Heads still spinning in aftermath

Behind The Lines: Prince William arrived yesterday, which should be a timely fillip for the British and Irish Lions. Yep, his presence ought to be very inspiring for Dunners, Paulie, "Si", Shaggy (Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell, Simon Easterby, Shane Horgan) and the boys.

And the presence of royalty has brought with it an inevitable media circus, with at least 15 extra paparazzi joining what is already a scrum.

Do the Lions really need this? In all honesty, nothing against the fellow, who must have the definitive goldfish-bowl existence, but what relevance does a member of the British royal family have to a Lions tour?

Apparently he attended yesterday's kicking practice, ensuring a photo opportunity for the plethora of snappers invited along to see William in, rather preposterously, a Lions ensemble. Alas, dear reader, your correspondent didn't make it.

Clive Woodward said he was delighted William was here to lend his support to the touring party, though admitted he hadn't actually been able to pass on any advice. It was, the Lions head coach asserted, "great for the sport and great for New Zealand".

Yet it seems like just another excess of the 2005 Lions, spin rather than substance, and that will clearly be an abiding impression of these tourists among the local populace.

Wellington is more Melbourne or Canberra than Sydney. You'd know immediately that despite its relatively small population of about 175,000, Wellington is the capital city, the place of government and business.

Downtown, not far from the harbour, which has been basking under blue skies all week, is full of designer boutiques and cafes.

The buzz has heightened in the last 24 hours as the red-shirted thousands descend. The talk is of whether the Lions can rebound and even save their blushes after last week's beating, and, of course, the Brian O'Driscoll/

Tana Umaga affair.

You'd wonder how anyone can see this whole saga as a black-and-white affair, though plenty do. I'm still not convinced there isn't some other aspect to it all which, amazingly, hasn't come out in the wash.

Certainly the way Woodward had the Lions line up in a deep arc, with the leader of the tribe (O'Driscoll) and its youngest member (Dwayne Peel) accepting the challenge seemed to show the haka proper respect.

In picking up an imaginary leaf or piece of wood, O'Driscoll then apparently tossed it away. When I asked Woodward whether this was also proper protocol he said yes, and Alastair Campbell stepped in to emphasise it was. In any event the All Blacks have stated no offence was taken.

The haka undoubtedly gives the All Blacks an edge, and is a guaranteed means of stoking up their aggression in a way none of the home unions can manage - and certainly the Power of Four couldn't have the same effect.

Brilliant pre-match pageant and genuine manifestation of Maori culture though it is, a psychologist examined the effects of the haka, and claimed it dangerously raised aggression levels in those performing it.

Needless to say, rugby rubbished her claims, but one ventures Saturday's events may have strengthened her argument.

Looking at the double-spear "clean-out" over and over, it's hard not to see it as gratuitously over the top and highly dangerous. One cannot recall O'Driscoll himself ever being so upset about anything.

Maybe his emotional state was exploited by the Lions' media department to deflect attention from the lamentable first-Test performance, but Woodward undoubtedly felt a wrong had not been righted.

As the New Zealand Herald editorial of Wednesday admitted, the fallout didn't reflect well on New Zealand rugby. The All Blacks felt backed into a corner, especially by Campbell, and dug their heels in. But by not coming out into the open, preferably last Sunday, and by Umaga not expressing more immediate regret, they left the door open.

That the incident was exposed forcefully perhaps constituted a publicity coup of sorts for the Lions. But at what cost?

Campbell seems a personable fellow and clearly excels at what he does, but Tony Blair's spin doctor came with "previous". He helped push the notion that the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction, and his presence has even been a red rag to much of the travelling media, who resent him controlling them, compiling dossiers on them and advising the players how to handle them.

It may even have contributed to the "vitriol and bile" that have come Woodward's way, and certainly some of the name-calling seems excessive.

Woodward, too, has always seemed to me like a personable fellow who has taken "positive feedback" better than most. But he has never seemed more haunted, wounded or under pressure than this week, and Campbell's presence may have added to some of the invective.

Campbell, it is worth noting, was employed to help Blair seek re-election. But Woodward isn't seeking re-election. In fact, he's heading off to football with Southampton on August 1st. It leaves him more exposed, and no amount of spin can protect him from that.