Tour diary entry #8: Hearts and minds

The Inside Welsh Rugby tour diary has moved onto Brisbane ahead of the Lions' first Test

Apologies for the slightly later than billed eighth entry to this tour diary.

I had planned to put it out Wednesday, but I ended up spending a lengthy evening with Tony Rees - the former Cardiff and Brive second-row - at his home out here. More on that later in the week.

It was a nice detour from what has been a strange first week on the Lions tour for myself.

Maybe it’ll feel different after the first Test, but I don’t really feel like I’m on a Lions tour.

It’s obviously not helped by the lack of Welshmen in the squad - with Jac Morgan not even making the Test squad.

But there just feels like a detachment at this point. Hopefully, the action at Suncorp on Saturday will change that.

But, having been following Wales so closely in Japan for two weeks, it’s strange to say, but the Lions feels like taking the foot off the accelerator this week.

There are a few other Welshmen knocking around, including tour manager Ieuan Evans.

I did find it mildly amusing to see him struggle with a door at a press conference earlier this week. Right up until I had the same issues with the same door.

The following day, the Lions turned up for another press conference in the same room - only to find a large group of schoolchildren using it for a lecture, shattering their plans.