Working class hero

Ex-Wallaby second row John Langford travelled north to become one of Irish rugby’s most significant overseas signings during a three-season spell with Munster from 1999 to 2002. He doesn’t get to watch the game he loves too often these days but he's making an exception this summer.

It is fair to say that as kick-off to today’s first Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions approaches, John Langford will be dusting off his Wallabies scarf, settling down in front of his television and looking forward to a belter of a series.

The former Test second row, who went on to become one of Irish rugby’s greatest overseas signings during his three-season spell with Munster between 1999 and 2002, does not get to watch too much rugby these days. However, he is making an exception for this first Lions tour to his homeland in a dozen years and has been working furiously at his engineering management job to clear his desk in time to take in the events as they unfold in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney over the next 15 days. He also expects to be celebrating a victory for the home team.