Customer Reviews
Terrible editing makes for a frustrating viewing. - By: B. Matthews, 12 Feb 2008 
I was really delighted how quickly this DVD arrived at my home, after barely 36 hours after order. I was really looking forward to watching some high level rugby tiedin with a behind the scenes coverage of the Lions tour of 2001.
This first review on this site, claims, that the DVD includes extended highlights from all 3 tests. Well this person must have a different copy to the version i received. If i had to guess, i would rekon you get around 25 minutes of actual rugby footage from a DVD lasting 3 hours.
The warm up games, v the likes of, NSW, ACT Brumbies, Western Australia are almost coveredin the same length (rugby coverage) as the actual test matches.
When its time for the BIG test matches, i was surprised that the action just began. No lineup is shown, & no real highlights are shown, with the exception of the actual tries. Conversions are sometimes shown, as is the case of penalties. The frustrating thing is...when the highlights are shown of a try, the footage switches to the coaches or players willing them to get to the try line. Its so frustrating. Just let us watch the action unfold. The first test footage lasts about 2 minutes, with the second test about 3 minutes. You just wish time & time again, that you could watch some actual rugby. You really only get to see, the tries finished off.
The final test, gets more rugby coverage but again, conversions are not shown, you have to look at the score to see if they went over, & some pens are not shown. Its a real disapointment. I remember watching the game live, & the atmosphere as Waltzing Matilda was sung after the anthems, but its completely ignored. Once again the coverage is bare, important penalties conceded are not reviewed, & you seem to spend an annoying amount of time watching the little rugby you get to see 1/4 screen size, for god knows what reason.
The first 2 hours i was really enjoying this DVD. I didn;t mind not seeing much rugby action before the 3 tests, cos i was under the impression, they would show you atleast 20mins of highlights per test. But i was wrong.
If your thinking of buying this dvd to remind yourself of the rugby playedin the 2001 tour, then you wont find it on this dvd. What you will find is, lots of training, speeches & behind the scenes antics. All good fun & enjoyable, but shouldn;t this dvd which is 3 hours long, show more than 20 minutes of rugby?
GRRRRREAT!!!! - By: Don Domineco The Don, 28 Dec 2005 
Outstanding. I had read the book by Eddie Butler called The Tangled Mane & was very excited about watching this. Especially after watching the recent 2005 tour dvd i have realised what a great dvd this is. this goes to every length to show what it was really like on the tour. the use of a player's cam is touch of genius especially when dealing with Matt Dawson's views on his diary & Balshaws views on his feeling of disappointment with the tour. the speeches also have the ability to raise the hairs on your neck. the feelings of tension & anxiety are all there to see as the series starts & when it ends. the amount of time focused on the crucial final test is perfect really highlighting the importance felt by the lions. A CLASSIC.
Brilliant insight - By: , 17 Jan 2005 Excellent documentary folowing the highs & lows of the lions tour of aus. The player cams provide a stunning insight into the players true feelings & the dressing room footage lets the viewer see what really happens at half time! Highly recommended to any rugby fan.
Disappointed. - By: , 23 Feb 2004 
Having been as impressed as I was with "Living with Lions" I thought that the internal battles & politics of the 2001 tour would culminatein a fantastic documentary. I had also read the articles written by Matt Dawson & Austin Healey & was fascinatedin what might turn up...
Unfortunately I was deeply disappointed by the main documentary. It became very obvious very quickly that the senior members of the party were not interestedin being filmed - probably because of the huge rifts formingin the group - & that certain members of the group, namely Austin Healey, were happy to completely hog the camera & spoil what could, ultimately, have been a far more revealing insight into what really happened.
The 2001 Lions were, unquestionably, man for man better than the Australians & it would be a very stupid or very patriotic person that would say otherwise. I was looking forward to the psychology of a team lead by a coach that just wasn’t liked – I mean, how could they lose? - & all I got was Austin Healey behaving like a fool on screen. He wasn’t even a major player on the tour so why use so much footage of him? Possibly just to pad the main programme out to the required length? This was obviously going to be the last Lions tour for some of the modern day greats – Herculean men like Keith Wood & Martin Johnson. Austin Healey? – Give me a break.
The beauty of “Living with Lions” was that the original documentary had been such a masterpiece of television making.
So why not one star? Well there is a great deal of other footage included with the original programme & some of it easily justifies the money. And, at the end of the day, this was an historic eventin many more ways than one with some truly classic momentsin it.
A shame – this package really could have been up there.
Oh, & Austin Healey isin it.
Review of Up Close and Personal 2001 - By: miss v j sadler, 17 Mar 2003 A truly extraordinary DVD. This DVD is over 3 hours long & shows all the behind-the-scnes footage of this infamous Lions tour of Australia. This includes extended highlights of the three tests & the other matches on the tour & the repercussions of the fallout from Matt Dawson's article. It also has the lighter moments of training, Austin healy's antics & the boys at leisure. It includes the team talks from Graham Henry, Martin Johnson & Keith Wood, & the joy & pain of the players as they beat Australia only to lose the series.
I absoluely loved this. Perfect for showing all the rugby & all the politics behind it. You get to be a fly-on-the-wall to discussions between Henry & Lineham on who to pick & who to leave out; the players' responses to team selections & strategy & excerpts from the boys training & pre-and post-match responses.
Though this tour was now almost 2 years ago, i only bought it recently & found it not only a fascinating reminder of the tour. It was also very funny & provides an amazing insight into the psyche of some of the current crop. This includes Martin Johnson's extraordinary impact as team leader on the other members of the team (he really is an enduring inspiration to them)and the total inability of the training staff to get jonny wilkinson off the pitch from practicing his kicking.
I would recommend this to anyone without hesitation.
