This was a little too close for comfort. The opening game of a ten-match tour that on paper at least, offered the British & Irish Lions their easiest challenge in terms of the quality of their opponent, proved instead to be a banana skin on which they slipped, fell badly, but recovered just in time to save face and start with a 13-7 win thanks to a second half try from Anthony Watson.

You certainly wouldn’t begrudge Dave Dennis getting his hands on the Aviva Premiership trophy next weekend.