BRITISH and Irish Lions lock Geoff Parling admitted the first tour defeat Down Under “hurts like hell” after Warren Gatland’s side were edged out by the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium.

ONE sizeable figure in the Scotland camp was perhaps more distraught than any at the final whistle on Saturday as Scotland’s lead over South Africa evaporated.

IF SCOTLAND had been at full strength on Saturday, there would have been indignation rather than disappointment at seeing a 17-6 lead turn into a 17-30 defeat.

THE Scotland squad have received the backing of the one-time “golden boy” of South African rugby, Bob Skinstad, who says they shocked the Springboks in Nelspruit but was also convinced that Greig Laidlaw’s troops were always going to lose the Test match.

WITH even casual conversations with players now strictly forbidden by a Scotland media management that appears to be modelling itself on Johannesburg security officials, the delights of touring these days tends to be catching up with parents of the players, who we bump into regularly as they follow their sons around the globe.

The ACT Brumbies, shorn of the heart of their first-choice team, secured a famous 14-12 victory over a ragged British and Irish Lions side in Canberra yesterday, handing the visitors their first defeat of the 2013 tour.

SHANE Williams has described England speedster Christian Wade as “my kind of guy” ahead of them forming an unlikely strike partnership for the British and Irish Lions today.

TEAM doctor James Robson has paid a glowing tribute to the professionalism of Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions.

AUSTRALIA have turned to Wallaby greats such as Nick Farr-Jones and Joe Roff for advice on what to expect from the British and Irish Lions during the looming Test series.

SCOTLAND have again raided the Glasgow Warriors for tour reinforcements with flanker Rob Harley being called up for his injured team-mate Ryan Wilson.

AS THEY home in on a new head coach for Edinburgh, the SRU have admitted that improving the capital side’s fortunes will be a major project over the next few seasons.

IDEALLY, Warren Gatland would like to be approaching Saturday’s first Test with a clean bill of health and every one of his original British & Irish Lions tour party available for selection.

THE SRU will not battle the English and French clubs to keep both Edinburgh and Glasgow in the Heineken Cup, but they will insist that if one drops out there is no financial penalty for Scottish rugby.

THE Scottish Rugby Union has declared 2013 to be a year of development at Test level and that international results will not affect the future of coach Scott Johnson.

WALES wing George North is currently rated as “less than 50-50” to be fit for Saturday’s first Test match against 
Australia in Brisbane.

SHANE Williams has revealed his sense of shock after being summoned from Japan to play for the British and Irish Lions.

ON EVERY British and Irish Lions expedition, there is always one player who comes out of the pack as the find of the tour. In 1989 it was Jeremy Guscott and in 1997 it was fellow Englishman John Bentley.

HE ALMOST did it. Scotland’s ‘Little General’ came very close to leading his charges to the first win in South Africa on the day he captained the national side for the first time.

SCOTLAND’S interim head coach Scott Johnson has spoken often of his desire to uncover “diamonds” in the rough of a South African tour undertaken without countless internationalists.

WE HAVE been here before in South Africa. Different place, a decade ago, but the agony of stunning a South African side expected to trample over Scotland, yet not finishing the job, reared its ugly head again.