British and Irish Lions legend Ian McGeechan's new book Lion Man: The Autobiography is an exciting insight into the mind of one of rugby's legendary coaches. McGeechan renowned as a Lion's player and coach details his experiences and explains what makes the Lions such a special enterprise. His insiders approach takes the reader into the locker room with some of the great Lion's teams of our era.
McGeechan began his international career with Scotland, playing flyhalf and center while winning 32 caps. He also made 30 appearances for the Lions and was a integral member of the 1974 team that is considered by many to be the best of all time. His coaching career included stops at Northhampton, London Wasps, and Scotland (winning the Grand Slam over in England in 1990). However, he is most famous for his four stints as head coach of the British and Irish Lions (no other coach has had more than one). He won two of the series and was unlucky not to have won the 2009 series in South Africa. His playing and coaching career makes McGeechan a living legend in rugby.
This is an exciting book and is well-written, although at times a bit redundant. Perhaps the only disappointment (especially for coaches trying to glean coaching secrets) is that McGeechan spends very little time discussing coaching technique. However, this is more than made up for by the fascinating and frank discussion of the Lions experience and future. This is a must read for coaches and anyone interested in understanding the culture of the Lions and the insights of the Northern Hemisphere's greatest coach.
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