This tour has signalled the death of the long tour format - the Lions should prepare with fewer, but more meaningful, matches.
It is unfortunate that anyone who is trying to get into the Test side for Saturday has to prove himself by playing in a weakened midweek side.
For example, Stephen Jones had to play outside of Harry Ellis against Western Province and he suffered significantly. He didn’t pass well, he overkicked four of his five bombs. Defensively he wasn’t great, he ran only once, and did not play particularly well.
I don’t think the quality of the teams that the Lions are playing against in midweek are up to much, either.
The provinces play undermotivated, understrength second teams against the Lions, as they take out of their best national team players.
They are then beaten easily, and I do not see the currency in that. The governing bodies should order teams like the Blue Bulls and the Natal Sharks to pick their strongest sides, including evey single one of their Springboks.
They should therefore have a meaningful Saturday game, another meaningful Saturday game, then straight into the Tests.
Neil Francis was speaking as part of Setanta Ireland's Lions' preview on TheHub.