HONG KONG PHEW WHEE! LIONS SWEAT IT OUT
THE British & Irish Lions celebrated the 125th anniversary of their first international tour with a one-off match in sweltering Hong Kong.
Rarely can a game have been played in such gruelling conditions, the more than 30C heat and 90 per cent humidity making a sweatsoaked ball almost impossible to handle.
At times it felt like the match was being played in slow motion but Warren Gatland’s Australia-bound Lions were far more up for it than a Baa-Baas side presumably thinking about their holidays.
The tries marginally outweighed the drinks breaks – with ‘Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot blaring out of the PA system – but heat wise that was as Irishman Paul probably the worst I’ve O’Connell and Wales ever had. The ball was players Mike Phillips like a bar of soap.’ (two), Alex Cuthbert It may have been (two), Jonathan Davies, uncomfortable, but it Dan Lydiate and Alun was the first of eight Wyn Jones went over victories in a ten-game in a 59-8 romp. Lions tour including a
Davies said: ‘I’ve thrilling 2-1 Test series played in pretty cold win over the Aussies. conditions in Wales,