Let’s party like it’s 1973 ..... ? It really is the stuff of dreams for Lions fans
IN a modern rugby world where the release of players resides at the heart of the political battleground, one idea being mooted in Auckland on Saturday night seemed like the stuff of fantasy.
No sooner had it been suggested than it was being scoffed at, knowing guffaws peppering the city air as Lions fans toasted a drawn series with the All Blacks that tempered celebrations by a couple of percentage points compared to the scenes victory would have spawned.
As honours had ended even at Eden Park, romantics, and those whose inhibitions had been dulled by alcohol, were asking could there possibly be any way of including a deciding Test into this autumn’s schedule?
Preposterous eh? Well not from a conceptual standpoint, no. While some traditionalists might argue that a drawn series should be left in the record books as just that, what could be more natural than wanting to extend one of the greatest duels the sport has ever seen?
The problem is that from a practical and realistic standpoint, the prospect of Warren Gatland picking a one-off Lions squad to take on New Zealand at, say, Twickenham this November, is miniscule. In fact, on the scale of likelihood, start at zero and work downwards.
For a start the Aviva Premiership clubs, already standing over the Lions in a hooded cloak and brandishing a scythe, would baulk at making their players available for a match outside of the official World Rugby Test window.
Then you would have the concern of the home nations themselves, all of whom have important games in their schedules, all of whom are building towards the 2019 World Cup, all of whom would want their best players spared the rigours of such a re-match.
And all this, of course, is before we get into how on earth any proper preparation time could be factored into the calendar, who should be selected and whether it should be the same players or different ones based on early season form.
Come to think of it, there’s no need to get into that because, like we’ve said, there’s no way this could happen. Or is there...
Admittedly it would require a slight tweak, a bit of imagination, a lorry-load of slack cut by the powersthat-be and co-operation between competing interests the like of which rugby doesn’t normally do.
But if this alternative scenario were to become reality, interest among rugby fans across the UK would go into orbit. TV companies would fall over themselves to cover it, sponsors would have a field day, tickets would be the hottest in town, it would likely be an encounter for the ages... and you know what? It’s been done before.
When New Zealand toured the British Isles at the end of 1972, they did so seeking revenge for the humbling treatment Gareth, Barry, JPR and the rest had dished out to them in Lions jerseys the year before.
Having beaten Wales, the best side at the time, 19-16 in Cardiff on