Ian McGeechan was appointed head coach for this summer's assault on world champions South Africa after vowing to restore the unique spirit and ethos of the British and Irish Lions.

McGeechan, 62, was the unanimous choice of the Lions board to take charge of the 2009 challenge, the fourth time he has held the most prestigious coaching role in northern hemisphere rugby.

In his presentation, McGeechan outlined his philosophies to a sympathetic Lions board anxious to move on from Sir Clive Woodward's ill-fated 2005 tour.

Woodward sidelined many Lions traditions in New Zealand. He used 51 players, two separate coaching units and essentially split the squad into midweek and Test teams.

The swollen touring party was given no opportunity to gel and half the players given little chance to press their claims in the tour matches because Woodward travelled with his Test team already in mind.

The Lions are always battling the odds given their lack of preparation time but McGeechan understands the most valuable quality in any touring group is unity.

That is why, despite the ever increasing pressures of professional rugby, McGeechan is taking the Lions back to basics.

"When I spoke to the Lions committee they asked me what my principles are and how I see a tour running," said McGeechan.

"The Lions have always been so important to me. The Lions are special and unique. You can't compare them to anything else you do as a British and Irish coach or player.

"I have a very strong philosophy and some of the traditions are so important to making sure the Lions have a fighting chance of succeeding.

"I firmly believe you need a very tight group. We will have one coaching team and one group of players.

"You have to understand each other and that process is often accelerated if players share rooms because they get to know each other that much better, that much quicker."

In New Zealand four years ago, Woodward placed McGeechan in charge of the midweek team and the "dirt-trackers" went through their tour unbeaten.

"I enjoyed the group of players I was working with in 2005 and we did go out for a pint midweek when everybody else had disappeared. Maybe in 2009 we will go out for a pint as a whole group," he laughed.

"All preparations for the 2009 tour will be about one group working very closely together. The fact it's against the world champions also makes it a massive challenge."

There is no escaping that bonding time will be short. The Lions from Leinster and Leicester will not meet up with the squad until the day they fly because of the Heineken Cup final.

There are just six matches before the first Test for McGeechan and his staff to build a team to face the Springboks.

The temptation, as Woodward discovered to his cost in 2005 when he stuck with a number of England's 2003 World Cup winners who were past their best, is to travel with a pre-conceived idea of a Test line-up.

But tour manager Gerald Davies said: "You can't have players cast aside without that hope. If you take that hope away from them, why should they be on the tour in the first place?

"We bring the traditions of the past to bear on the present."

The other major departure from 2005 is the absence of former Downing Street spin-doctor Alastair Campbell, whose very presence in New Zealand undermined the Lions efforts.

Campbell too often became the story and incidents like the famous set-up picture of Woodward talking with Gavin Henson did little to enhance the Lions' image.

McGeechan's vision is to rebuild that iconic status with a famous Test series victory over the Springboks.

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