All the Lions hype can be a bit nauseating, but the global game needs a competitive series
It's easy to be cynical about the British and Irish Lions.
The whole concept gets hyped up more than a Christopher Nolan movie. You'll hear plenty about 'immortality',' legends' and 'legacy' in the coming weeks. All of it playing out against a background of an epic orchestral soundtrack which belongs in something like Gladiator or Oppenheimer.
It can all veer into hysteric at times. And some of the grandiose statements about the Lions can jar a bit, too. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
Yes, it's a long tradition but, make no mistake, this is a brand as well. It's a business venture which is worth a lot of coin. Why else did Warren Gatland's squad depart for South Africa without their famed 'Red Army' in the midst of the Covid pandemic in 2021?
It's worth stating that summer series is officially known as the Qatar Airways men's Lions tour of Australia. There are twice as many fans heading for Oz this time around compared to the last tour 12 years ago.
Yes, the Lions is a time-honoured tradition but it's also a corporate beast.
Again, it's easy to scrutinise up the Lions in the professional era and roll the eyes. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
However, this latest campaign feels a bit different already. It's early days, but we've sensed a slight chance in the vibe around the Lions.
There is clearly a buzz in the camp and you could sense that all week from the players and coaches – including Johnny Sexton – who were sent out to speak to the sizeable media presence which has descended on the capital.
There is the sense that the Andy Farrell is hoping to bring a bit of old-school back to the Lions.
There have been some positive developments on that front. Earlier this week, the Lions media team released the 'Ultimate Test' on Youtube, a behind-the-scenes series which will be released weekly throughout the six-week tour of Australia. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
In terms of raw insight and genuine fly-on-the-wall access, it was hugely encouraging. It was miles away from the bland and ill-fated two-season Six Nations offering on Netflix.
If this is a sign of things to come, we could be potentially see the best Lions documentary since the iconic 1997 series chronically the series win in South Africa.
A bit of drama and jeopardy would be most welcome on that front. The hosts need to hold up their end of their bargain. The Wallabies – and their Super Rugby sides – were being written off as cannon fodder for most of this current Lions cycle, especially when Eddie Jones was sacked after a disastrous 10-month reign.
Joe Schmidt arrived at the 11th hour and the former Leinster and Ireland boss has galvanised the entire operation. The likes of Queensland, the Waratahs and ACT Brumbies have upped their game.
Australia are not the near the same class as the Springboks or All Blacks at the moment. But they have more then enough talent to make this series interesting.
Everyone involved in the professional game in Australia is acutely aware that this Lions tour is a glorious opportunity to recapture past glories. Rugby union has fallen away behind the likes of AFL and rugby league in the public consciousness. The Aussies are a sport-obsessed nation but rugby union has fallen on hard times.
If they can mount a competitive case, or win the series outright, it would have a huge effect on the health of the game across the country. There is also the small matter of a home World Cup in 2027. The Wallabies need to strike while the iron is hot this summer.
In truth, every single stakeholder in the game needs this Lions tour to be a success.
The professional game is a delicate ecosystem at the moment. Rugby is the sporting equivalent of the Great Barrier Reef at the moment. Professional clubs across the globe are going bust. Big unions such as Wales are struggling to make ends meet.
For all the chat about rugby expanding to new markets, breakaway competition and World club competitions, it is paramount that the key nations remains strong.
Rugby needs a strong Australian team. There are high hopes that Schmidt's troops can match this potent Lions squad across three compelling weekends.
In Joseph-Aukuso Suaali, the 21-year-old rugby league convert who has taken the game by storm, the Wallabies have an attacking weapon which can blow this whole series wide open.
Schmidt, as his way, will have every base covered. The Kiwi will have a plan. Again, it all bodes well for a gripping spectacle once this tour gets going.
For now, it's about getting the show on the road at Aviva Stadium this evening.
This is an early opportunity for this matchday squad to lay down some early selection markers. The sizeable Leinster contingent who only arrived into camp on Monday will already be playing catch-up and Farrell welcomed this development earlier this week.
The Lions boss wants every single player to feel the pressure. No doubt, Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose – amongst other Leinster frontliners – will get their chance to impress against Western Force, Queensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs in the coming weeks.
Right now, this English-heavy selection have a great opportunity to stake a claim for Test spots.
Ellis Genge, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith could all be set for bit tours. Porter, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell are all supposedly ahead in the pecking order but things can change quickly on a Lions tour.
A compelling performance against a youthful and fired-up Pumas side will generate plenty of momentum ahead of the long-haul flight to Perth this weekend.
No doubt, plenty of big names will be awkwardly shuffling in their seats if the Lions put on a bit of a show in Dublin.
Then again, a repeat of the shaky showing against the same opposition back in 2005 – when a late Jonny Wilkinson penalty secured a late draw – will send alarm bells throughout the squad. That dour performance in Cardiff 20 years ago was a grim omen of what was to come in New Zealand. No pressure tonight, lads.
The hype machine is cranking up and once Sky Sports began to flex their broadcasting muscles, Lions-mania will be in full flow. It can all be a nauseating but it's best not to fight it.
The Lions, at its core, is a bit of fun. An old-school summer tour against a formidable fore on foreign land. And series wines are nothing to be sniffed at. It's worth remembering that the tourists have been victorious on just two occasions since the game went pro: 1997 and 2013 are the sole triumphs since the amateur days concluded 30 years ago.
This could be the most enjoyable and captivating tour in a long time. What's not to like about that?
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