David Leggat: Forget jaw-jaw, this is war-war

Here's a little insight for anyone who thinks that Brian O'Driscoll is simply an amiable, easy-going Irishman doing a spot of doubling up as the Lions captain for the next few weeks.

It happened at a get-together on Saturday to launch a global advertising campaign by adidas featuring the unveiling of Last Man Standing, the ad featuring All Blacks and Lions filmed in London late last year, which anyone with a TV is about to become extremely familiar with.

Four Lions - O'Driscoll, first five-eighth supremo Jonny Wilkinson, lock Ben Kay and halfback Gareth Cooper - and four All Blacks, captain Tana Umaga, Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina and Byron Kelleher, were paired off and plonked in four corners of a large room.

They moved from station to station answering questions which doubtless had a familiar ring to them. There was some good-natured jibbing, nothing too serious and the players seemed to enjoy themselves.

O'Driscoll and Umaga were inevitably paired up. As they arrived at one corner and perched on their stools, one of the phalanx of photographers leaned forward to O'Driscoll. Would he mind moving his head across beside Umaga's for a nice, smiley shot.

O'Driscoll saw him coming a mile away. No, he said politely but firmly. You take us as you find us was the gist of his response.

The idea of being seen to be too chummy chummy with someone you'll be aiming to belt seven bells out of next month - and vice versa, to be fair - didn't appeal.

It might not be a good look somewhere down the line. A spot of schmaltz? Fergeddaboudit.

It was also another small taste of what is likely to become a familiar sight on this tour: the Lions will call the shots. And fair enough too.

That said, there was some laughter, some decent chat and the players seemed to enjoy each other's company.

Umaga said his intention in the tests was to give O'Driscoll "the respect he deserves and make sure he doesn't make me look stupid out there".

O'Driscoll said the Lions would keep an eye on this Friday night's All Black trial, but admitted he wouldn't fancy a trial back home to finalise the Lions playing squad.

"I guess not. I'm sure there's going to be a great competitive edge to our sessions. The difference between trial matches and training sessions is you're fighting against one another, whereas we're trying to help one another along."

Wilkinson, teamed up with Howlett, talked about his delight at being back after 18 largely inactive months, the challenge - personally and collectively - that lies ahead and his pleasure at being back working with his old England boss Sir Clive Woodward.

Muliaina chuckled at the memory of sneaking through the gate to watch the 1993 Lions play Southland in Invercargill.

His breakfast mate, Kay, was a World Cup winner two years ago, and is part of a rugged quartet of locks.

He adroitly steered clear of any talk about the All Blacks having a locking weakness - "If that's a weakness I wouldn't like to see a team at full strength" - and ducked tipping who should partner Chris Jack in the first test.

Now that could have been asking for mischief somewhere down the line. Just as O'Driscoll had sniffed a few minutes earlier.