The long awaited British & Irish Lions team has this week finally been announced and, as is usual, everyone who has ever looked at an oval ball for more than three seconds has made up their minds as to the sanity of Ian McGeechan's choices.
A side made up of largely Irish and Welsh players will go to South Africa and this was not exactly unexpected – after all, the Six Nations decider was between these two talented teams, and Geech was always about picking players in form.
But I'm slightly nonplussed as to why the team was announced at all this week.
The Guinness Premiership reaches the end of the regular season this weekend, but the top four will battle it out in semis and a final to find out who the ultimate champion is – another three high-intensity matches for the players in those teams.
The Magners doesn't have this system – although word has it this might change soon – but the Heineken Cup is still in full swing, and with Munster, Leinster and Cardiff Blues still in the running, again there are some pretty crucial matches coming up, and those teams especially hold a considerable number of the named touring party.
Tomas O'Leary has already become the first casualty having broken his ankle in Friday's Magner's league clash, and there is no doubt there could be more.
So put yourself in the position of one of these players. You are going into some pretty intense competition, and you know that you are only one tackle away from a season ending injury, wouldn't you be thinking about how you approach these games?
These are, to a man, professional players, but they are also human beings, and it is only human nature to try to look after yourself with this knowledge.
Surely it would have been much more sensible for the Lions Tour management to select their touring party from those players left standing after the European season had finally come to an end?
The Lions tours only come around once every four years, and many players will probably only get one opportunity to tour – only the very, very best get another shot.
So, if the Heineken Cup matches lack a certain je ne sais quoi, maybe, just maybe, these guys are trying to look after themselves...