Why it could be the end of the road for the Lions, writes CHRIS FOY

The Lions have arrived in Australia, bristling from their pre-tour false start in Dublin and ready for another survival mission. That’s what it is, as always.

As an endangered species in the sporting landscape, they must again strive to justify their existence and all the effort to keep making the whole complex concept work, against the odds. The iconic, historic British and Irish side are somehow still squeezed into an increasingly jam-packed calendar. 

Space is made – via a raft of concessions and compromises – for the last proper tour, so there is pressure on the Lions and their hosts to deliver a fitting, epic event.

There is bound to come a time in the not-too-distant future when the familiar format cannot be sustained any longer and it will be boiled down to a solitary warm-up fixture en route, then straight into a Test series. Short and sharp. No time to explore the further reaches of a country and play provincial opposition; just hurried prep and on to the serious business – the internationals.

So, those who cherish the grand, full-scale tradition of all this will hope that the 2025 tourists and their opponents can keep making it worthwhile to stage the whole travelling circus. This time, the Premiership joined the United Rugby Championship in allowing Andy Farrell’s squad some precious time together before departure Down Under, but any ‘goodwill’ is founded on profits and the trickle-down benefit of a positive showcase of the sport.

So, the Lions not only have to win the Test series – something which hasn’t happened nearly enough in the pro era – but also capture hearts and minds. As for the Australians, their challenge as hosts will be to successfully burst out of the shadow cast by rugby league and Aussie Rules, to galvanise their ailing code. It is a once-in-a-generation revival opportunity, so squandering it is not an option.

There has been a lot of pre-tour talk this year about France as a short-haul destination which should be considered, and this column has strongly banged that drum. 

A Lions crusade across the Channel would have a huge amount of merit and appeal, if various logistical barriers could be cleared. There cannot just be an assumption that the usual, established southern-hemisphere tour rotation will go on forever. The hosts have to earn the right. Use it – properly – or lose it.

Full disclosure here; this correspondent hadn’t caught the usual Lions bug prior to the warm-up event in Dublin. It all felt flat. Anticipation levels were strangely low, perhaps because the last tour had been ruined by the Covid pandemic. But, bizarrely, the game against Argentina served to reignite the fires, despite the negative result for the hosts.

The sea of red was striking, as ever. So many Lions shirts had been sold and were being worn with pride, amid so much evident excitement. It was impossible not to get swept along with the mood of feverish expectation.

People still love it. The fervour of players and public alike is what still makes it work; what makes it special and unique. The enduring passion for this four-nation alliance manages to cut through the cynicism created by the insatiable pursuit of profit.

The whole thing is drowning in branding and sometimes it feels like the team and games themselves merely exist as billboards for a multitude of sponsors to generate exposure for their products and services. But the evidence from Dublin was that sporting fervour remains at the heart of it all, mercifully. This year’s Red Army invasion will be as awesome to behold as ever. Australia won’t fully grasp the magnitude of what is heading their way until the noisy hordes descend en masse.

There are other niggles which cannot be ignored though, such as the prospect of blow-out results in some of the tour games and the uncomfortable presence of a large foreign contingent in the Lions ranks. That issue has been staunchly defended within the camp, as expected, but it jars with many on the outside, even if very few are willing to put their heads above the parapet and say so.

This team, more than most, is about romantic sporting dreams. It resonates with fans when they hear tales about how the players grew up supporting the Lions, following the tours, watching the documentaries, memorising all the famous call-to-arms speeches and idolising the heroes.

But several players in Farrell’s squad grew up with no such ambitions and supporting countries who faced the Lions. Their commitment will be total, but it just feels different and the fact that so many imports are bound to end up in the Test back line in particular is an uneasy scenario which the Australians will surely seize on to generate some antagonism. They already have, in fact.

Another factor which could undermine the grand event is the limitations of the Wallabies. So often in recent history, the Lions have had to confront the pre-eminent force in international rugby at the time; world champions and top-ranked teams. Not this time. Their task is to use the collective might of four countries to beat the side ranked eighth in the world, who crashed out of the last World Cup at the pool stage, following a 40-6 humiliation at the hands of Wales.

Granted, Australia have made positive strides since then under Joe Schmidt and they are likely to be competitive. But the whole Lions concept is predicated on the notion of almost insurmountable odds and that is hardly the equation this year.

If they were facing the Springboks, that would represent a giant leap into the deep end. If they were gearing up for a series against the All Blacks or France, that would be a forbidding prospect. Based on what happened in Dublin, even three Tests in Argentina might loom large as a more dangerous assignment, so despite the Wallabies’ promising revival, the tourists should target a statement series whitewash. The expectation should be 3-0 to the Lions.

The race for places in the Test XV will create fascinating sub-plots, as ever. That will be the primary area of intrigue over the coming weeks, rather than the actual outcome of the tour games. There will be more jeopardy relating to selection than results.

Very few players are nailed-on to be picked in the first-choice team; captain Maro Itoje and Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan appear to be arguably the only certainties at this stage – the rest of the Test spots are up for grabs. To sustain wider interest levels and squad morale, here’s hoping that Farrell doesn’t just default to the Leinster and Ireland contingent he knows so well.

However it all unfolds, enjoy the ride. It’s just a shame that more people won’t see the games on free-to-air TV. Rugby needs the Lions to help sell the sport to a wider audience, but it will remain relatively niche and hidden away, although Sky Sports have a fine pedigree for these covering these tours with expertise and vast insight.

Hopefully, the uninitiated at least find a screen to watch the Tests and if they do, they will be blown away by the scale of the British and Irish invasion, in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. It is quite something to behold.

That colourful, noisy backdrop was glaringly absent in South Africa in 2021, so no matter what the outcome of the series is, that spectacle will strike a positive chord. But the outcome is important. The show is important. 

Opposition competitiveness is important. In this survival mission, everything has to work, to protect an endangered species.

Farrell reassured by cheers

Owen Farrell was on punditry duty with Sky Sports in Dublin and there was one moment during the match which will have meant a lot to the former England captain. 

As his father’s Lions attempted to turn the tables against Argentina, Farrell jnr suddenly appeared on the big screens at the Aviva Stadium. For a couple of seconds, there was a palpable look of apprehension on his face, as if he was bracing for the sort of mass outbreak of booing which drove him to step away from Test rugby after the 2023 World Cup. 

Instead, after a fleeting pause, the crowd started to cheer him, louder and louder. 

Of course, his family connection with Ireland’s head coach would have worked in his favour, but Owen has so often been the pantomime villain, so it must have been a reassuring novelty to find himself receive warm acclaim from the stands, especially in usually hostile territory.

Kinghorn ready to play catch-up

The last Lion will have to wait a week longer before joining up with the tour party in Brisbane, ready to play catch-up. 

Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn made his comeback for Toulouse last Friday night and, in his first appearance since being sidelined by injury in April, the 28-year-old helped the French champions earn a place in the Top 14 Final yet again, by beating Bayonne 32-25. 

Kinghorn lasted the best part of an hour – operating on the wing – and providing he comes through the showpiece decider in Paris unscathed on Saturday, he will join up with the Lions as favourite to claim the Test full-back place. 

Marcus Smith filled in at 15 against the Pumas but he is likely to be a versatile bench option, leaving Hugo Keenan as Kinghorn’s primary challenger as the last line of defence. 

However, Elliot Daly was prominent in Dublin, with his play and his post-match address to his dejected team-mates, and the Saracens veteran may emerge as a multi-purpose Test candidate again.

Last Word

Andy Farrell struck just the right note after the shock 28-24 defeat at the hands of Argentina. He would not contemplate making excuses; quite the opposite. 

When invited to ‘take the positives’ out of a hot-and-cold performance, he strongly shot down any such attitude. It was an admirable response. 

That infernal phrase has become an all-too-common mantra across all sport, amid a rush to repackage and top-spin defeat and failure. 

On one infamous occasion, an abject collapse and capitulation by the England cricket team during an Ashes match in Adelaide prompted a knee-jerk ‘taking the positives’ soundbite from the-then captain, Andrew Flintoff. 

It caused such a mood of outrage that the BBC switchboard couldn’t take the strain as angry listeners called in droves to vent their angst. If it’s not good enough, say so. Farrell said so. 

Then his players did the same. They were visibly irritated by the way they had played and their words conveyed that mood, minus any sugar-coating at all. Good on them for their honesty. Admitting the problem is half the problem solved and all that…