Otago 19 Lions 30

SHANE BYRNE put himself in pole position for the Lions’ Test hooking spot yesterday with a superb performance as the tourists got back on track with victory over Wellington.

THE PICTURE seems so much clearer now. With two games and six days to go before Clive Woodward’s team for the first Test against New Zealand is revealed, a number of places in the starting XV were signed and sealed following the Lions’ 23-6 victory over Wellington yesterday.

IAN McGEECHAN has insisted Lions flanker Lewis Moody will be available for selection against Otago on Saturday.

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.

NOW we’re getting serious. British and Irish Lions head coach Clive Woodward underlined the view that tomorrow’s meeting in Hamilton with New Zealand Maori is the unofficial fourth test of this 2005 series by naming his strongest side to date yesterday.

AND then there were three ...

British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll has been rested for Monday’s Test against Argentina in order to make a symbolic appearance in the first game of the New Zealand tour on June 4.

WITH four Lions in his squad, Sale coach Kingsley Jones is confident the Sharks will end Connacht’s European Challenge Cup odyssey on Sunday - but not as confident as he would have been had Michael Bradley’s side not grabbed a lifeline with a late try in their semi-final first leg.