Full transcript of Jim Telfer's legendary Lions 'Everest' speech

byRugby Rucker

The easy bit has passed. Selection for the Test team is the easy bit. You have an awesome responsibility on the eight individual forwards’ shoulders, awesome responsibility.

This is your f***ing Everest, boys. Very few ever get a chance in rugby terms to get for the top of Everest. You have the chance today.

Being picked is the easy bit. To win for the Lions in a Test match is the ultimate, but you’ll not do it unless you put your bodies on the line. Every one jack of you for 80 minutes. Defeat doesn’t worry me. I’ve had it often and so have you. It’s performance that matters. If you put in the performance, you’ll get what you deserve. No luck attached to it. If you don’t put it in, then we’re second-raters.

They don’t respect you. They don’t rate you. The only way to be rated is to stick one on them, to get right up in their faces and turn them back, knock them back. Outdo what they do. Outjump them, outscrum them, outruck them, outdrive them, outtackle them, until they’re f***ing sick of you.

Remember the pledges you made. Remember how you depend on each other at every phase, teams within teams, scrums, lineouts, ruck ball, tackles.

They are better than you’ve played against so far. They are better individually or they wouldn’t be there. So it’s an awesome task you have and it will only be done if everybody commits themself now.

You are privileged. You are the chosen few. Many are considered but few are chosen. They don’t think f*** all of us. Nothing. We’re here just to make up the f***ing numbers. No one’s going to do it for you. You have to find your own solace — your own drive, your ambition, your own inner strength, because the moment’s arrived for the greatest game of your f***ing life.

The Lions won the first Test 25-16

McGeechan and Telfer leave Hamish Watson out of their Lions XV

FRONT-ROW:

1. Wyn Jones (Wales)
2. Ken Owens (Wales)
3.Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)

Telfer said: "Furlong is a big beast of a man and you need to meet and match the Springboks for power in the forwards. He also has good footwork, as he proved against Scotland, and soft hands."

SECOND-ROW:

4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)

Telfer said: "I think he's (Itoje) an outstanding player, an outstanding bloke. He has that extra bit about him."

McGeechan said: "He is the natural captain. I think on and off the field he would be by some distance the natural leader that you would want there."

BACK-ROW:

6. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
7. Tom Curry (England)
8. Taulupe Faletau (Wales)

Telfer said: "Hamish Watson is an integral part of the Scottish side and he definitely deserves to go on the tour, but I've chosen Curry because he's just that bit bigger and stronger. I would sit down with Hamish Watson and tell him how good a player he is, but he's not as good as Curry.

"You've got these five or six openside flankers to choose from. You've got Justin Tipuric, one of the best players I've ever seen at seven. It's the best of the best."

england star tom curry was left covered in blood against france 1085210

HALFBACKS:

10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
9. Conor Murray (Ireland)

Telfer said: "I am not convinced that Gatland will agree with me but I have selected Finn at ten simply because he can win a match for you or enable someone to do so. Murray is the choice mostly because he can land a box kick on a sixpence; it is rare that one of his kicks can’t be contested. He is good defensively and he can threaten with the ball in hand."

McGeechan said: "Finn has matured. He sees things so quickly. He's the most varied attacking kicker that we've got in the northern hemisphere. He's brave, he makes his tackles, and if there's any daylight at all he will find it."

CENTRES:

13. Chris Harris (Scotland)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)

Telfer said: "An easy selection for me as Robbie Henshaw was one of the stand-out players in the recent Six Nations. He makes the game look simple by doing the basics very well and almost always doing the right thing at the right time. "

BACK-THREE:

15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
14. Anthony Watson (England)
11. Liam Williams (Wales)

TELFER SAID: "Every time Stuart Hogg gets the ball, the temperature goes up. You think something is going to happen.

"I don't think Hogg is as poor under the high ball as some people are trying to make out. I like attacking players, players who do something out the ordinary."