Almost every photograph of the Lions management, on the current tour appears to include an erected hood or an umbrella and in some cases both.

So is it just a myth that it always rains in the land of the long white cloud ?

The locals in Queenstown whilst sipping a cold steinlager will tell you
“If  you can see mount cook its going to rain, and if you can’t see it, then it’s already raining “.

Whilst being interviewed during the 1977 Lions tour to New Zealand Peter Wheeler the English hooker commented “It only rained twice this week, once for four days and once for three days”.

A Welsh player on that very same tour when asked if his hamstring twinge was improving replied “The hamstring is fine but its been so wet I’m now struggling with trench foot“.

Milford Sound has the dubious honour of being wettest inhabitited place in New Zealand, and one the wettest in the world.

It has a mean annual rainfall of 6,412 mm (252 inches) each year, a high level even for the West Coast, and rainfall can reach 250 mm (10 inches) during a spell of 24 hours.

 All Blacks followers know that when the rain does eventually stop there will be a Sonny spell just around the corner as Mr Bill Williams lets his talents shine through, let’s just hope on the day of the first test  Auckland receives Milford Sound weather or at the very least a big dollop of cloud.