A large soft toy is soon to be clutched by Sam Warburton and then dropped pitch-side as he runs onto the field. It’s almost here  . . . the Lions tour is about to begin and Robin Davey sets the scene.

 

The eagerly awaited British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand is about to begin with the opening game and the rugby world holds its breath to see if they can roar in the land of the world champions.

Only once have the Lions triumphed in the All Blacks’ lair and that was way back in 1971 when, arguably, the greatest Lions of them all returned home triumphant.

Then the Lions possessed backs of the calibre of JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Barry John, Gareth Edwards, captained by the imperious John Dawes.

Yet for all their class those Lions lost their first match en route for New Zealand when they stopped off to play a warm-up fixture against Queensland and were beaten.

But times change and in the era of shorter, more physically demanding tours it is vital to hit the ground running.

Momentum is everything, and to go down in the tour opener would be a real setback, not a calamity for sure, but certainly unwanted.

Lions coach Warren Gatland says the players chosen for Saturday’s first game were informed of their selection a week ago, basically those not involved in the final weekend of play-offs and therefore able to train as a group for the longest.

So, the side to face NZ Provincial Barbarians at the Toll Stadium, Whangarei, was chosen more on those who’d had the longest rest period leading up to the tour.

Nevertheless, they will all be keen to lay a marker down and impress ahead of the sterner tests ahead, starting with the Blues at Eden Park next Wednesday.

Gatland has brushed aside all talk of the tour being far too tough – Graham Henry calling the itinerary suicidal with all the Super sides and the All Blacks in three Tests lined up to have a go at the Lions.

Gatland says they’ve known about the itinerary for a long time, there’s nothing they can do to change it now, so they’ve just got to get on with it.

The opener looks promising from a Welsh perspective and back row trio of Ross Moriarty, Taulupe Faletau and skipper Sam Warburton all having a golden opportunity to establish a partnership which could take them all the way to the Test team, especially with Billy Vunipola having to withdraw with a shoulder injury.

Alun Wyn Jones, who had been in the running for the captaincy, gets an early opportunity in a highly competitive area, though the backs are a Welsh-free zone.

It was thought Dan Biggar might have earned a starting spot but instead the vastly experienced Johnny Sexton gets the go-ahead, charged with unleashing a strike force of Ben Te’o and Jonathan Joseph with Stuart Hogg sure to make an impact as an attacking threat.

The most interesting choice is probably English prop Kyle Sinckler, who joins that rare breed of players starting for the Lions before their country.

Lock Ian Henderson is another rumbustious type of forward who should go well in New Zealand as the sense of anticipation grows.

To the few who claim the Lions are an anachronism in this day and age, try telling that to the players who rate it as the ultimate honour.

And try telling it to the All Blacks who have been waiting for this for the last 12 years.

The Lions are about to roar – and they must start with a bang on Saturday.