We live in different days, thankfully. This team and these tours have endured despite bloody conflict abroad and at home.
They have prospered despite having their existence threatened by the march of professionalism and an ever more crowded fixture calendar.
They have survived the flak that flew after despicable violence in matches from the wild west years.
The Battle of Ballymore, the Battle of Canterbury, the Battle of Potchefstroom, the Battle of Boet Erasmus. Compelling but bleak chapters.
Doom-mongers have been proven wrong at every turn. Yes, it has become a commercial beast and the rampant hyping of the brand grates, but the essence of what makes the Lions special is strong and apparently unbreakable.
The tourists have won just one series this millennium – one of six – but the fascination only grows. Brilliantly weird and utterly exhilarating, this is a unique experience, a bucket-list item for fans and for every chosen player, a dream realised.
The speculation around who’s in and who’s out ends soon, though. Andy Farrell and his coaches have got their men.
Not everyone will agree with the names they came up with. There will be a wronged one, a lucky pick, a cause to rally round and get furious about. It was ever thus.
The Lions is four nations and one team, but on announcement day, everybody is looking out for their own.
Being picked for the Lions is, and always will be, a special moment in the life of any player – many would say the most special moment – but it cannot be enough anymore. There’s a pride in being a Lion, but greatness only comes in victory.
In 1997 Jim Telfer called selection “the easy bit” in his famous speech about reaching the top of Everest. Winning was the most important thing, he told his forwards. “The ultimate.” He was right then and he’s right now.
On Thursday, the 2025 Lions will rightly bask in a glorious achievement, but it’s only the initial step on a long journey.
Not as long as the one Seddon and his squad embarked upon when this concept was starting off, but still arduous and as compelling as ever.
www.bbc.com
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