Frank Quin’s personal view of the Lions round-up

By Frank Quinn.
HOW to summarise an eight week tour by 40 players and twenty plus crew,
(its a big tent) under Andy Farrell as head coach. I don’t know how
many players ended up in Sydney in the touring side, I just lost
count and interest. Many of the players sent for as replacements never
got a look in. Once the first test team was selected the dye was cast
and except for injuries there were no places available. Andy’s son Owen
joined the tour at some mid point
The Lyons lost the first game, lost the last game and sandwiched in between
the four country touring selection, won the three match Test series 2/1
against the host country Australia under Head Coach Joe Schmidt. Each
game has its own story, which is well told by now, and the quality was drab.
Let’s say less than memorable for a five country get together. It was
disappointing from a rugby viewpoint that we cannot remember any magic
moments from such an extravaganza.
It was a rugby disappointment, there is nothing to remember – it was a
flop overall. There was a huge PR effort put in all around it. But it
did not work on the pitches or on rugby.
The only talking point was the weather abandonment of the final game for
a period during the final test but it was not about rugby -just the weather
Everyone had a bit of fun by saying it was the longest game of rugby
ever played and I presume the Aussies will get the last laugh after that 
longest match they ever won. It was a game that may be heading to the Guinness Book of
Records but not not for rugby!
We have skipped the recording machine for any excerpts from this Lions
tour and we wait until we have some classy rugby to record.

For a bit of diversion at the end of the final test where better to
speculate that the lions Tour of four years hence in 2029. Are you
concerned? Who will be the head coach for New Zealand ? Obviously Any
objections to Andyretaining his Head Coach job? Who will be
captain? Anything except the game and the third test we have just watched.
How can Sky fill all the blanks before and after a game and the hours in
between. it was a circus, There must be a limit somewhere in the rules to stop all this hype. Where did they dug up all the past players, coaches, commentators? We will probably never know. We are not concerned.If one more voice came out of
the TV saying “The lions are great ,” “the lions are brilliant I will scream!
There has to be a level headed TV Producer in the networks who can cut
through all this rubbish stuff, give us some coaching advice and
suggestions about what the head coaches are thinking and some rugby
options for the games we are watching, not just standing in the rain
trying to hold onto an umbrella. Is it in any way realistic to have previous
Lions coaches who are out of rugby now, filling in?
World Rugby needs to address many of the flaws which appeared in this
competition and make any necessary changes to the laws as we emerge into
the new season of 2025 – 2026.
The new season contain the inaugural Nations championship in the
summer of 2026 for 12 teams. Call it what you like but its like a mini
RWC (half the teams) to be squeezed in between the traditional RWC, the
lions Tour, the November international fixtures the Olympics and
traditional tours by individual countries. The European Club Cup
competitions run in the spring and the real bread winner for Ireland
the Six Nations Championship. You will hear more about it in the coming
months. It sound like a major shake up.


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