The Lions warm-up in front of fans at a public training session in Auckland. Picture / Paul Smith
The Lions launched their charm offensive with a public training session at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland today.
Around 2000 fans turned out for the event, which featured the whole of the squad and key management figures including head coach Clive Woodward.
Fans were given a training display with the squad
breaking into forwards and backs to practise lineouts, kicking and demonstrate bungee-sprint training after a video presentation on the players.
Many of the crowd - some from the surrounding area, others from the other side of the world – were united in the main draw being a certain Jonny Wilkinson.
Among them were husband and wife Anne and Alan Tomlinson, from the North Shore, who have lived in New Zealand for 20 years since leaving England.
Despite Wilkinson's presence being the key incentive to turning out, they stressed they were staying neutral for the tour and would be watching the All Blacks in training too.
Several school groups were given the morning off classes to attend the session, including rugby players from Glenfield College.
Darren Liudique, 15, from the college, was also there to see Wilkinson, describing him as "the best kicker in the world".
He and teammates Josh Barton, 14, and Royden Campbell, 13, agreed the All Blacks would win the test series, the only dispute being whether it would be a 3-0 demolition or a closer 2-1.
Woodward was sticking to his line that winning the Lions series would be harder – and more satisfying – than winning the World Cup with England in 2003.
He said: "There is no one more proud than me of winning the World Cup, but it was a four-year operation. The Lions is more difficult because you are bringing together four sets of players from four different countries with one week of preparation."
He rejected the criticism that the Lions had too many coaches saying there were two separate management teams – one for midweek and one for Saturday games.
"If you add up the New Zealand coaches and times that by two, that is what we have got," Woodward said.
