Dr Tommy Smyth, Sammy Walker, Dr Karl Mullen, Robin Thompson, Ronnie Dawson, Tom Kiernan, Willie John McBride, Ciarán Fitzgerald, Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell…
Saturday morning in Auckland, Peter O’Mahony joins a long and distinguished tradition of Irish Lions captains when he leads the British and Irish XV out against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
One of the Munster captain’s predecessors, Brian O’Driscoll, was on hand in the New Zealand city on Friday evening, local time, to hand out the Test jerseys to the Matchday 23.
It is almost 12 years to the day since O’Driscoll led the Lions out for the first Test of their last series in New Zealand and the legendary centre had a special message for O’Mahony ahead of the daunting challenge.
“Huge honour to be asked to present the British and Irish Lions boys with their Test jerseys for tomorrow’s game. Lead us well Pete and know there are thousands of us out here and millions back home that will [be] roaring you on,” wrote O’Driscoll on Instagram, accompanying a picture of himself with the flanker.
