British & Irish Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan has revealed his prostate cancer is now “all gone and under control,” five months after publicly sharing his diagnosis.
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The 78-year-old, currently consultant director of rugby at Doncaster Knights, disclosed in May that he was undergoing treatment, having just completed a six-week course of radiotherapy. Since then, follow-up tests have confirmed he is cancer-free, news that McGeechan described as “special” and left him “delighted.”
Speaking for the first time about his diagnosis on Sky News, McGeechan said:
“I finished the treatment at the end of April and then had a follow-up test at the end of May – and the PSA [prostate-specific antigen] was down to 0.8, which effectively said it’s gone. So when you hear that after having heard somebody say to you you’ve got cancer, it’s quite special. The prostate cancer’s all gone and under control, so delighted.”
The rugby icon first noticed something was wrong when his wife observed he kept getting up twice in the night to use the bathroom. Early detection proved crucial, but McGeechan admitted the treatment was “fairly intense.”
“We had a fantastic GP who reacted straight away with the PSA test. Then biopsy, MRI scan and they found it relatively early and monitored it for a year.
"Then it changed grades in parts and so they introduced me to hormone therapy and radiotherapy. So that was fairly intense the early part of this year,” he said.
Despite the challenges, McGeechan’s update will bring reassurance to fans and the wider rugby community.
Sir Ian McGeechan names his all-time rugby XV — and leaves out every Springbok
The side features six New Zealanders, three Englishmen, two Welshmen, one Irishman, a Scot, an Aussie and a Frenchman.
But it’s the words McGeechan reserves for his two chosen Welshmen – JPR Williams and Gareth Edwards – that stand out above all.
BACKS
Starting at fullback, McGeechan selects 1970s icon JPR Williams, describing him as a player “without any weaknesses”, getting the nod ahead of world-class rivals such as Serge Blanco, Percy Montgomery and Andy Irvine.
“He was the original; the template on which other full backs have been built. And listen, I’ve played with and coached some of the greats, from Andy Irvine and Serge Blanco and Gavin Hastings to Christian Cullen and Percy Montgomery.
I’m not just saying this, but JPR had no weaknesses. Perhaps his speed over the ground was average, but he made up for this by his early reading of developing situations in the game. He really was the complete 15.
His impact on any game in which he was playing was immense. And he was incredibly charismatic to boot. JPR was not the loudest but when he did speak it generally meant something. People listened. He was a bit like Martin Johnson in that respect. I held him in such high regard.”
I’m not just saying this, but JPR had no weaknesses. Perhaps his speed over the ground was average, but he made up for this by his early reading of developing situations in the game. He really was the complete 15.
His impact on any game in which he was playing was immense. And he was incredibly charismatic to boot. JPR was not the loudest but when he did speak it generally meant something. People listened. He was a bit like Martin Johnson in that respect. I held him in such high regard.”
JPR is joined in the back three by Jonah Lomu and John Kirwan, two of New Zealand’s most devastating wingers of all time.
In midfield, McGeechan partners Brian O’Driscoll and Philippe Sella, pairing Ireland’s talisman with France’s most-capped centre.
At half-back, he opts for the brilliant Gareth Edwards at scrum-half and New Zealand great Dan Carter at fly-half.
He is effusive in his praise of Edwards:
“He was and always will be the master. Out of this world. The Greatest.
To play alongside him, as I did on the 1974 Lions tour to South Africa, was one of the great privileges of my career. Gareth had everything as a player. Not only did he possess a wonderful pass, he was such a powerful runner - very strong from the waist up - and he always made the most of quick ball, running at defenders and either getting across the gain-line himself or keeping defenders occupied so that you had an extra second.
He had a knack, in common with special players, of producing something when you most needed it.
It was an amateur game back then but Gareth would have been at home in any era.”
To play alongside him, as I did on the 1974 Lions tour to South Africa, was one of the great privileges of my career. Gareth had everything as a player. Not only did he possess a wonderful pass, he was such a powerful runner - very strong from the waist up - and he always made the most of quick ball, running at defenders and either getting across the gain-line himself or keeping defenders occupied so that you had an extra second.
He had a knack, in common with special players, of producing something when you most needed it.
It was an amateur game back then but Gareth would have been at home in any era.”
McGeechan describes Edwards as his all-time number one:
“My favourite player in history. The greatest.”
“My favourite player in history. The greatest.”
As for fly-half, while he praises Barry John, Phil Bennett and Cliff Morgan — “Cliff Morgan had a huge effect on my career” — it’s Carter who gets the shirt.
“The complete 10,” says McGeechan. “The greatest of the modern era.”
FORWARDS
In the front row, McGeechan’s selections may raise eyebrows. He picks Tom Smith (Scotland) and Jason Leonard (England) either side of Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand).
He acknowledges the brilliance of Lions legend Graham Price but ultimately goes another way.
“What a player he was, teak-tough up front and great in the loose, too. Twelve consecutive Lions Tests tells its own story. And he was brilliant in each of them, part of a front row which absolutely destroyed New Zealand’s in 1977.
But I’m going with Jason Leonard in the end. He played each side of the scrum but he was more of a tight-head.”
But I’m going with Jason Leonard in the end. He played each side of the scrum but he was more of a tight-head.”
In the engine room, he goes for two world champions — Martin Johnson (England) and John Eales (Australia) — forming a partnership that epitomises leadership, power, and lineout dominance.
The back row is every bit as legendary: Richard Hill (England), Richie McCaw (New Zealand) and Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) round off McGeechan’s ultimate XV.
SIR IAN McGEECHAN’S ALL-TIME DREAM XV
15. JPR Williams (Wales)
14. John Kirwan (New Zealand)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
12. Philippe Sella (France)
11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
10. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
9. Gareth Edwards (Wales)
1. Tom Smith (Scotland)
2. Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
3. Jason Leonard (England)
4. Martin Johnson (England)
5. John Eales (Australia)
6. Richard Hill (England)
7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
8. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
14. John Kirwan (New Zealand)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
12. Philippe Sella (France)
11. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
10. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
9. Gareth Edwards (Wales)
1. Tom Smith (Scotland)
2. Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
3. Jason Leonard (England)
4. Martin Johnson (England)
5. John Eales (Australia)
6. Richard Hill (England)
7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
8. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
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