Exile excels for the Lions

PS Well done – a second time, Simon

Notwithstanding the satisfaction of seeing so many Irish players on the field in the second Test on Saturday 2nd July, nor the admiration one had to have for the way that New Zealand played, it was with more than a little pleasure that fellow Exiles witnessed the performance of Simon Easterby.

Apart from being the Lions’ leading line-out player on the day, and scoring an excellent try with two All Blacks trying to stop him (no mean feat), his overall performance caused Clive Woodward to single him out after the game, saying that Simon had a huge game, and Eddie Butler subsequently wrote that he was the pick of the bunch (i.e. Lions) for his heroic effort.

He has now fulfilled our fervent wish (previously expressed on these pages) that he might emulate the achievements of fellow Exile Rob Henderson on the last Lions’ tour to Australia. More of that in the third Test, Simon!