And so it begins, a narrow uninspiring victory against the Provincial Barbarians by a ‘just off the plane’ and apparently jet lagged Lions side. Toll stadium is ‘old school’ with a swathe of slightly too steep grass bank made treacherous in places by the previous night’s heavy rain.  Anyone who’d had more than half a dozen pints is struggling to stay up right on the way back from the toilets.

And it seems this represents the majority on the grass bank with both home and away supporters displaying an impressive standard of inebriation.

So that’s the first unconvincing hit out complete, cue the NZ media storm.