Young Lions

I don't often get to go out for a long lunch but the bosses had some seats on offer at a lunch at Merewether Surf Club held by a local rugby club, the Wanderers. There were ex Wallabies, an ex All Black as well as these two members of the British and Irish Lions. The Lions are in Newcastle tonight to soundly thrash NSW Country as a warm up for the tests. The tests start next week. The game has started now and as I sit here I can see the lights of the stadium where it is all happening.

This is Tom Youngs with a bit of bark off after the last match. His view of Newcastle is that he found it hard to find somewhere to eat last night. Well he could have asked me. The other player is Mako Vunipola. A Welsh Tongan. It was funny hearing his dulcet Welsh tones. They were both built like brick outhouses (I am using the cultured term here). If I saw these guys running towards me and I had the ball I would drop it immediately. That's my advice to NSW Country tonight. The highlight of the lunch was however the talk given by ex All Black Eric Rush. What a character. He had us all in stitches talking about his charity boxing match and growing up on the North Island where fast food meant hitting your neighbours sheep at 100 kph.

A glorious day today. We have lots of Lions supporters in town. You can tell them, they are the ones wearing t-shirts and shorts and thongs (flip flogs).