Aisle be back: The Lions tour and the first Test

I read somewhere once that the Roman mega-coliseum events were at first meant to only be seen once in a person's lifetime. Like once every 100 years.

Notwithstanding no-one lived much past 50, inevitably the emperors thought this was great for keeping the populace happy. Before you could say I Claudius, it was held every year, at which point some people said enough of the commute and chose to stay at home and watch on their giant flat-tablets.

I kind of see the Lions tour in the same light, as they happen every 12 years. Now that means you can probably see six or seven of them before crossing the great tryline in the sky.

But for players, it really must seem like the once-in-a-lifetime event. Take every players' age, and add 12. Not many will get a second crack, unless they are under 23, or Brad Thorn.

I guess that's why it's a bit more than your average series. It might be a good thing if rarity became the rule in other things. Who isn't bored with playing the Boks and Wallabies every year. Every year.

The Lions have actually done very well to put together a pretty respectable test side. I won't say pretty to watch, but this is test rugby, not Britain's Got Talent.

Not perhaps as good a side as the one being talked to high heavens by the commentators on Saturday night after they suffocated the Maori. Then again, were the All Blacks as good as they looked on Friday?

To state the obvious, that's why they play the test on Saturday. I'll be leaving the comfort of my sofus maximus and hitting the Appian Way to Eden Park.

Funnily enough the Lions were always the star attraction for the Roman audiences. But let's just wish both sides good luck, and this time next week, we can do our Russell Crowe impersonation: Were You Not Entertained?

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I didn't predict the Bus would get dropped. But honestly it isn't a surprise.

He's in much better nick this year, but in Super Rugby, the try generation isn't there.

So it's easy to then see where hansen plumps for X-factor, and someone who will scare the Lions with his flair.

So with Reiko Ioane claiming his spot, we'll watch to see how that fires up Savea.

Other than that, Crotty was going to come back if fit, but it must have been a bit of a line call.

But Leinert-Brown will do no one any harm coming off the bench.

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New Zealand must be infuriating to compete against in a lot of sports.

Just look at Steve Hansen, chuckling and jabbing away, and even channelling Forrest Gump's box of chocolates this week.

The best antidote is not, oddly enough, another New Zealander. Warren can't quite make anyone buy the line that the All Blacks are now the worried ones.

Neither, however, are in the class of America's Cup skipper Peter Burling.

He's operating at peak laconic.

Basically, he's using only his eyebrows to say Yeah Nah Sweet As, in one sweeping motion.

I guarantee I won't be feeling that calm at kickoff on Saturday.

Lifelong All Blacks supporter Kev has followed the Hurricanes since they began. Last year his faith in them was rewarded when they won the title – can they do it again?