All together now...

The Divide:Commentators better remember that the Irish are leading the charge this time round.

A lot has been said about the difficulty for players from four countries, who normally batter the hell out of one another, gelling as one solid unit on hostile foreign terrain, but if the last tour to New Zealand is anything to go by, it’s just as tricky for the supporters.

Maybe the relentless chanting of “Lions Lions Lions” simply reveals a lack of imagination, but when you think about it there’s no easy alternative for the red-clad tubbies from the “Barmy Army”.

In fact, it was only the magic of BOD that forced the crowd to come up with Waltzing O’Driscoll after he scored his outrageous try against the Aussies in 2001.

The sheer clunkiness of the name “The British and Irish Lions” leads one to conclude that there’s no acceptable abbreviation other than “The Lions”. “The Brits” maybe? Eh, no. Which brings us to the thorny issue of the not so subtle dropping of the the word “Irish” in certain quarters.

Not unusually, an interviewer on BBC Northern Ireland recently consistently referred to the team as the British Lions which was not about to be corrected by the person he was interviewing, Stephen Ferris.

With 14 Irishmen - one of whom is captain - originally selected, it did seem a little . . . how shall I put it . . . cycloptic?

It may not make it into the George Mitchell manual of peace keeping, but perhaps the only way around it is for the rest of us to start dropping the word British from time to time.

Or for a South African commentator to make the same faux pas every other blinking commentator from the southern hemisphere has made for the last 50 years, but this time in favour of Ireland, “And there in the stand we see Ian McGeechan, head coach of the IRISH Lions.”

Having been glued to previous tours on TV, to the point of near hibernation, I was always aghast that some Aussie nitwit would refer to a team including Ollie Campbell or Fergus Slattery as the British Isles.

Hey, even Stuart Barnes remembers to say Irish in between “British” and “Lions”.

Clearly it’s an issue that’s highlighted due to the unusually large number of Irish players making up the party and the scale of Irish rugby’s success of late. In fact rugby in this country remains the most consistent source of good news and these days produces a sort of feel good factor like nothing else.

Indeed you really have to pinch yourself to appreciate how vast the change in Irish rugby is from 12 months ago.

As a certain RTE sports presenter called Colm Murray might put it: “A year is a long time in sport. This time last year it was May 2008, a year on and it’s May 2009. Well f*** me!”

Of course rugby isn’t the only thing to have changed in our little country, but I wasn’t convinced we were actually in a recession until I witnessed four middle-aged southside blondes huddled over their Avoca salads discussing the current crisis, shocked by the realisation that they may now have to face a life “playing the lotto”. It was as if they were about to go on the game.

“I’ve never actually done it, so I just wouldn’t know where to start,” said one woman. “I believe it’s easy enough once you get used to it,” said another. “Suppose you’ve just got to think of the cash.”

Things have changed so much in that year that Eddie O’Sullivan has pledged his oath of alleigance to the land of opportunity. Seems appropriate enough.

Hopefully it won’t alter his personality, although there were signs recently that the appointment may have already gone to his head. Asked at an informal gathering last week what he would bring to the American cause he said: “I Edward Franklin O’Sullivan do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of Manager of The United States faithfully and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the tactics of the United States, so help me God.”

Of course many Irish players who shuffled off the turf at Twickenham at the frustrating end to Eddie O’s reign are now swaggering towards the tailor of their Lions suits.

However, the decision to leave The Bull Hayes in Bruff for the summer remains the single most devastating piece of news for one Munster man, Gerry Fahy. So sure was he that he would travel that he sold his brown 1980 Ford Cortina to fund his travel expenses.

In a statement on the Munster supporter’s website he said, “The Bull will be back. I can’t see why at the age of 39 he won’t make the shaggin’ squad in 2013. Legend.”

The big question in the context of The Lions is how will lads from all over Ireland mix with chaps from all over Britain, and indeed Australia and New Zealand? Will there be misunderstandings? What about the leadership? Will they all understand Paul ‘The Colossus’ O’Connell’s insane, but motivating teamtalks? Well at least he can always rely on BOD.

(Lions team hotel room, June 19th, eve of the first Test: O’Connell: Right lads there’ll be no shaggin takin it handy with this shower, ya hear me? WILL YOU SCARE ANYONE? WILL YOU? HA?

Silence as team digest the question

Mike Phillips: Sorry boyo I didn’t ahhhchtually quite chatch your meaning there see?

Ricky Flutey: Jeez mate what did he say?

Steven Ferris: Are youuu talking to mey?

Euan Murray(on his knees) I told ye ta leave me out of this, I’m having a wee prayer here.

BOD: Paulie remember I said if you needed my help I’d be there for you? Eh here it is. Leinster Leinster Leinster!)

One thing’s for sure, the mistakes of Clive Woodward and Alistair Campbell will not be repeated by Ian ‘The Eagle’ McGeechan and his team. May ‘The Irish and British Lions’ bury the nightmare of New Zealand and The Boks while they’re at it. As the famous old Welsh comedian and rugby nut Max Boyce might say “I’ll be there”.