Plea for more Lions matches against minor unions

Waste of time, or wonderful rugby occasion?

Both coaches were adamant that Lions tour matches against second division sides should continue despite the tourists' 109-6 thumping of Manawatu last night.

Manawatu coach Charlie McAlister pleaded for similar matches on future tours despite his side, the Lions' only second division opponents in 2005, receiving a torrid lesson.

"They're not chuffed about getting their butts kicked but they're chuffed as far as the experience was concerned," McAlister said.

"If they're going to try and keep the game in the communities, the fabric of the game, it would be cool if they kept at least one or two games in the second division to keep young guys dreams going in communities like ours.

"We haven't been in the first division for 15 years and this past week with the Lions has given our boys a massive profile."

McAlister said the Lions' post-match visit to the home dressing room to swap jerseys was "a huge buzz", as he quipped: "maybe we should have swapped jerseys before the game."

Manawatu captain Nathan Kemp, the only home player with Super 12 experience, said his players were the kids in a candy shop at the post-match visit.

"The Lions were awesome, they initiated it and came in with their jerseys," Kemp said.

"Next thing I know the boys come up with shorts and socks as well. They were giving up their whole kit, we just felt like greedy little Maori boys getting in there and trying to get as much gear as we could."

Lions midweek coach Ian McGeechan, who toured here as a player in 1977 and coach in 1993, backed the worth of such matches in the future.

"Part of a tour is you want to take the rugby around different parts of New Zealand which is important," McGeechan said.

"A Lions tour is almost unique now for the number of games played in a country and it is important that you bring it to different quarters."

- NZPA