Monye was selected for his first and only Tour the last time the Lions visited South Africa 11 years ago despite having only a handful of matches for England on their behalf at the time. Rugby fans can book Springboks Vs British And Irish Lions Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.
He scored four attempts in three starts in warm-up matches
and was rewarded with a spot on the wing for the series-opening tryout against
the world champions in Durban. And Monye recalls feeling a whirlwind of
emotions as he sat in the room he shared with fellow debutante Jamie Roberts
after discovering they had been named in the initial XV.
You're excited, but he's completely contained, he explained.
I remember when the teams were named and the jerseys handed out, there was a
wave of applause and that's it. There were more disappointed people in the room
than jubilant guys who were selected, it's a great team and obviously only 15
of you can start.
I think it is important to understand that and have a social
conscience that yes, you are happy, but there are many guys who are suffering.
I shared a room with Jamie Roberts the night before the opening tryout game and
saying you're like a kid on Christmas Eve doesn't do it justice.
"You're very excited, but at the same time, you don't
want to play the game in your head 24 hours before it takes place. You're just
trying to relax and forget about the game. But I remember Jamie and me saying,
as we were both in the test debut, that if our careers ended after tomorrow's
game and we got the correct result, we would be happy to retire."
British
& Irish Lions
It was because it was so important, it meant a lot, and you
just have to go through the files and watch the videos, see the players who
have worn the jersey before you. You are part of that history, part of that
legacy, that's how special it is. The British & Irish Lions are the most
exclusive rugby club in the world and you only get one chance once every four
years.
"And playing with the best in the world is incredible,
what an opportunity."
Monye had a lot of competition for his spot, with World
Player of the Year Shane Williams, Tommy Bowe, Luke Fitzgerald, and Keith Earls
all vying for spots on the wings. But the England and Harlequins man was
confident that he had done enough to be selected for the first test after
showing his attacking quality in preparation matches.
"I had calm confidence because I felt that my game was
good, I was scoring attempts, I was defending well, I was taking into account
the things that the coaches wanted me to do, he said. I imagined fitting into
his game plan, which I think is vitally important, but you don't know. If it's
not you, it's the world player of the year, if it's not you, it's Tommy Bowe."
"You are shattered, but you are surrounded by absolute
quality, so it's a little easier to understand those decisions because you are
surrounded by quality."
Ugo
Monye
Monye was in the center of the action in the opening test
and came agonizingly close to scoring twice but, following a loss to the Lions,
lost his starting place for Game 2 in Pretoria. However, he put that
disappointment behind him in the final test, scoring a memorable 70-meter
intercepted try in a 28-9 victory, a moment he will never forget.
"To put the ball down and look up and see the crowd,
you can't completely let go when you're on the field because you have a job to
do," he said.
You're automatically thinking, 'catch the restart,' or the
next inning or the next kick and chase. But my human side would have happily
collapsed in a torrent of tears. It meant a lot and it was also a slight
redemption for the first test, it was insane. Even that moment was really
special because, not the attempt, but the congratulations when Tommy Bowe
arrives, Stephen Jones, Rob Kearney, and Riki Flutey arrive.
I've seen that moment several times because you take the
happiness out of other people's happiness and you can see how happy they were
for me and how happy they were for the team. Riki just wouldn't let me go
because he understood how much he meant to me. They gave me another chance
after the first test and I wanted to fix some things.
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