Pride Before The Fall

The Lions tour – remind me why I should care again? Well, to begin with, the jaunt to New Zealand is the first to take place since England won rugby's World Cup. Never before have the Lions crossed the equator with the Webb Ellis trophy in northern hemisphere clutches. The victory, masterminded by Lions coach Clive Woodward, marked a fundamental shift in world rugby's balance of power. And you just can bet it's driving the Kiwis crazy.

What also makes this Lions tour so momentous is the fact that it takes place in New Zealand. The closest comparison would be a touring side of players from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand coming to Ireland to take us on in hurling, our national sport (huh, I'd like to see them try).
To New Zealanders, the oval game is a religion. Only they take it a bit more seriously than that.
Be under no illusion. The 2005 Lions tour is going be a war. Victory is everything. Nobody is travelling to New Zealand simply to enjoy the occasion.
Amid all the excitement, newcomers will probably be left wondering who or what the British and Irish Lions are.
The Lions consist of the best 40 players from the 'home nations' (so called): Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Formerly playing as the 'British Isles', the team was nicknamed the Lions between the wars after the emblem on the players jersey and badges.
Every four years the Lions tour South Africa, Australia and New Zealand on a rotational basis. In 35 test matches against New Zealand, the Lions have won only six times. There is no reason to believe things will be any easier on this occasion.
Eleven Irish have made the playing squad of 45. They are: Shane Byrne, Gordon D'arcy, John Hayes, Denis Hickie, Shane Horgan, Geordan Murphy, Donnacha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and Simon Easterby.
Only two are guaranteed a place in the first test against New Zealand, in Christchurch on June 25. They are Brian O’ Driscoll, Lions captain and the player widely regarded as the world's finest, and the hulking second row Paul O’Connell.
It's difficult to predict the rest of the test side. Irish fans, obviously, will hope to see Gordon D’arcy pairing O'Driscoll in the centre, although his season has been spoiled by a spate of injuries.
The rest of the Irish posse still have work to do to prove themselves but they are all there on merit. From now on, it’s all about who takes their chances.
Having witnessed the first two opening games ( a disappointing 25-25 draw with Argentina and a respectable enough 36-20 win over Bay of Plenty) I was seriously impressed with the imposing performances from Donnacha O’Callaghan and Shane Byrne.
Alas, a surprise but emphatic defeat to New Zealand Maori – the 19-13 trouncing was the first such upset in Lions history – has unsettled Woodward's plans and could prompt some drastic changes.
The tour runs until July 9. To snatch the series, the Lions must win two of three test matches against the All Blacks.
As a former team-mate of several of the Lions players, I have a particular interest in the tour. When I made my decision to retire from professional rugby to pursue what I thought was a simpler and safer musical career I knew I was making the right decision. No regrets and no looking back.
However, at times I really do miss my old profession. It's like when you were a kid and Wimbeledon was on television.
You went out and bought a cheap racket, robbed a few tennis balls and thumped the ball at some random wall for two hours a day. And then, after a fortnight, the racket lies idle in the corner of the garden shed while the tennis balls are used to entertain your pet dog.
The Lions tour is rugby’s very own Wimbledon. Every kid wants to pick up an oval ball and run around the green with their mates. I’m no different. I’ve pumped up my old rugby ball and put down my fender telecaster. Now I’m off to find a few rugby heads to reminisce with.

Niall Breslin is a former second row with Leinster.