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Thursday, 3 July 2025

Lions 25.1-3

The British and Irish Lions are now well into their tour of Australia. It may be a far cry from the massive adventures of old but hey-ho that is professional rugby for you and I won't grumble on about that subject again. The ship has sailed.

 

Thus far the Lions have endured a predictable roughing-up in Dublin at the hands of Argentina followed by two less than brilliant wins against sub-standard Aussie opposition. It really is time that we stopped demeaning the Pumas and recognised them as full members of rugby's top table. As to the the denuded Force and Reds teams that the Lions despatched, well you do just wonder whether Rugby Australia really understand what they have got in the shape of the Lions. But enough of such churlishness.

What can we say about how the tour is shaping up? The latest speculation that I have read posits that Andy Farrell (a deeply pragmatic coach) will pick as many as nine Leinster players in his test side. I hope not - we all seem to be forgetting that Leinster defeat to Northampton. Tommy Freeman deserves to be in the test side. He is the only English back I would pick. Tom Curry has lost form just at the wrong time. Jac Morgan has refound his mojo and must surely be revelling in playing some unfamiliar winning rugby. The kick-off receiving has been an embarrassing mess. Kelleher is not a better player than Jamie George who has been left to the consolation of touring with England. Nobody seems to have mentioned it but I am particularly impressed by Fin Russell's defence - he looks like a man on a mission to me. Modern strategic myopia and some misguided law changes have conspired to diminish No 8 as a specialist position but I would pick Jack Conan ahead of a converted flanker. This is a subject on which I willingly declare my bias.

The Lions should win the series. Should.  

 

Two More Films

Lee is a commendable biopic about the storied female photographer Lee Miller. I wouldn't normally specify the sex of the principal but it is germane in consideration of this film - Miller broke down the barriers placed in her way and produced some of the most arresting images of World War II. In the title role, Kate Winslett gives a compelling performance. Something, however, stops this from being anything more than a good film. Perhaps we are these days too inured to the horrors of the Holocaust but I found myself admiring the workmanship evident in the movie rather than, as I think was intended, being shocked at what Miller (and by extension we the audience) saw. 68/100. 


Lee 
has modern gloss and a big star. My second subject today is an altogether different kettle of fish. An Honourable Murder is a 1960 British 'B' feature but one that has a nice whiff of ambition. It is a reworking of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - the action is shifted to corporate London. It is a concise adaptation, a shorter reworking of a short source. I (immodestly) credit myself with knowing a little about Julius Caesar - it was the first Shakespeare I ever studied even vaguely seriously (O Level 1976!) and a chapter of my thesis is dedicated to it. I did not resent the purloining of the plot and attendant themes (afer all Shakespeare himself liberally stole from Plutarch) and rather enjoyed the entertainment on offer. I located this film thanks to my daily checking of the listings for Talking Pictures TV - a channel that shows some right old dross but also carries gems and curios. 60/100.