Ronan O’Gara faces a 24-hour waiting game to see if he has done enough for Lions Test recognition.

Matt Dawson tonight admitted the Lions have “a very difficult week” ahead of them as they prepare to complete their miserable tour with an Eden Park double-header.

The Lions could field an all-Munster combination in their second-row for Saturday’s second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

GEORDAN MURPHY will believe he has a part to play in the Lions squad for the second test this weekend right up until head coach Clive Woodward names his 22 in Wellington tomorrow.

CLIVE WOODWARD has delayed naming his team for tomorrow’s match against Manawatu in Palmerston North (8.10am).

IF THE mind games in the build-up to the first Test are anything to go by, we’re in for one hell of a game tomorrow in Christchurch.

NEW ZEALAND's record try-scorer has warned his compatriots the British and Irish Lions have yet to realise their potential, but it's doubtful if his countrymen heard him - after all, his comments were made in Cork.

YOU could never compare a hooker’s tale to a Cinderella story, but Shane Byrne’s journey from Leinster journeyman to a Lions Test cap comes pretty close.

AFTER spending Monday being kept out of the limelight by anxious Lions press handlers, Gavin Henson was once more the centre of media attention in Invercargill last night.

Southland 16 Lions 26

EGOS were bruised and Gavin Henson was “absolutely devastated”, but Clive Woodward had no room for sentiment in naming the Lions side to play Southland, which by attrition broke the news to half his squad that they were not in the first Test.

Gavin Henson had promised to prove a point to Clive Woodward after his omission from the Lions Test squad and he did so in Invercargill today by inspiring the ‘dirt-trackers’ to victory over Southland.

Full-time: Southland 16 Lions 26.

The Lions lead Southland at half-time this morning, thanks to a try from Gavin Henson, which Ronan O'Gara converted.

Gavin Henson finds himself in a familiar position as the centre of attention today, but for all the wrong reasons.

GAVIN HENSON has spoken of his Lions Test team heartache and admitted: “I am absolutely devastated.”

IN many ways, this morning’s date with Southland was the game no British and Irish Lion wanted to be a part of.

Michael Owen has challenged his Lions midweek team-mates to “keep the pressure on” and shrug off their Test disappointment.

LIONS coach Clive Woodward has challenged his midweek players to rise above the disappointment of being excluded from the squad for this weekend’s first Test in Christchurch.

Lions star Gavin Henson put a brave face on his shock omission from Clive Woodward’s first Test plans against the All Blacks.

Geordan Murphy and Simon Easterby did their chances of featuring for the Lions’ in next weekend’s first Test against New Zealand no harm at all in the hard-fought victory over Otago.

CLIVE WOODWARD’S decision to ratchet up the intensity of Lions training sessions has come at a price after Lewis Moody was ruled out of contention for this weekend’s game against Otago in Dunedin.

Simon Taylor is facing a race against time to press any claims for Lions’ Test team status against New Zealand later this month.

RUGBY greats Jeremy Guscott, Keith Wood, Ian McGeechan and Scott Gibbs were honoured with the presentation of Parliamentary Rugby Medals at a dinner at the House of Commons last night.

Almost 22,000 tickets for the British and Irish Lions tour opener against Bay of Plenty next June have been snapped up by New Zealand rugby fans.

The British and Irish Lions will play an additional match against Auckland, the New Zealand Rugby Union have announced.

JONAH LOMU has just one game left to force his way into the All Black World Cup squad after being ruled out of Wellington’s NPC opener against Southland over the weekend.

The continuing misfortunes of Andrew Mehrtens and Jonah Lomu continue to dominate the build-up to New Zealand’s Tri-Nations clash with Australia on Saturday.

Record-breaking All Black Jeff Wilson, who retired from rugby this year to play cricket again, has been awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in his country's New Year honours list.

Munster are set to sign Australian prop forward Simon Kerr from Queensland Reds.