Aileen Donnan: Where are the Scots?

Aileen Donnan

A Scottish reader, now living in Wellington, gives her views on the tour

Lions fever has well and truly reached fever pitch in the windy environs of Wellington ahead of the second Test.

The place is completely crawling with red jackets sporting such delightful logos as "Lancashire Pensioners on Tour, NZ 2005" together with the delightful jeans and white trainer look. What can I say, British rugby fans have never been known for their trendiness.

Every shop in the land seems to be sporting the logo "make yourselves at home" and shopkeepers are falling over backwards to assist their pound/euro-laden customers.

What I can't help but notice however is the distinct lack of kilts. Come to think of it in none of my fortnightly phone calls home have I heard of anyone from "the Shire" making the big trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Could it be explained by the shortage of Scots in this team? After all there is no Gavin Hastings (boring as he is) as in 1993 – only a somewhat tired looking Gordon Bulloch and an injured Simon Taylor. Bring back the likes of Andy Irvine I cry, if only, and put a bit of fire in the Lions' bellies!

There is a poster that has been published here featuring the All Blacks massacring a pack of Lions and, if last Saturday in Christchurch is anything to go by, the ABs (Kiwis are big on acronyms) could destroy us again this week.

But despite of the feeling of despair I've had all week, not to mention the nasty feeling one gets from omnipotent Brian O'Driscoll accusing his opposite number (and darling of Wellington) of a dirty tackle, I can't wait for Saturday to come.

None the least, and apologies for the triviality, because it represents another opportunity for me to wear my very expensive and tight fitting "girls version" red top.

Moreover, the Lions, if they are to avoid a black-wash will have to demonstrate they can play as a team, and not just as a bunch of clever individuals, in order to prove to a sceptical, rugby-mad nation that the Brits and Irish are up to the challenge – no mean feat!

I may not (yet) have a ticket for the game but the atmosphere in the pubs of Wellington, including the Welsh bar (formerly a public toilet and now our favourite rugger haunt) is bound to be very special.

Let's just hope, in the Scottish sense with all its emphasis on some form of divine intervention - i.e. Prince William kissing me while he's in NZ - Gordie gets a new lease of life and on top of getting picked scores the winning try. That would be surely enough to keep the handful of kilt wearing Celts very happy.

* Aileen Donnan is a reader formerly of Drumtroddan, Whauphill, Newton Stewart. That's in Scotland