A lot has happened in rugby union since the British and Irish Lions last toured South Africa 12 years ago.

England won the World Cup, so too did Australia and South Africa, while Wales landed two Six Nations Grand Slams in four seasons and Ireland ended their 61-year wait for a Six Nations clean sweep.

There were changes aplenty on and off the pitch, players have come and gone, and there has even been contentious experimental law variations to chew over.

One thing though, remains the same – the Lions will travel to Springbok territory as underdogs for Test series glory.

As in 1997, South Africa will tackle the Lions as world champions, having conquered planet rugby for a second time with victory over England in Paris almost 19 months ago.

They also have the perceived advantage of playing two Tests this time at altitude – one more than in 1997 – while the Lions will travel, it must be said, following a Six Nations tournament of relatively poor standard.

But none of that will necessarily concern head coach Ian McGeechan, whose mastery of the Lions art is legendary.

He was the man who plotted South Africa's demise all those seasons ago, coaxing every last ounce of effort, skill and courage from a squad that left London as no-hopers, yet returned home heroes.

Barely five months short of his 63rd birthday, Lions king McGeechan is back for more.

It will be his fifth Lions trip as a coach, and seventh in all, counting the tours he made as a player to South Africa (1974) and New Zealand (1977).

And there can be little doubt the McGeechan factor is a huge plus for a Lions squad whose short preparation time includes just six games before the first Test in Durban on June 20.

Recent history though, is stacked against the 2009 tourists.

Since Jeremy Guscott's drop-goal wrapped up the 1997 series, the Lions have played eight Test matches, winning one, drawing one (Argentina in Cardiff) and losing six.

The only victory post-97 came against Australia in Brisbane eight years ago, but that tour ultimately produced a losing Test series, while New Zealand (2005) proved an embarrassing failure.

The All Blacks whitewashed Sir Clive Woodward's bloated squad – high on player numbers, high on coaches, high on support staff – scoring 107 points, while conceding just 40.

Damage was done to the Lions' reputation, and part of this summer's 10-game expedition will be about restoring pride.

The months of speculation surrounding McGeechan's squad selection ended on April 21 when he named the 37 players entrusted with wearing the Lions shirt.

Two players – Ireland scrum-half Tomas O'Leary and Wales centre Tom Shanklin – has already withdrawn injured, while his Munster colleague Alan Quinlan's only hope of touring now is a successful appeal against a 12-week ban for foul play during a Heineken Cup semi-final.

Viewed as a surprise in some quarters, Ireland lock Paul O'Connell beat hisTest team and Grand Slam skipper Brian O'Driscoll to the captaincy job.

But there were no real shocks in the numerical composition of the original group – 14 Irish, 13 Welsh, eight English and two Scottish.

Those figures accurately reflected events in the Six Nations, although there were still high-profile casualties with three national captains not making it – Ryan Jones (Wales), Steve Borthwick (England) and Mike Blair (Scotland) – although the latter did eventually come in as a replacement for O'Leary.

The Lions have made no secret of their desire to attempt a physical match-up with South Africa.

The breakdown area could conceivably decide the Test series, so unless McGeechan's men front up there, South Africa will inevitably dominate through imposing forwards such as Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield.

Set-piece supremacy is also vital, and the Lions – through powerhouse props like Gethin Jenkins, Andrew Sheridan and Euan Murray – must target a possibly suspect South African scrummage.

Whether the tourists get any change out of Botha and Matfield at line-out time is debatable, but breakdown parity and scrum dominance could go some considerable way towards upsetting the form book.

It all gets under way in Rustenburg on May 30 with what should be a routine opening victory over a Royal XV.

The Lions then remain at altitude to face the Golden Lions and Cheetahs in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein respectively, before heading to sea level for appointments with the Sharks (Durban), Western Province (Cape Town) and the Southern Kings (Port Elizabeth).

After that, apart from a midweek encounter against the Emerging Springboks back in Cape Town, it is all about Test match business.

In little over six weeks from departure day on May 24, it will all be over, another Lions adventure consigned to history.

And one cannot help thinking that with McGeechan at the helm, assisted by Wales Grand Slam coaches Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley, it just might prove an odds-defying experience.

Memorable or forgettable? McGeechan holds the key.