British and Irish Lions: Are the Lions sport’s strangest concept?

“The Lions represent the continuing legacy of the British Empire. That still has tremendous resonance in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

“When the first tours went, these were still very young countries and, in many ways, they still define themselves by their ability to compete with and defeat the British.

“Back home in Britain, despite the devolution of powers to the various constituent parts, there is still a nostalgia for British-ness in lots of places.”

While the Lions have thrived, the advent of professionalism has had an impact on another of the sport’s great composite teams: the Barbarians.

Back in 1973, the Barbarians beat the All Blacks in front of 51,000 in what was a full-blooded contest at the very highest level of the game.

Contrast that with the Barbarians’ most recent outing last month, which saw the free-running invitational side comfortably beaten in what amounted to a pre-tour loosener for a second-string England side.