Lions tour highs & lows

Highs

* The first 15 minutes of the tour, when the Lions rattled in three tries against Bay of Plenty, and we all sat forward and thought "this could be good".

* Gordon Bulloch's introduction to the final test 11 minutes from the end. Scotland's only contribution to the test series. Wags in the press box burst into "Flower of Scotland".

* This doubles as a low: The naming of the first test team. With a dose of the triumphal music booming round the room, the chosen 22 players trooped in to take their seats while a video of them was playing. Problem was there were only 21 chairs. The next two test announcements were by email.

* Best try? Options: Shane Williams against Otago, Josh Lewsey's tour opener against the Bay or Gareth Thomas in the second test. On balance Thomas because, just briefly, it raised hopes that all might not be lost.

* The first five minutes of the second test. See above.

* Best individual performance? Charlie Hodgson against Taranaki. All class. Second prize: A tie between five-try Shane Williams against Manawatu, Lewsey against the Bay and replacement Ryan Jones against Otago.

* Best team performance? Hmmm. Pass.

* Best replacement (there were five)? Loose forwards Ryan Jones and Simon Easterby in a tie. The best of the pack in the last two tests. Why were they not here from the start?

Lows

* The injury to Lawrence Dallaglio against the Bay. A fully fit Dallaglio would not have changed the overall outcome of the series, but a significant blow.

* The first test. Dreadful selection off the field, total ineptitude on it.

* When No 8 Michael Owen had to play against Taranaki and New Zealand Maori within four days - common practice on a century of tours - Sir Clive Woodward, with a straight face, said it was unfortunate but "we don't have enough players here".

* Losing captain Brian O'Driscoll to THAT tackle in the first test. Forget all the blather about the incident, it was tough to lose their only back with the capability of breaking the All Black line.

* Most anonymous Lion? Gareth Cooper or Andy Titterrell. FYI, one is a halfback from Wales, the other a hooker from England.

* The odd Lion out: Huge prop Andrew Sheridan. He was set to destroy the All Black front row and, for half an hour against the Maori, looked up for it. Yet he did not figure in a test. Very strange.

* Persisting with Jonny Wilkinson for the second test. A terrific player returning from injury, clearly, and understandably, not the Jonny of old.

* Alastair Campbell. A bad tactical blunder. When the messenger becomes bigger than the message, you've blown it.

* Sir C saying after the final test he'd like to bring 60 players and play Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Enough, please.