End of the tour

Well here we are. It seemed such a long way away when the hype of the BIL Tour was kicked off last year and there was talk of a ticket ballot and thousands upon thousands of visitors descending on these shores. And that they did.

I was fortunate enough to have had a ticket to both the Wellington Lions and All Blacks' games. I support neither team or really the BIL for that matter. Didn't matter to me. I had an immensely enjoyable time especially at the second test. Worth the coin forked out. I wonder if some people are now regretting thier decision not to get a ticket. Sure I still have issues with the way the Wellington and NZ rugby unions treated us season's ticket holders but not to go would be cutting my nose off to spite my face.

I must admit I did have a soft spot for the Lions. My grandfather was Scottish, my grandma was Irish. I am, in some roundabout way, Irish and a citizen of the EU. But then again, I am also Australian and Vietnamese and have been in NZ long enough to claim Kiwi status.

I felt the Lions would perform well in the tests. I kept telling myself their midweek performances were holding something back. I somewhat agreed with Sir Clive [SCW] with his 'funny' feeling. I predicted a 2-1 win to the Lions. I have posted as much. I was wrong. I was fooled into believing they would be better than they were. If only they had a better build up or were here for another three weeks things might have been different.

I wonder whether SCW's funny feeling was a hit to the head or something. He got me going. He did not endear himself to many people. He did it his way. It proved to be wrong. Obviously, if they had've won he would be acclaimed a genius.

What would've happened had he picked on form and not reputation? What if Dellaglio and BOD weren't injured? What if ... Lots of hypotheticals which we can't truly answer.

It has certainly been six weeks that have captivated this rugby obsessed nation. Will it be the same again? I hope it changes for the better and that Kiwi and all sporting fans in NZ support their teams in the spirit the thousands of BIL fans did.

It was certainly a time I won't forget in a hurry. Being in the pubs talking to strangers like we never do; Courtenay Place filled with colour; the waterfront chockers. Being in the stadium with the noise, the colour, the atmosphere, the occasion. I would mention the haka but I couldn't bloody hear it. Lions! Lions!

I am glad to have been a part of it. It also might take me until the next tour here to register as many posts as some of you.

If you get a chance, check out Lions-Tour.com and have a read about what the northern hemisphere fans have to say about rugby.