The Lions in Dublin

It's Thursday night and I'm sat in the bar at Newcastle Airport waiting for the 23:05 to Dublin. I'm waiting for a bucket list trip, to watch the British Lions tomorrow night at The Aviva Stadium.

My first Lions memory is vague but I remember being nine and in a pub in The Black Lion, Richmond, North Yorkshire and the Lions was on and they had a barbecue in the car park. That was the series that brought the still legendary Living with the Lions.

I absolutely love the Lions and as I've said to watch them live is a bucket list thing. It'll also be my first visit to The Aviva, I walked past it a couple of seasons ago when I went to watch Gloucester get schooled by Leinster at The RDS in The Champions Cup.

I worked out this evening that this will now make Argentina the international team I've watched most, this will be my third time watching them having seen them against England at Twickenham when I was eleven and against Scotland on my stag do at Murrayfield. I gave that the big build up to my none rugby supporting mates and it was possibly the worst game of rugby I've ever seen!

Argentina have picked an exciting looking squad including the mercurial Santi Carreras at full back who's footballing skills have lit up The Premiership with Gloucester this season. Isgro, Cinti and Albornoz add further sparkle to the back line.

In the forwards Julian Montoya fresh from The Premiership final last weekend will lead the Pumas from the front in a typically abrasive fashion. He'll be backed up by Rubiolo, Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez. I love the passion that Argentina bring to any contest and they'll relish the opportunity to go toe to toe with The Lions tomorrow night

As for The Lions, this is the first chance to make an impression. On a Lions tour you need to take your chances as you don't know when your next one will be. If Fin Smith has a good game and runs the show well tomorrow that puts pressure on Russell when he gets his chance. There's opportunities all over the park. The player that everyone's talking about Henry Pollock is on the bench, I watched England under 20s v Scotland under 20s at Kingston Park earlier in the season and was disappointed when he was kept back from that squad. Hopefully I'll get to see him live tomorrow night.

A back row with Tom Curry and Jac Morgan in accompanied by Ben Earl is something to be excited about, throw in the turnover threat of Beirne in the second row and it's a very mobile pack that the Lions have gone for. Mitchell and Smith will have familiarity that will help to settle the team. With Marcus Smith at full back there's a further play making option. There's quite a lot to be excited about!

Anyway this isn't the only sport I'll be at this weekend, I land back in Newcastle on Saturday morning and I'm on a train to Leeds on Sunday morning to watch England v India, this is going to be an awesome weekend of sport!