Battling the Lions: Rugby's brilliant recluse

Gibson, who could play nearly anywhere in the backline, passes in the second test.

It is as if he has withdrawn from the world of rugby, become a recluse from the game he graced so successfully.

Mike Gibson, or C. M. H. Gibson of Ireland and the Lions as he was known, shuns the limelight today, telling potential interviewers: "I am too out of touch with the game to comment about rugby today. I wouldn't feel qualified in any sense to do that." Instead, Gibson has spent several years keenly following the fortunes of his daughter, who represented Northern Ireland at hockey.

Clearly, the line of sporting quality runs strongly through the family of this Belfast-based solicitor.

Mike Gibson doesn't need to do any more talking about rugby. His record does that for him. He won 69 caps for Ireland between 1964 and 1979, won three blues for Cambridge University whom he also captained, played for the Barbarians most notably in that superb match against the touring New Zealanders in 1973 at Cardiff and he toured with the Lions in 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974 and 1977.

Three of those tours, 1966, 1971 and 1977, were to New Zealand, by common agreement the toughest of all the Lions tours.

Gibson was the consummate performer.

His skill and vision on the field and his ability to handle the intense pressure of split second-judgments, set him apart from ordinary mortals.

Instinctively, it seemed, he could make the right decision, create the required incision in an opposition defence either to free himself or, more often, set loose a team-mate.

Such a skill meant he was frequently the playmaker of the entire game, the catalyst to a successful attack or water-tight defence.

At just 81.5kg, his defensive work was not of the quality of his attacking creative genius, but he could be solid enough when the situation demanded.

In attack, Gibson was a constant, menace to an opposition defence albeit in a thoroughly elegant style.

The 1971 Lions tour, when he played at centre outside Barry John and alongside the captain, John Dawes, has generally been regarded as Gibson's finest hour on Lions duty.

After all, those Lions became the first to win a test series in New Zealand. But Irish prop Ray McLoughlin, who played international rugby with Gibson for much of his career, believes 1966 might have seen his fellow Irishman at his best.

"Mike was on his first Lions tour that year, but the Lions lost the test series 4-0 to New Zealand. However, they still played some excellent rugby at times and Gibson was outstanding on that trip. He played brilliantly throughout the tour." He topped the try-scoring list with nine.

In 1974, Gibson arrived late on the tour in South Africa and and never really made an impact. Besides, it was the Lions' forwards who won that series, bashing the Springbok pack up front. The backs had only a peripheral role.

In 1977, Gibson was wasted and did not play the tests, although injuries also set him back. He was, after all, by then at the end of a 13-year international rugby career.

All Blacks Ian Kirkpatrick, Sid Going and Bryan Williams who played in the 1977 series all say Gibson's omission from the Lions test team was a blunder that cost the tourists dearly.

Of all the players produced by the Lions during the course of the last 40 years, few would enjoy greater esteem.

Gibson was a player of intuitive skill and ability, he could knit together a back line merely by his presence. That has been the preserve of few players.

Player snapshot

Cameron Michael Henderson (Mike) Gisbon was born in Belfast, 1942, he first played for Ireland in 1964 and continued to be an automatic choice when fit until his last match in 1979.

He won 69 caps - 40 at centre, 25 at first five-eighths and four on the wing.

He also played in 12 tests for the Lions on five tours.

In tours to New Zealand in 1966, 1971 and 1977 he played 45 matches, scored 16 tries and 80 points.

* Peter Bills is a rugby writer with Independent News and Media in London