Even the incessant rain couldn't spoil a fun week in Sydney

The 42

2 days ago

EVEN WITH THE incessant rain, we have got lots of glimpses of how special a place Sydney is.
The Lions arrived on Sunday in party mode, rolling over from Saturday night in Melbourne to give it socks in Sydney.
Some of the travelling Irish media took in the All-Ireland football final that night. It was another eye-opening moment as we bore witness to the remarkable number of Donegal and Kerry folk kitted out in their home counties' jerseys. Many of them were squeezed into the famous sports bar Cheers.
Because it's a 24-hour spot, the Kerry people were able to celebrate for as long as they wanted after the Donegal heads moved on in disappointment.
It's amazing how many Irish people are here in Australia. The latest figures say that over 100,000 Irish-born people are living Down Under, while around than 2.5 million Australians have Irish heritage.
No matter where you go, there seems to be someone Irish. That's magnified now with the Lions tour bringing them together, but it's still remarkable. That said, just over four weeks in Australia has underlined exactly why the Irish are all here. It's a brilliant country with good infrastructure, largely gorgeous weather, incredible natural beauty, limitless craic, and world-class food and drink.
You always see the best of any place when you're having fun on a rugby tour. Australia undoubtedly has the same major issues every big country does. But this trip has given a greater understanding than ever of why some of our Irish friends might never move back to Ireland.
Maro Itoje at Shore School in Sydney. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
The Lions got up and running again on Tuesday at the immaculate Shore School, which is set on the hills in North Sydney. The views from the school grounds down over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the CBD are surreal. Annual fees at the private school range up towards €30,000 a year, and you'd know it walking around the pristine grounds.
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Shore won the Great Public Schools of New South Wales rugby union competition last year. Some of their players have committed to NRL clubs when they graduate from school, while others will remain in union. Their facilities are good enough for the Lions.
Wednesday saw a group of the travelling media venture out on an end-of-tour social to the Southern Highlands, where there are lots of wineries and vineyards. The train ride home involved a big singsong, which continued in a pub in The Rocks area of Sydney.
At one stage, an Irishman sang, followed by a Welshman, then an Englishman. There was no sign of a Scot but it was what Lions tours are all about. Many fans you meet here have happy stories about falling in with a crew from what are otherwise rival nations. This tour seems to have been met with apathy by some back home, but those who made it over here have had the time of their lives. There hasn't been much talk of the Lions not coming back to Australia, aside from bemusement at the suggestion.
Thursday was a hectic one as the Lions and Wallabies named their teams before the two head coaches, Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt, spoke to the media.
There was a nice touch from Farrell just before the Lions' press conference as he presented jerseys to two long-serving members of the press pack. Dave Rogers, a photographer for Getty, has covered every Lions tour since 1980. Stephen Jones of the Times has been ever-present since 1983. Farrell said a few nice words about them.
Andy Farrell presents Dave Rogers with a jersey. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
On Thursday evening, the Lions their own jersey presentation ceremony as they welcomed the Hardman family into camp.
The Hardmans hail from the UK and have had to face great adversity in recent years.
Kriss was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2020 and then in 2023, Kate was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer while she was pregnant with their youngest daughter.
Kriss and Kate have been chasing the Lions in Australia along with their three young children, determined to keep enjoying life as much as possible.
Kate, who was only 38 when she got her diagnosis, stood in front of the Lions players and staff last night to speak to them about her journey, as well as the experience of supporting them in Australia. She then presented captain Maro Itoje with his jersey.
That must have been a stirring evening for the Lions ahead of their bid to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep.
The Wallabies, meanwhile, have been working to lift their spirits after the sheer dejection of losing the series at the death last weekend in Melbourne.
There were plenty of smiles at today's captain's run in the Accor Stadium, with every player and member of staff donning a fake moustache in tribute to scrum-half Nic White, who will retire from international rugby after starting tomorrow's final Test against the Lions. It turns out that a moustache suits Joe Schmidt.
The Wallabies wearing their moustaches. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Even if they have lifted their morale in recent days, the Wallabies know they will need to find something special tomorrow. With their best player, Rob Valetini, ruled out again due to his badly-timed calf injury, they may struggle to hit last weekend's heights.
And yet, the occasion will surely draw something from them. Even with the series decided, it will be a sold-out crowd of 82,000 at the Accor.
The only thing dampening the build-up for all the Lions fans in town has been the very Irish rain, which has only briefly let up since Wednesday and is forecast to continue tomorrow for the third Test.
Even still, we're all hoping this thoroughly enjoyable Lions tour ends with a bang in Sydney.