Not many film premieres in London have James Bond as a mere footnote to the story – but the epic tale of the British & Irish Lions’ first series win for 16 years manages just that.
Lions Raw pulls back the curtain on the this summer’s triumphant tour, revealing all the key behind-the-scenes moments, capturing the forfeits, the fines, the blood-curdling speeches, the difficult decisions and above all, the glory of success.
Last night saw a select few were given a sneak preview of the DVD at London’s iconic Electric Cinema, including the captivating initial selection meeting and numerous calls to arms from the inspirational Andy Farrell throughout the Test series – it even divulged what Rob Penney said when he called back.
Arguably the DVD’s greatest success is mixing the highs with the lows and the merry with the momentous.
He might not like the nickname but Alex Corbisiero confirms he is the ‘hip-hop prop’ off-the-field and has Graham Rowntree in rapture on it.
Sam Warburton sounds almost childlike when discussing what the Lions jersey means to him in one of his more candid moments, but his pre-match teamtalks send a shiver down the spine.
Following in the footsteps of the award-winning Living With Lions, which showcased the infamous ‘Everest’ speech by Jim Telfer, Lions Raw is the first behind-the-scenes documentary since to capture a successful tour.
It’s directed by Ben Uttley, son of 1974 Lions legend Roger, who has reduced more than 300 hours of footage, as well as Sky Sports’ live coverage into three hours of spell-binding footage.
An hour-long version of the documentary, entitled Lions Raw will be shown on Sky Sports 2 on Thursday October 10 ahead of its 2-disc DVD release on October 28, which features three hours of footage and can be pre-ordered at Amazon, priced £19.02.
