No romance left for Lions

IN their desperation to keep the Lions seem sacred, the tour’s most enthusiastic advocates are sounding more and more desperate. The latest news is that a two-week preparatory camp planned by Warren Gatland (below) for Jersey in June holds the key to beating South Africa.

There have been indulgent pieces remembering the drinking sessions that have helped bond Lions tours in the past.

The key part of that sentence is the last two words, because the Lions concept feels anachronistic in the modern game, when elite players are under unprecedented physical pressure and the need to manage the demands placed on them has never been as high. The pub anecdotes play to the roughhewn romanticism that has long been irresistible for many in the game. But the idea that a twoweek bonding and training camp in Jersey is the priority here (and Gatland is threatening not to pick English players if their clubs don’t release them for that part of the camp) is misplaced.

South Africa is ravaged by Covid-19. The tour will likely take place in empty or largely empty stadia. The strongest impetus for this trip going ahead is money, given the chaos wrought by the pandemic on every rugby union in the world. There is no romance in the modern Lions concept, and attempts to argue otherwise are beginning to sound pitiful.

THE Lions want to vaccinate their touring party before the South Africa tour as a show of ‘unity’.

With Covid the black cloud hanging over this summer’s trip to the home of the world champions, Lions bosses want to ensure their tour is safe.

And head coach Warren Gatland — who has had the first dose of the vaccine — revealed that the Lions are lobbying to sort jabs for all the tourists.

With the UK’s vaccine roll-out much faster than Ireland’s, Irish players would be inoculated in Britain under the Lions’ plan.

‘It would be a brilliant message if we were able to vaccinate all the touring party, the players and all the staff,’ said Gatland. ‘The Lions is about unity, bringing people together.

‘We’ve got to be conscious not to be seen getting special treatment, but I think these are special times and circumstances.

‘It might not come together but fingers crossed we might be able to do something.’

While Covid restrictions on the tour are yet to be finalised, the Lions will reveal a new match schedule this week. It will confirm they will play three Tests against the Springboks — not the rumoured four — with the first in Cape Town and the second two at altitude in Johannesburg.

Trips to Durban, Nelspruit and Port Elizabeth will be scrapped, while the South Africa ‘Invitational’ match is likely to be swapped for one against Super Rugby’s Lions franchise.

REVISED LIONS SCHEDULE: June 26 v Japan (Murrayfield); July 3 v Bulls (Pretoria); July 7 v Lions (Jo’burg); July 10 v Stormers, July 14 v South Africa A, July 17 v Sharks, July 24 v South Africa (all Cape Town); July 31 v South Africa, Aug 7 v South Africa (both Jo’burg).