Lions to sidestep big two

By CHRIS RATTUE

The impressive roar of the Lions will bypass the powerhouse provinces of Auckland and Canterbury on their New Zealand tour next year.

Both expressed extreme disappointment yesterday, after the 10-game itinerary was released by the New Zealand Rugby Union.

And mysteriously, Auckland and Canterbury's matching versions of why they missed out conflicted with the details given by the NZRFU.

The programme includes tests in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. But the omission of Auckland and Canterbury - the giants of the New Zealand game - has given a disappointing tinge to the Lions eagerly awaited tour, their first here in 12 years.

Players from World Cup champions England, such as star first five-eighths Jonny Wilkinson, should form the basis of the Lions, to be coached by Sir Clive Woodward.

But the Lions, at their own request, have avoided the full blow-torch tour that games against Auckland and Canterbury would have helped to provide.

It seems inconceivable that both provinces have missed out, especially as they are the places best equipped to host the tourists and their army of fans.

Wellington, an under-achieving provincial side in a city with notorious accommodation problems, will host two games.

Hamilton will host the New Zealand Maori game, but Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waikato have all missed, while the lower North Island seems over-blessed. Apart from a test in Wellington, Taranaki and Manawatu will face the tourists.

Auckland have been the NPC champions for the past two seasons and are the base for the Super 12 champions, while Canterbury are this country's top Super 12 achievers.

Auckland chief executive David White and Canterbury counterpart Hamish Riach said the NZRFU had told them the Lions did not want to play them.

But NZRFU assistant chief executive Steve Tew said he could not remember the Lions mentioning Auckland and Canterbury by name. Instead, they wanted a balanced itinerary that did not load a series of top sides against them.

If so, that means the NZRFU has sidelined Auckland and Canterbury, preferring Otago and Wellington as the main provincial games.

Tew said the NZRFU wanted to give a geographical spread, and also took into account who had played the Lions on their last tour in 1993.

Of the provinces to play next year's Lions, Taranaki, Otago and Southland played the 1993 team.

"Auckland are champions now but we haven't played the NPC this year yet," said Tew.

White also said the NZRFU gave the "historical" reason that the Lions had played Auckland and Canterbury on their last tour, but "that's a long time ago".

"I guess we're disappointed not to get more than one game here and it would have been great to match ourselves against the Lions," said White.

The NZRFU had said the Lions "didn't want to play us or Canterbury, which is disappointing".

"They [the Lions] gave the strength of our teams as the reason."

Both White and Riach said it was great for rugby that the Lions tour was taking place, Riach saying, "It's a bit of a shame they're not playing Canterbury."

"We're disappointed, absolutely. But it's going to be a hugely popular tour. We're not whinging."

Those thoughts were echoed by All Blacks legend and recently departed Auckland assistant coach Grant Fox, who helped to guide the side to three titles in five seasons.

He said the public wanted such tours, and it was the best way to blood players.

"It's disappointing Auckland don't get a game but it's great the tour is on. If there were 12 or 13 games, maybe Auckland could have been fitted in.

"I don't have an issue with the Super 12. I think it's fantastic. But I wouldn't be playing the Tri-Nations so often.

"We need these sort of tours instead. I hope they are outward for the All Blacks as well," Fox said.

The tour takes place against a background of ambivalence in Britain. The Lions are an icon of the game, but players are already over-worked and the professional clubs find the tours disruptive.

But next year's tour manager, Bill Beaumont, said: "It is high time we renewed our long-held traditions with the country in general and the All Blacks in particular."