Not counting his chickens: England captain Dylan Hartley
PICTURE: Getty Images

The Lions leave the England captain at home, pick his Irish counterpart instead for the series in New Zealand and end up being whitewashed by the All Blacks. That the best player in the position finds himself frozen out by the choice of captain makes the unhappy hookers’ tale all the unhappier.
If it sounds strikingly relevant given the narrative of the last few days revolving around Dylan Hartley, that’s because the Lions have been down this particular road before.
Only the names have changed. In ...