Hey, we’re as guilty as anyone of hyperbole and, by Jesus, we get overexcited by Irish feats year-round.
But something didn’t sit right watching the over-the-top Lions coverage on Sky Sports on Saturday morning.
It was a good game, it was nerve-wrecking, it went right to the wire but it was the biggest anti-climax of all in the end.
For 12 years, New Zealand has been waiting to host the Lions. For a whole season, players have been linked with the tour, the public has been talking about it, the build-up has been feverish. For six weeks, the best of Britain and Ireland toured around in the southern hemisphere winter taking knocks and bad press and, at the end of it all, it was a draw.
It was a draw.
No-one won. The series is over. And that’s it.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the Lions won though. You’d be forgiven for thinking they did the impossible, the unbelievable.
Because when you’re in the home nations media, there are some tricks to dress it all up:
- Instead of saying Owen Farrell is having a shit first half, missing tackles, throwing interceptions and kicking out on the full, just say he’s not at his “infallible best”.
- Instead of saying the Lions blew their 10-minutes advantage that the yellow card gave them, point out that they still won that period 3-0. And they all add up.
- Instead of talking about how many times the All Blacks cocked up when they looked to be clean through for a try, call it rope-a-dope from Lions.
- Call a draw history-making.
It’s immortal in its own right.
That’s why we got the fireworks.
Let’s not get carried away in the other direction, it was still a massive, massive effort from the Lions – it still took balls and courage and damn toughness and, Christ, it took skill, conviction and nerves of steel for Owen Farrell to deliver when he was asked to at the death.
And in fairness to the players, they were a little flat straight after the game.
They weren’t celebrating or jumping around or even talking it up – most of them spoke of the strangeness and not getting the win and even wanting extra time.
Scott Quinnell wasn’t having any of that though. He wanted to Jonathan Davies to know just “how special” this draw was.
We'll leave it there so ….(think those are his own tears there on Quinnell's shoulders) pic.twitter.com/kIz2dr3yUz
— clíona foley (@ponyyelof) July 8, 2017
And, if one arm around the Welshman wasn’t enough, the second was soon to come courtesy of Will Greenwood.
With a double reminder of how amazing Davies was throughout.
Jesus. I wouldn't even act like this around #Enda Muldoon pic.twitter.com/6oqIxdaMNr
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) July 8, 2017
But there’s obviously some sort of market for it because a lot of people just loved the coverage – however carried away it all got.
What a legend Scott quinnell is in commentary, so passionate but speaks a lot of sense
— Owen M Witherow (@OwenWitherow14) July 8, 2017
Brilliant interviews by Scott Quinnell and Will Greenwood. Sports' best double act.
— Jack Jacob Milner (@JJMSports) July 8, 2017
I need Scott Quinnell in my life! What a positive human being! 🙌🏻
— Abdul Rauf (@NemoNegan) July 8, 2017
History-makers.
