Breaching the Lions’ den

The lions have spent thousands to keep prying eyes away from their training runs - but anyone can wander through their command centre.
A Herald On Sunday writer walked unchallenged into the Lions players' room at Auckland's Hilton Hotel on Friday - a room which contained computers, the tactics of opposing teams and messages from well-wishers.

The writer wandered around the room for five minutes but did not touch or remove anything. He left without being asked who he was, or where he was from.

The security breach follows extreme precautions by the touring team, including hiring guards and spending thousands of dollars on sail-cloth screens to keep training sessions private.

The 45-strong team and its 30-member management team are using half the rooms at the five-star Hilton Hotel on Princes Wharf. They have also taken over the Hilton's conference area, a series of rooms on the first floor of the hotel, arranged around an open foyer.

On Friday, our writer wandered through the double doors at the entrance to the conference area, straight into the heart of the Lions' management machine.

There was freshly washed team clothing hanging up in the wide corridor, carefully bagged in clear plastic by the Hilton laundry.

Eight laptops were set up, with a list nearby showing which computer holds footage of upcoming opponents, including Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Otago. A sign said: "If you want to see how Paul Honiss referees and what he blows penalties for, it's on this laptop."

A message board for well-wishers carried print-outs of just two emails - one from a Kiwi and one from an England-based supporter. A whiteboard served as the main information point, listing who was required to give urine tests, and giving directions to the hotel gym.

Lions spokeswoman Louisa Cheetham said the room was "clearly marked private", although sensitive team information was held in a secure place, as were team meetings.

She said the Lions' "small" security team was used to help players, rather than to keep New Zealanders away from the team.

- Herald on Sunday