Some things in life are just meant to be - such as Ian McGeechan's continued association with the British and Irish Lions.
The 2009 South Africa tour already has a feelgood factor about it that far exceeds anything Sir Clive Woodward's travelling circus generated three years ago.
The Lions concept - some hate it, most love it - almost died on its feet during an endless trudge around New Zealand.
Woodward got things spectacularly wrong. Too many players, too many coaches, too many media spin-doctors, pretty well too much of everything, including three emphatic Test match defeats against the All Blacks.
Recalling memories of 2005 is like a bad dream. The giant security fences that ringed Lions' training grounds, the Stalag-style fortress one Wellington hotel was turned into, the contempt with which journalists and photographers were treated, and so it went on.
Long before the end, those Lions fans who travelled 12,000 miles more in expectation than hope, were left deflated by the whole experience.
Some sold their third Test tickets and went home early, others preferred sightseeing to witnessing another Lions mauling. Most just couldn't believe the sham it had become.
Cue McGeechan.
"The Lions have always been so important to me," he said yesterday, after being appointed for his fourth tour as head coach.
"The Lions are special and unique. You can't compare them to anything else you do as a British and Irish coach or player.
"I have a very strong philosophy, and some of the traditions are so important to making sure the Lions have a fighting chance of succeeding.
"I firmly believe you need a very tight group. We will have one coaching team and one group of players.
"All preparations for the 2009 tour will be about one group working very closely together. The fact it's against the world champions also makes it a massive challenge."
No talk then of separate coaching teams for Saturday and midweek teams, no bloated 45-man squad or 21-strong support staff, just a welcome return to good old-fashioned Lions principles.
McGeechan headed up the midweek coaching group in 2005. Unsurprisingly, his players ended the tour unbeaten and actually looked as though they might have enjoyed themselves.
Now, the 61-year-old Scot will prepare for another stint as head honcho and a return to Springbok territory, where he masterminded an unforgettable Test series triumph in 1997.
The special bond created between coaches, players and supporters on that trip was evident throughout.
But the real highlight came in Durban's beach-front Elangeni Hotel the night of a stunning series-clinching victory at nearby Kings Park.
Lions players, all wearing open-necked white shirts with collars over their tour blazer lapels in a tribute to the 1974 South African conquerors, mingled freely with fans who thronged the hotel lobby until way past midnight.
McGeechan, now shaven-headed following a brush with the unofficial Lions hairdresser, emerged to much hilarity from one of the hotel lifts. Can you imagine Woodward ...?
And so the celebrations continued, with many bleary-eyed fans returning later that Sunday morning to wave their heroes off on the coach trip to Durban Airport.
You simply had to be there to understand what a Lions tour with McGeechan at the helm is all about.
His grasp of the Lions ethos is unsurpassed, a detailed knowledge of how to bring together players from different countries, different backgrounds and different playing styles - and then make them successful.
It is a skill no-one possesses quite like McGeechan, and his appointment is why the 2009 Lions are off to a flier - 381 days before their opening game against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg.
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Leicester could be in for a rude awakening after stumbling into this season's Guinness Premiership play-offs.
The Tigers sneaked fourth place, courtesy of wing Tom Varndell's late try against Harlequins and Sale Sharks' failure to beat - or even secure a losing bonus point - in crashing 17-7 against London Irish.
But Leicester's current brand of rugby looks miles off the pace when compared with fellow title contenders Gloucester, Wasps and Bath.
They head to Kingsholm on Sunday, where Dean Ryan's Gloucester just might underline that while four clubs contest the play-offs, only three have realistic title ambitions this term.
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No fuss, no bother, Martin Johnson got on with the job this week of naming his first England squad as team manager.
A seemingly endless round of interviews followed Johnson's Twickenham announcement of the 32-man party that will head to New Zealand next month.
The questions though, consistently drew detailed answers and explanations, covering all bases from absent players to the six uncapped newcomers, selection processes and just what touring New Zealand is all about.
As managerial debuts go, it was pretty impressive.
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