Waiting for a roar

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.

With the opening seven games of this tour consigned to history, the slate is now wiped clean. Test games are totally different to provincial tour matches. Success or failure tomorrow for the Lions will shape the outcome of this entire expedition.

Final confirmation of the Lions team on Wednesday ended all the speculation - well, almost. The stated reversal of roles for Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey appears to be Clive Woodward’s final attempt to muddy the waters. Selection for the first Test has been based almost exclusively on experience. Form has not been the sole arbiter. This is based on the dangerous assumption that players will perform simply because they have done so in the past.