Lions

[surge]

Maybe it's me, but the autumn internationals bore me rigid and I think if they were replaced once every four years by a Lions series, it would be a huge success - I'm not sure rotating home and away would work because the Lions only tour South Africa, Australia and New Zealand once every twelve years as it is.

The best game of rugby I've seen bar none was in 1972 when the Barbarians beat the All Blacks in Cardiff after having won a four match series 2-1 over there six months earlier. Usually, Baabaa's match against touring sides were considered something of a jolly with a smattering of players from outside the British Isles being included, but this game was treated very much as a fifth test match with the home side being made up of British players - it was fantastic to see the British side win pretty convincingly by playing a typical Baabaa's style of rugby.

I wouldn't expect a modern Lions v New Zealand game played in this country to reproduce the thrills and spills of forty five years ago, but there'd be far more intensity and meaning to the games than, say, yet another Wales v Australia autumn international at a two thirds full Millennium Stadium.

As for today's game, I'd say that for the second consecutive Saturday the All Blacks must be thinking "how do we not win that?" - the only time I thought we might score a try ended up with Owen Farrell (immaculate with his place kicking, but very patchy otherwise) throwing an interception pass which had Lions man of the series Johnathan Davies performing miracles to prevent a score at the other end of the pitch.

Nevertheless, if the Lions needed luck to achieve the result they did, they certainly earned it and I hope and trust any flatness they may feel after not winning the series will soon disappear when what they have done truly sinks in - the All Blacks were strong in the early seventies and it was a terrific achievement by the Lions to go there and win, but when you consider what the modern day Lions were up against, I'd say that a drawn series in 2017 matches the winning one in 1971.

But if you're arguing for excitement over all else are you also calling all cricket test series bar the ashes to be cut to three games and much, much more 20/20? Cricket may be going that way anyway but I don't expect you to be thinking it's the best thing for the game.

Autumn internationals seem to be when we can give new players their chance, despite Wales failing to do that under gatland, so if replaced by a series where only the top 5 Welsh players - one now having played in 9 lions' test in a row and should not be in the next tour at all - get a game and no Scot this key component of equal part development and competition is lost. Even if they are often dull and expensive affairs in Wales which don't fulfill their purpose.

Would the lions be as good if done at home and as regularly as the autumn internationals? I don't think so*. Would the summer tour be treated more seriously if lions usurped the autumn series? Possibly.

*However, having read your post again, see you're calling for it every four years. Half this point no longer makes sense, but I think I'd rather no autumn internationals once every four years rather than a home lions series.