So now the attention turns back to little old New Zealand taking on another global player - Britain and Ireland.
The Lions ... which has always struck me as a strange title for a team from lands where the only lions are either kept in game parks or zoos.
They never walked the landscape of Cornwall in the way they walk the landscape of Kenya but hey, what would be the alternative?
The British and Irish Badgers?
On that note, we aren't averse to taking the great cat of Africa and using it across our landscape ... in the form of a certain major beer label.
And of course once upon a time we had a brewery here in the Bay called Leopard.
At least we still have Tui I suppose.
The opening test pretty much lived up to expectations as it was very clear the Lions tested the All Blacks ... big time.
The hits were hard and the attacks were startling, from both sides.
One slip at the wrong time by one of the Lions lads and one desperate lunging tackle by an All Black was all that prevented the lads in 'Lion Red' from posting two more tries.
Had they, it would have all become very, very interesting ... and a tad worrying for those with black and white painted faces.
So yep, they were competitive and this second round stoush at Westpac Stadium in the capital on Saturday night will result in one of two options.
It could result in a winner or it could result in a tie going into round three.
And I guess if it's a draw then no matter what happens in that final test in Auckland the All Blacks can't lose the series.
Wouldn't it be grand if, at the close of 80 minutes, rugby did what league does and went onwards until a "golden points" winner (first to score next) was carried out.
Or hey, maybe a shoot-out?
Both sides' kicking marksmen have six shots at goal, starting from the 22 and then moving back eight metres at a time until someone misses.
Of course it's a ridiculous notion but hey, it'd make for great TV ... although extra time and such game-clinching shoot-outs tend to throw programme schedules into serious disarray.
So Saturday will be an interesting evening in that pretty well everything else on at the time gets sent to the sideline.
However, it should be noted that the test is played in the delayed sense at 8.30pm on Prime so if you want to wander off to the home of the English portion of the Lions, in this case Stoke-on-Trent, at 7.30pm to watch Antiques Roadshow then you are safe to do so.
Just don't answer the phone or have the radio on.
ON THE BOX
● The Chase, TV1 at 4.55pm weeknights: Those "chasers" make answering questions look ever so easy at times, but surely the hardest working individuals engaged in this ever-reliable entertaining show are the people who come up with those questions.
They likely put together about 150 questions for each show I reckon as they have to cover the likelihood that someone will race through through more than the average.
So, for a week's worth of shows, that's 750 questions required.
That's 3000 a month.
Crikey.
Ooh, here's one more ... who asks the most questions in one hour? Try Bradley Walsh.
● Inside Windsor Castle, Prime at 9pm Sunday: Windsor Castle - another well known part of Lionsland.
And it is the set for a remarkable reality show that has a script which kind of edges more toward a dramatic fictional serial.
Charles has a doomed marriage, and his brother Andrew's slightly playboy antics are making the front pages.
Oh, and Fergie has some interesting plans for her future. Meanwhile, the Queen and Duke are sort of looking at each other and wondering "what happened?"
This is the final part of this very British documentary series.
