Book Review: The Lions Down Under, by Mark Lynch

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A curated collection of quotes and cartoons from the world of rugby, and a perfect companion for the 2025 Lions Tour.

Feature image credit: New Holland Publishers

‘The British are coming! The British are coming!’

As far as the British and Irish Lions 2025 Australian tour is concerned, they came but they didn’t conquer.

To help relive the memories, New Holland Publishers have the perfect balm: The Lions Down Under. This is a collection of chuckle-inducing quotes and satirical cartoons that revolve around the internationally divisive game of rugby (whether it be Union or League). As Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying within this book: ‘Rugby is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen. Football (in this case, soccer, not AFL) is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians.’

This tome has a collection of over 100 quotes, including those about the game, such as:

‘Soccer is about spending 90 minutes pretending you’re injured. Rugby is about spending 80 minutes pretending you’re not.’ – Anonymous

There are also those said by players, commentators and coaches, which attest to the question of how much cerebral activity is going on with some of the individuals involved:

‘I want to reach for 150 or 200 points this season, whichever comes first.’ – David (Doc) Howell (former NRL player)

These quotes are partnered with a series of cartoons from Mark Lynch, one of Australia’s most prolific and pointed cartoonists. He includes some very pointed, tongue-in-cheek views on the rugby mindset.

The Lions Down Under has been curated, as best it can be, to align the quotes to the cartoons. While not always partnering seamlessly, it certainly knows how to tap the funny bone of even the most distanced rugby follower – including this black sheep of a rugby union family.

Reviewed by Glen Christie

The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.