Murray Kinsella reports from Whangārei
THE SUN WAS a nice surprise on our first two days in New Zealand, but the journey north to Whangārei was a little more like what we’d been told to expect.
Beautiful scenery and rain of a biblical nature.
It has been pouring relentlessly for the entirety of Friday and there is no let-up forecast for the Lions’ tour opener against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians at Toll Stadium tomorrow.
The neat venue on Okara Drive is sold out for the eagerly-anticipated first outing for Warren Gatland’s men, and 22,000 locals and Lions-supporting visitors will huddle in to see what should be a comfortable victory for the tourists.
The town of Whangārei had to fight hard to secure a Lions fixture and they’ve clearly been putting in the hard work ever since, with the stadium in pristine condition and the surrounding area well set for the first of the Lions camper vans and buses.
While the weather could have put a dampener on things for the Lions after two days in Auckland, they have been happily adapting to life on tour and feel they are already coming together well as a squad.
Friday involved the squad splitting into groups of three players and one member of management to travel from Auckland to Whangārei in a fleet of their sponsored Land Rovers.
Each small group visited a school, retirement village or hospital along the way, as well as collecting the best New Zealand souvenir they could find.
Those players not involved in the matchday 23 tomorrow also had to spend time meeting locals at any location of their choice, as well as finding the best pie in New Zealand – with the ever-popular bagman Patrick ‘Rala’ O’Reilly acting as the judge when everyone had arrived at the team hotel in Whangārei.
All of the above goes into deciding who the best tourist in the Lions’ squad is. A huge honour, of course.
Gatland is keen to ensure his players get opportunities to have some fun on this tour and days such as today are important to that, as are the various committees.
One of the most coveted positions on these tours is that of fines master, the person designated to dish out punishments to team-mates for being late, making mistakes, telling bad jokes and anything else they see fit.
Sean O’Brien has taken on the role with pride and his fines notebook has rarely left his side since the Lions arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, James Haskell and Liam Williams have taken responsibility for the Lions’ music, although the Englishman admits that he “almost caused a riot” with his unpopular choices on the team bus.
Haskell is already the joker in the pack, as Gatland had hoped when calling him in to replace Billy Vunipola, but 24-year-old England prop Kyle Sinckler has also emerged as a strong contender.
He has been testing ear drums at the Lions’ choir practice and apparently fell through the table tennis table when a punishment was coming in his direction after losing a game. The affable and entertaining Harlequins man is already a popular figure within the touring party.
Things get a little more serious tomorrow, of course, with the rugby finally kicking off. New Zealanders have been waiting for this for a long time. 12 years to be exact, and the anticipation will only grow and grow as the Tests get closer.
New Zealand’s obsession with rugby is well-known. Even on the flight over with Air New Zealand that was underlined, with their in-flight entertainment including a dedicated ‘rugby’ category.
The 2015 World Cup final, documentaries about the 2011 World Cup success, the Richie McCaw documentary, and more. Then there were slots for the Lions’ 2017 tour games, empty for now but with a promise that they would be available in late June.
The expectation in New Zealand is that the All Blacks will have too much for the Lions in the Test series, though there does appear to be some respect for the quality of the squad Gatland has brought.
The sheer difficulty of their task is obvious, but they have made a happy start to the tour in the first three days at least. There were already Lions fans arriving into Auckland from Wednesday, although their numbers will truly grow before the Test series.
The sunny weather made for a beautiful couple of days finding bearings in Auckland, before the show hit the road towards a wet Whangārei.
The Lions fans who have shifted north will expect a comprehensive win for Gatland’s men. The Barbarians squad includes exciting talent like Oli Jager, Sevu Reece, Sam Vaka and Luteru Laulala, but there are players coming out of club rugby for the game too.
With their array of Test stars, and even with the weather serving as something of an equaliser, the Lions should have too much quality and they should be able to add to the sense of a happy beginning to this tour of New Zealand.
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Great to see Rala back in action .
@james: Met him at the world cup in 2007 and again at the Leinster v Wasps game two months ago. Absolute gentleman and stopped to talk to everyone he passed.
Sounds like a crowd of happy in their nappies manchildren. At least that is how the writer of the article portrays them. I hope they are serious about their rugby.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: Ah yeah, sure they only went for the craic. Clearly none of them are serious about their rugby…
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: These are a group of players that have never collectively played with each other that will be taking on the best team in the world that know the next thought in each others heads on the pitch due to how much time they have spent with each other and the amount of training together they do, the fines committee, the silly music stuff, the choir practice, its all part of the team building and is a vital component of the lions tour considering how short a time they have together to create a team that is capable of beating new zealand
Its all about dollars. How many of them would be there without the €100k +
@Mike Kelly: all I would say …
@Mike Kelly: Probably all of them Mike, they get paid from their union/club for their normal work and the Lions is still considered to be one of the pinnacles of a rugby players career , the Lions make a considerable amount of money so would you rather the players didn’t get paid?
@Mike Kelly: Willie John McBride toured with the Lions 5 times in the amateur era…
@Conor Paddington: That must be a record.
@ktsiwot: it is! 17 Caps. Fairly impressive.
@Conor Paddington: ask any rubgy journalist in private and they will tell you the truth about the lions in the professional era..enjoy the matches but dont fall for all the marketing and honor crap.
@Mike Kelly: Fill is us on all your conversations with rugby journalists then. You’re clearly in the know…
@Mike Kelly: they tend to be fairly open about it, actually.Gavin Cummiskey was slagging Joe Molloy on Wednesday night for saying he was a Lion’s supporter, but they both really enjoy it. Different reporters will have different opinions. However, the simple fact remains that it is the pinnacle of a player’s career and they will all say that. I’m sure the money doesn’t hurt, but does it ever?
@Mike Kelly: this infers that players hate playing for the Lions and only do it for money, if a journalist knew that for a fact why wouldn’t they publish it? it would be quite the story, Are you getting a Journalists and people you met in a pub mixed up?
@Fergus Sheahan: who mentioned the word hate’. They are professional athletes whose livelihoods depends on their fitness.. they don’t jeopardize that for the myths of the lions ..apart of some welsh and english players who wrap the empire flag around themselves.
As for its been the pinnacle of their career ..give me a break.. 35 serious players per county ..with injuries before and during ..you have a 40% chance of been a lion… enjoy the matches
@Mike Kelly: 40% chance of been a Lion! that is 100% a bullsh*t stat
@Fergus Sheahan: I have put forward my rational.. instead of been abusive ..which part do you disagree with.. if anything i am been too generous ..saying possible 35 players in ireland, scotland and wales. .. a 50% chance is more likely
Must be getting old and cynical but god I hate these reports of how ‘whacky’ touring teams are
@monkeysocks: have to agree , sick of the falseness already
All very sickening
Just get on with bloody job in hand
Win the test series and stop all this soppy shite
@Tony O Dwyer: Sickening? You’re easily upset.
@monkeysocks: They’re human beings pal not robots, it’s only natural that there are a few jokers in the squad. It’s also part of the reason why I like the Lions tour, you get to see a more human side to the players. It’s not like they’re all wearing clown costumes and doing cartwheels.
I just don’t get this “lions” thing!Anyone who supports this is basically a unionist in my eyes!