Lions tour isn't happening in normal conditions but show must go on

DAN BIGGAR: This Lions tour is not taking place in normal circumstances by any stretch… even our Haribo had to sanitised! But the show must go on and the South Africa series can help take people’s minds off the pandemic

• From the moment we stepped off the plane it has not felt like a normal Lions tour
• We all hope the series is something to take people’s minds off what’s going on 
• It can be a distraction and for that reason alone, it’s right this tour is going ahead

From the moment we stepped off the plane at O.R. Tambo International Airport, this has not felt like a normal Lions tour. All of our gear was sprayed down with disinfectant at arrivals and we had to wear gloves to pick up our bags.

As we were taking off from Edinburgh, South Africa was just going into a tier four lockdown. Our head of medical, Prav Mathema, addressed the team and reinforced that we were travelling into a country still gripped by the Covid pandemic.

We have not stepped outside of the hotel or training ground this week. On the bus journey to training, we drive past a couple of townships. People are basically living on top of each other.

This isn’t a normal Lions tour by any stretch but it was the right decision to allow it to go ahead 

It’s a real eye-opener and you can see why the rates of infection are so high. There are hardly any cars on the roads. Pretty much everything looks closed.

We have a couple of local security guards who travel everywhere with us. They make the security guys who travelled with us look like pussycats! It’s a different world here and you need guys with local insight. People are just desperate to survive.

In our bubble, we’re quite far removed from the tragic events that are going on around the country. The security guys give us an insight — we’re fortunate to have the protection we have.

Our hotel is a bit of a tourist complex. Normally it has restaurants, shops and casinos but they are closed. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves. It’s a bit of a ghost town but it’s not too different from what we all experienced during the Six Nations. 

The British and Irish Lions tour was under threat of being cancelled or delayed due to the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic in host country (South African citizens pictured getting their vaccinations earlier this year)

We get tested frequently. Players, coaches, security, hotel staff… everyone. You wear your masks everywhere. It feels a bit more like the early days of Covid in the UK and people were on edge a little more.

We’re all fully aware of the rules. If one of us breaches the protocols, we’re probably on the first plane home. It’s not like the UK where people have started to get a bit more relaxed. We had some pre-match treats delivered on Friday night — Haribo and Tim Tam biscuits — and even they had to be sanitised.

Four years ago in New Zealand, we were packing our bags and moving hotel every few days. It was proper touring. Here we are more settled, meaning we have a bit more time to chill out. 

I spend a lot of time in Patrick ‘Rala’ O’Reilly’s room. He’s the kitman and he’s a bit of a Lions legend. If you need socks, toothpaste, chocolate, a cup of tea, anything… he’s your man. 

It feels like the early days of Covid in the UK out here but we feel fortunate we can play the series

He gets a big suite room because the lads always turn up at his door! Bobby Stridgeon was entertaining us there on Thursday night with a load of card tricks.

As things stand, we are here in Johannesburg for two more games. Everything is subject to change though. There is talk about moving everything to Cape Town, so we come down each morning not knowing if we’ll be heading to the airport again.

For now, we just feel fortunate that the games can go ahead. It’s a terrible situation but the Lions tour only comes around here every 12 years and we hope it’s something to take people’s minds off what’s going on. A bit of a distraction from the problems. For that reason alone, I think it’s right that this tour is going ahead.

Jamie George has been wearing the full kit for England’s football matches. We’ve been getting together in the team room and most of the guys have been throwing on their white polo shirts in a show of support! There are a lot of Jack Grealish fans in the group. Everyone loves a player who can do things off the cuff. The closest we have is probably Finn Russell. 

Jamie George has been wearing full football kit for England’s Euro 2020 matches

We were having a laugh by the pool when we read Warren Gatland’s comments that Alun Wyn Jones could be back for the Tests. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he walked through the hotel door in three weeks’ time.

The leadership group have been helping out Conor Murray since he took over as captain. He’s not a big-speech type but he’s a calm voice. He’s opening a new restaurant this week — Morrissey’s in Doonbeg — and asked me to plug it here!

The high altitude means the guys can get a few extra metres on their kicks. Stuart Hogg managed a kick at goal from 73 metres on the angle.

As the youngest guy on tour, Louis Rees-Zammit has to carry the BIL, the Lion teddy. It’s a tour tradition.  

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