Nik and Kev’s once-in-a-lifetime adventures around Australia reached their finale as the guys arrived in Sydney for the third Test.
They have spent the last six weeks travelling around the country – planes, trains and automobiles – seeing old friends and making new ones, too.
There have been a few bumps along the way but all was well as they reached Bondi Beach, which gets its name from the Aboriginal word for ‘the sound of waves breaking over rocks’.
Here is what the guys got up to in the sixth episode of Roar & Uncut, in association with Dr Squatch.
MONDAY
We booked in for an early morning surf lesson with Marty at Let’s Go Surfing down at Bondi.
Always up for some adventure, former Lions No 10 Dan Biggar came along as we donned our wetsuit and hit the waves. Dan grew up in the Gower in Wales, one of the UK’s best surf spots, and it’s fair to say he had the edge over myself and Kevin.
Mail Sport’s Kev Quigley (L) and Nik Simon have been behind the scenes during the Lions tour
Lions No 10 Dan Biggar (left) came along as we donned our wetsuits and surfed at Bondi Beach
TUESDAY
We took in the spectacular views from our terrace at the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
IHG are the official tour partners so we rubbed shoulders with a few Wallabies, who were also staying in the hotel that overlooks one of Sydney’s most picturesque bays.
After the Wallaby press conference at our hotel, we caught the short ferry around to the Lions press conference in Circular Quay, enjoying views of the Sydney Opera House on the way.
WEDNESDAY
This was the rest day from media operations before the final Test, so there was a chance to go out and explore the area.
Kev booked in to scale the skyline on the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb, where he was partnered up with former England prop Paul Doran Jones. I opted for a whale watching trip, although the waters were stormy and I saw more people being sick than whales!
Kev partnered up former England prop Paul Doran Jones (2nd left) to scale the Harbour Bridge
THURSDAY
The guys in charge of the exhibition match between the Lions and Wallaby legends invited us down to go behind the scenes.
We watched up close in the dressing rooms as the likes of Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams laced up their boots once more.
But it was Finn Russell’s younger brother, Archie, who scored the try of the night. Finn was in the crowd with the rest of his family, sharing some light-hearted jokes about Archie scoring the most tries on Australian soil.
The Lions and Wallaby legends invited the Mail Sport pair down to go behind the scenes
Finn Russell’s (left) younger brother Archie (2nd left) scored the try of the evening
FRIDAY
A few weeks ago, we crossed paths with former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich.
Bosnich invited us to his favourite Italian restaurant in the city, so we splashed on some Dr Squatch cologne and headed out for a slap-up lunch.
Bosnich is a big fan of rugby, comparing Finn Russell to Andrea Pirlo. He has settled back home in Sydney now, where he will be heading up the Stan Sports coverage of the Premier League next season.
Mark Bosnich invited the duo to join him at his favourite Italian restaurant in the city
SATURDAY
Storms lashed down on the city so we donned our raincoats and made tracks to the match.
There was a lightning interruption during the match that resulted in a 40-minute delay during the second half.
After the game we caught up with the retiring Nic White, our moustachioed Australian friend, and he was the perfect final guest, bringing the tour full-circle after he welcomed us to Perth back in June.
Roar & Uncut comes to you in association with Dr Squatch, ensuring Nik and Kev are the best-smelling guys on tour.
For more information on visiting Sydney, go to https://www.destinationnsw.com.au/
