Mane event: Lions get to know each other

Squad meet for first time at two-day gathering in attempt to put club and country allegiances aside

- Gerard Meagher

When the definitive history of the British & Irish Lions tour this summer is written, there may be a special place reserved for Ted's coffee van. Taking up position in the car park of the Richmond Hill hotel, here was a focal point, a leafy suburban equivalent of a water cooler around which Andy Farrell's men could break the ice.

Up on the hill, overlooking the Thames, with local artists tending their watercolours next to the house Ronnie Wood once owned, it was all a far cry from the cut and thrust of a Test series in Australia but, in keeping with the Lions' serene buildup, 10 days after Farrell named a squad that was low on controversy the tourists gathered for the first time.

Traditionally it is called Messy Monday, but these days, before the sun goes down at least, the players tend to stick to the lattes so they mingled around the coffee van. Finn Russell was approached for a selfie or two while the England flankers Tom Curry and Ben Earl arrived together. But the point of this two-day gathering is to put club and country allegiances to one side.