Wallabies tipped to win but Lions pose serious threat

The Lions may have packed their squad with class and experience but Classic organizer John  Kane — whose legendary inaccurate predictions are believed to put a hex on whoever he picks — believes it will be the Aussies that triumph this year.

“The Lions have a strong team this year but I have a sneaky feeling that Australia are going to do it.

 “They have been getting closer each year and they are the ones I’m putting the curse on this year.”

Being tipped by Mr. Kane has proved something of a poisoned chalice over the years. He admits his record over the years has not been too sharp.

But he feels confident about this year’s pick.

“They get a lot of support from the Australian Rugby Union. They have an interest in any team representing Australia in any form of rugby and they are sending a team they believe can win.

“They have got a lot of Sevens players in there, which can be an advantage. You are not going to see a lot of big scrummages. It definitely helps to have a lot of fast Sevens guys in the team.”

On paper, the Lions look to be their biggest rivals. Packed with recently retired internationals the British and Irish dream team will be looking to make up for the resounding defeat they suffered at the hands of the All Blacks in last year’s final.

Newcomers for the Lions this year include Irish fullback Girvan Dempsey, his compatriot Malcolm O’Kelly and Scottish hooker Gordon Bulloch.

Those three bring with them a wealth of experience — 250 international caps between them.

The inclusion of such prominent recently retired internationals is a sign that the Classic is becoming more competitive.

What started as a friendly tournament for players past their prime is now serious high-level rugby.

“That was always going to happen as the game switched from amateur to professional,” said Mr. Kane.

“You used to get a lot of players hanging on past their sell-by-date to earn money.

“Now in the professional era they are able to retire earlier and they are fitter than ever. The result is that you are seeing a lot of closely contested, physical games.” The ‘friendly’ element will never go out of the Classic, though.

Part of its enduring success is the party atmosphere that surrounds the event.

And while many sporting spectacles in Bermuda have suffered over the years, Mr. Kane believes the Classic’s winning formula will enable it to remain as a sporting

institution on the island.

The Classic, in its 23rd year, has grown from a $100,000 event to a $1.4million extravaganza.

No wonder then that Mr. Kane is banking on some decent weather to keep the punters coming through the gates.

“We try to make it pay for itself. We lost out on about $80,000 cash flow last year with the rain. We will try to make up for that this year.

“We have a big event on Friday night (50th anniversary of the 60s party) and hopefully the weather will behave for the tournament.”

There is also a new range of Classic merchandise – including caps, shirts and umbrellas — that will be on sale at the event.