker Brian Moore
Ex-England front-rower Brian Moore has recalled the night in Sydney when it took him 30 seconds to decide he couldn’t room with Scotland midfielder Scott Hastings on the 1989 British and Irish Lions tour.
The hooker has also explained the training ground tactic he adopted on the trip to outmanoeuvre Ireland’s Steve Smith and gain selection in the starting XV for all games in the three-Test series against the Wallabies.
Recalling a variety of memories from his tours with the Lions, Moore described his approach to rooming. “Given a choice, most people would prefer to have their own room but that is usually not allowed on tours and for good reasons,” he suggested in his latest Telegraph column.
“Rooming with different players at each leg of the tour means that you must interact with whoever you are paired with. Sometimes this turns out to be an unexpected pleasure and you find out a lot about another player in these unguarded moments.
“Other times it is an exercise in diplomacy as you have to find a way to have at least a civil relationship with somebody whom you do not warm to.
“I thought he was messing around…”
“You dread sharing with a snorer and I remember once in Sydney rooming with Scott Hastings. Within 30 seconds of getting into bed, he was making such a comical snoring noise I thought he was messing around, but he was actually asleep.
“I had to fetch the tour manager and, once he realised you could hear him snoring from four doors away, I got another room.”
Switching to how he got ahead of the more fancied Smith for Lions Test selection in Australia, Moore explained: “I took a direct route when it came to challenging for the Test spot on my first tour in 1989.
“Irish hooker Steve Smith had been picked by every rugby writer as the probable Test starter, on the basis that the Lions would have to combat the formidable presence of the giant Wallaby hooker Tom Lawton.
“Stevie was much more powerful than me, but I was fitter and faster, so I took it upon myself to line up beside him in every training session and made certain that I finished in front of him in every drill possible. It was a very personal contest for me (and one I ultimately won).”
