Lions use choir to hit right tone
THE British and Irish Lions began their preparations for the summer series against South Africa last night – with choir practice.
While some of the sounds emanating from their Jersey training camp may have been frightening in their own right, they are unlikely to strike fear into the Springboks.
But captain Alun Wyn Jones – one of the best singers in the group – sees the Lions choir as a way of bonding the squad in their two months together, as it did in New Zealand in 2017.
Wales hooker Ken Owens, who taught the squad Calon
Lan in 2017, said: “Four years ago we had an individual choir master from each country and four separate songs. I think we’ll go down a similar route.
“It is an opportunity to learn about the culture of the other nations and spend half an hour in the evening just having a bit of a laugh and a get-together.
“It is not just the players, but the back-room staff and the management that are here on tour and getting everyone together. Singing, generally, does that.” The Lions will need all the off-field distractions they can lay their hands on, having been given an early taste of life on tour in Covid times after arriving in the Channel Islands at the start of the week.
Owens said: “We’re basically hotel-bound and just bussed up to training and back so we’re pretty restricted.
“It is something we have to accept to protect ourselves and the wider public.
“It will be exactly the same as we move up to Edinburgh for the Japan game and on to South Africa.”