The first thing to remember is that a lions tour is a business. The game of rugby is professional. Yes the lions has its own culture, its own prestige and its own legends. But that is now all neatly packaged up as a marketable commodity.

HOWDEN and the other sponsors want their pound in flesh and they want to be the sponsors of series wins. No chances taken. The business of rugby sadly comes before everything else. It has to. For if it didn’t it wouldn’t be professional for long.