Inside the Lions celebrations after securing series victory against Australia

Independent

5 days ago

The sanctity of the sporting dressing room is one now fiercely, and understandably, protected in an age of full professionalism, the inner circle tight and private. There are times, however, where a spot of favourable architecture and organisation can grant a glimpse inside the four thick walls – and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, it was hard to avoid the celebrations of the British and Irish Lions.
Partly, this was because they began in the great open expanse of pasture ringed by the 100,000 seats. As the victorious Lions made their way around the oval, several leapt up over the hoardings into the embrace of friends, family and the wider fraternity to lap up the waves of red. 'I jumped in a few times!' Hugo Keenan admitted. 'It was unbelievable walking around the stadium. My parents were there, my brother, my uncle and aunt, my girlfriend. I've about 10 friends over from Ireland who have spent a bomb to be here but they are all saying it is absolutely worth it.'
Once dragged back to the dressing room, the more raucous celebrations could really start. The cubby hole of a press conference room at the MCG sits directly between the two changing rooms, and the emergence of Andy Farrell and Maro Itoje from stage left came with full-throated accompaniment; the roar of the Lions contrasting with the stony silence from the Wallabies next door.
One would like to say that decorum was maintained while Farrell and Itoje took their questions but that would be an untruth. 'See what you guys are making me miss out on!' the captain remarked as his teammates worked through an array of celebratory standards, Robbie Williams, Neil Diamond and The Pogues given the karaoke treatment. The Lions Male Voice Choir, here in Australia to support the tourists, probably need to look elsewhere for new members.
The successful 1997 tour to South Africa saw 'Wonderwall' emerge as a Lions standard, Matt Dawson, Mike Catt and Austin Healey leading the side in a rendition in the same second Test circumstances as the current crop could enjoy. This time around, the squad's anthem appears to be an adapted version of 'Rockin' All Over the World', made famous by Status Quo. The exact words, supposedly, are changing through the tour, though the hailing of Farrell and Itoje has been constant. Fly half Fin Smith, it is said, has been chief lyricist, altering a tune first penned by John Fogerty – the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman, that is, rather than Lions scrum coach John Fogarty, a near namesake.
Once Itoje and Farrell had been freed from their duties, the entire squad grabbed chairs from the dressing room and hauled them out through the bowels and up the ramp back on to the playing surface. With the fans away into the Melbourne night – and the Lions soon to follow – there was a serene scene as the players gathered in a celebratory circle, soaking it all up with a moment of reflection - once Keenan had been forced to re-enact his try. Since coming together, the squad has been unified in their next-game focus, never letting themselves get too high or too low; now, with a series win secure, thoughts of a possible whitewash in Sydney were temporarily far away.
'I think everyone wants to play in that game,' Finn Russell did admit. 'We're going back up to Sydney tomorrow, but it's not really on our minds just now. I think we need to enjoy this and celebrate tonight.
'When we come back Monday, we'll be ready to go again. I think if we can make it a 3-0 series, that's amazing. Everyone's going to be gunning for that.'
The Scottish fly half was one of several players sporting confectionary leis, a ring of chocolate draped around his neck to the delight of his eldest daughter. 'Sione [Tuipulotu] gave me it,' Russell said by way of explanation. 'I think it's from Tonga. My daughter's been eating them.
'There are a few boys inside that have got the chocolate around their necks. I don't fully understand it, to be honest. They gave me it in Perth, I got it as well. I'm obviously not from the islands, so I don't fully understand it, but I'm enjoying it.'
There will be a desire within the group not to let an opportunity to complete a first Lions clean sweep in 98 years pass them by, particularly after making it clear from the outset their desire to finish this tour unbeaten on Australian soil. Changes are likely for the third Test with the side looking in need of freshening up in places at the end of a long tour. The squad are set to have a more relaxed scheduled over the next two days at least to recover, recuperate and absorb the Sydney sunshine – before going again in search of a 3-0 whitewash.