STAFF REPORTERS
Lions fan Steve Bruzzese is looking forward to a break in Hawke's Bay today - from rugby and beer.
The Englishman is a passenger on the Pacific Sun cruise liner, which has brought him and about 1100 other Lions supporters to the Bay for the day, fresh from the weekend's big test match in Wellington.
His beloved Lions team were mauled by the All Blacks 48-18 at Wellington's cake tin on Saturday, the win clinching the series for the ABs and crushing any hopes that the touring team could win the series.
The man from Cheshire had spent the past couple of weeks on the cruise liner and was in sore need of a break from beer and lager; but not from alcohol entirely.
Mr Bruzzese said he, and five of his mates, intended to sample the charms of the province.
"We'll be wine-tasting, actually that will be wine quaffing all day," he said. He was "off the beer" for now but would maintain his special liquid diet. It would be wine today and cocktails back on board the boat this evening.
He would show no sympathy for his battered body, he said. And he won't be the only one drowning his sorrows. The British and Irish Lions fans would be swamping the cafes, bars wineries and restaurants of the province.
The tourists would be in town just for the day and head back aboard the ship this afternoon bound for Auckland for the final test at Eden Park.
Mr Bruzzese had banished all thoughts of Saturday night's test defeat from his mind and would not even contemplate the final match in Auckland.
"Don't mention the rugby," he said.
Although he broke his ban almost immediately to heap praise on the All Blacks.
The men in black were just too good for the Lions; their ball handling skills, the speed of passing and their work at the breakdown was on another level, he said.
He did not hold out much hope for the third test and after the last two matches who could blame him.