Fly-half main area of contention

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.

It has been a long time coming, but the Test team is finally taking shape and though a lot can happen this weekend in Dunedin against Otago, the Lions management team will spend Sunday afternoon fine-tuning their selection.

Everyone bar last week’s arrival Ryan Jones has now started at least once during the four games and numerous combinations have been tried in every unit. Which gives those of us outside the Woodward brains trust an opportunity to do a little selecting of our own.

In the front row, the guys who rolled their sleeves up against Wellington deserve a reunion at the Jade Stadium a week on Saturday. Forget the heavy artillery of Steve Thompson and Andy Sheridan - both were culpable for the Maori defeat and might be used to greatest effect as impact subs, scaring the living daylights out of a tired opposition front row. Their place is on the bench.

In their stead come Gethin Jenkins and Shane Byrne. Woodward has gone out of his way to praise the Wales prop at every possible turn on this tour and while some believe his ability to play on either side of the scrum could make him ideal substitute material, his try-scoring turn and rampaging effort against Wellington will earn him the test jersey.

Byrne had looked to be the Test hooker by default almost following the implosions of Gordon Bulloch, Andy Titterrell and Thompson in successive matches. The Irishman had replaced the latter two and done nothing wrong but yesterday he proved he deserves the Number 2 shirt on merit.

Julian White is a similar case at tight-head prop now his main competition has claimed the loose-head berth. White gets the nod after Matt Stevens and John Hayes were hauled off in previous games against provincial front rows and the Wellington game tipped the balance for the Leicester man.

Paul O’Connell was always going to be one of the choices at lock although he still has to adapt to the role of pack leader in the absence of Lawrence Dallaglio. He is only 25, and that will come. In the meantime the role of his partner in the second row is wide open. The selection of Ben Kay and Danny Grewcock together against Wellington was viewed as a straight head-to-head battle to join O’Connell in the first Test. But Donncha O’Callaghan had a good game against Taranaki a week ago and is still in with at least a shout at a bench place. It’s too close to call, but Kay gets the nod on the grounds of better discipline.

The back-row has been the most talked about combination of all bar possibly fly-half. Woodward’s tour strategy was thrown into chaos with the loss of Lawrence Dallaglio just 18 minutes into the first game. The Wasps man was the rock on which the Test team was to be built, but with his destructive abilities in the loose taken away from the mix, Woodward has had to rethink. Martin Corry is his replacement at Number 8 which means that Martyn Williams’ place at Number 7 will now go to a less creative player with more of the tendencies Dallaglio possessed. Richard Hill is no longer the man to match Richie McCaw at open-side and is a safe bet at Number 6 so step forward the wise old head of Neil Back to form an all-English back row.

Josh Lewsey is quite clearly the standout at full-back and his presence there frees up the pace of Gareth Thomas to go to work down the wing, as he showed with his try against Wellington.

After Jason Robinson’s sluggish display in the same game, the other wing spot may belong to Geordan Murphy who has put barely a foot wrong in a Lions shirt to date, though there are misgivings about his defence.

In midfield, with captain Brian O’Driscoll an automatic selection, the choice of an inside centre is crucial. Gavin Henson offers the dream team scenario, though there still seems to lack a spark between the pair in an area where intuition is so vital.

However, Henson’s tough tackling, straight-line running and sound tactical kicking should be given its chance and with more game time alongside O’Driscoll, the Welshman can only grow in stature.

Number 9 Dwayne Peel has done more than enough to claim the Test spot despite a strong performance against Taranaki from Chris Cusiter. Matt Dawson would be the conservative choice based on his experience, but ask a man who has taken on both in the last week and he’ll give you a definitive answer.

“If I would choose someone to play against it would probably be Dawson,” said Wellington, Maori and former All Black scrum-half Piri Weepu after yesterday’s game. “But if I had to select a Test half-back I would probably say Dwayne Peel. He’s more elusive around the ruck area and he knows when to take his opportunities and he’s always looking for options.”

Who partners Peel is the big question. After Stephen Jones’s so-so game against the Maori, it looked as if Jonny Wilkinson would be a certainty to start the Test. But yesterday’s unconvincing display has revived doubts about his fitness and form. Perhaps, even more worrying was his weak kicking yesterday. Distance now seems to be a factor, both when kicking at goal and for touch and the position once again seems up for grabs.

Ronan O’Gara did little wrong in his only start against Bay Of Plenty, but he was upstaged a few days later by Charlie Hodgson. Realistically though Jones is the form horse, despite the unspectacular performance against the Maori. He gets this vote.

Just to add to the intrigue will be the possibility of Woodward playing both Jones and Wilkinson, one at 10 the other at inside centre alongside Brian O’Driscoll.

Of course, picking one’s own Lions team and second guessing Woodward’s selection are two entirely different pastimes - the man who led England to the World Cup less than two years ago is bound to include more compatriots in his Test side than might appear warranted.

So don’t be surprised to see Jason Robinson replace Geordan Murphy and Wilkinson replace Henson or Jones - probably both.

My Test XV: 15 J. Lewsey, 14 G. Thomas, 13 B. O’Driscoll, 12 G. Henson, 11 G. Murphy, 10 S. Jones, 9 D. Peel; 1 G. Jenkins, 2 S. Byrne, 3 J. White, 4 P. O’Connell, 5 B. Kay, 6 R. Hill, 7 N. Back, 8 M. Corry.

Woodward’s likely selection: Lewsey, Thomas, O’Driscoll, Wilkinson, Robinson, Jones, Peel; Jenkins, Byrne, White, O’Connell, Kay, Hill, Back, Corry.