The first post-war Lions tour of South Africa lasted for more than three months, from the middle of June until the end of September. They have been on borrowed time ever since.
From a peak of 25 matches spanning the drawn series of 1955, the most charismatic touring team in the history of sport has had to exist on an ever-shrinking schedule. Over four successive decades, the number has more than halved, from 22 to ten.
And when the Lions go there in the summer of 2021, they will be down to eight in not much more than a month. How ironic that the grand new scheme for the English game to turn...