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Three-day tours and ‘whirlwind' of the short-term Lions call-up

Three-day tours and ‘whirlwind' of the short-term Lions call-up

Times29-07-2025
T he last time the British & Irish Lions had a 2-0 lead, they were in action on the Tuesday before the third Test. Midweek fixtures make the Lions a 'glorious anachronism' but they also induce headaches. As recently as 2005 there were 'dirt-tracker' outings before every international, whereas in 2025, even one final tune-up before the second Test is treated as a money-spinning hindrance to survive.
This selectorial neuralgia has led to short-term call-ups, such as the radio commentator Shane Williams in 2013 and the 'Geography Six' of 2017. For all their merits as rugby men, many will tar Gregor Brown, Tom Clarkson et al with that brush. Yet unlikely Lions are a rich part of the team's history. Go back far enough and you will find Bill Cunningham, the former Ireland half back working as a dentist in South Africa, co-opted into the bruised 1924 squad.
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