In The Lions' den: Red Army rage over call to abandon Lions concept

Herald reporter Heath Moore is spending five weeks in a Maui campervan following the Lions fans. This is his latest report.

Red Army members have hit out at the British and Irish Lions' selectors while taking a swipe at a Telegraph reporter after a further six players were called up to the squad ahead of the Chiefs clash on Tuesday.

The Welsh quarter of Cory Hill, Kristian Dacey, Gareth Davies and Tomas Francis joined the squad following their test against Tonga in Auckland on Friday night.

Scotland pair Allan Dell and Finn Russell will link up with the squad in Hamilton on Sunday after playing in their nation's win over Australia on Saturday night.

But the selections have ruffled the feathers of some Red Army fans with a number of them saying it "devalues the jersey".

"It's rubbish," touring fan Paddy Kenny told the Herald.

"Half of the six players called over aren't worthy of a Lions jersey and their place in their own nation's side could be debatable in itself.

"The schedule is pretty tough but the Lions management signed up to it. They knew what they had coming.

"Why can't they send over English or Irish players who have earned their place? The Super Rugby sides travel to and from South Africa and Argentina regularly and have to back up each week.

"The Lions is the pinnacle of rugby for us so don't go tossing jerseys out to anyone who is half decent at rugby. It devalues the jersey. They probably thought the Maori All Blacks were going to beat us up big time," another fan who didn't want to be named said.

The group of hearty Irishmen say they're fully behind the Lions and won't rest until the tour is over. Photo / Heath Moore

Their opinions echo the Telegraph's Mick Cleary who called the selections "a sticking plaster" and labelled the side the "Lions of convenience".

But it was the reaction to Cleary's scathing comments about the tour that turned heads.

Red Army members rubbished the rugby reporter who wrote in an article: "The fans have turned against" the Lions, that "the Lions is nothing without the backing of the supporters" and "either the whole Lions concept needs to be taken seriously by the powerbrokers or it should be abandoned, left to gather cobwebs as a fond old memory of what used to be, like a steam train in a siding."

Cleary claimed a "sizeable chunk" of fans "no longer feel the connection that once they did."

Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach poses for a selfie with Lions fans during the match against the Maori All Blacks. Photo / Getty

But a group of men from Ireland who are off to every game told the Herald win or lose, hail or shine that the Red Army will never give up on the Lions.

"Those claims of us waving the white flag are bulls**t. Since when have we turned our back on the Lions? We're here in force.

"We can be pissed off about the selections but when the first test comes around the provincial games become irrelevant.

"We Lions fans make the tour what it is, but at the end of the day the Lions will always be there. And we'll always be there for them. It's a two-way thing. There is so much history behind the Lions dating back more than 100 years.

"They wouldn't dare abandon the Lions concept. What a disgrace. Dump the Lions? What a load of bollocks.

"The tour is meant to be tough. Players are meant to piss blood for every victory and we're there in voice no matter how poorly or brilliantly we play. That's what it is about. And if we have to bring in reinforcements to our displeasure then so what."

• Heath Moore travelled in a campervan provided by Maui, who had no control over editorial coverage.