What a richly rewarding few weeks it has been for the British & Irish Lions. Since their training camp in Portugal and pre-departure week in Ireland they have crisscrossed Australia and sampled the contrasting delights of Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne. Winning the series was the squad’s primary objective but they have been actively encouraged to enjoy their time on tour, too.
A Lions expedition is not just about what happens on the field. Henry Pollock, Duhan van der Merwe and Josh van der Flier have been to the Great Barrier Reef while Pierre Schoeman has been writing poetry. Others have headed to the golf course or strolled the beaches of Bondi and Coogee with their families. The squad’s eight games in Australia to date have whizzed past but the players will still return home with plenty of non‑rugby memories.
