Woody upbeat as Lions look to avoid 'Blackwash'
Having lost the first two Test matches to a rampant All Blacks side there would appear to be very little chance of reversing the tide, especially at a stadium where New Zealand feel most at home. Eden Park has not witnessed an All Black defeat since 1994 when Jean-Luc Sadourny helped France to a 23-20 victory and historic 2-0 series win with "the try from the ends of the earth."
A repeat of that from the 2005 Lions, or an All Blacks capitulation, would seem as likely as Brian O'Driscoll and Tana Umaga exchanging Christmas cards.
But Woodward is nothing if not a positive thinker.
"We've got one game to go and it's a huge Test match for this side and we would sincerely like to finish with a win on Saturday night," Woodward said.
"We've picked the team accordingly with the forward pack 'as is'. They're well rested and they trained well today.
"The atmosphere in the camp is excellent. We are all very disappointed about the Test results, but it is a massive opportunity for everyone involved. You don't get many chances to play New Zealand, and we've picked the strongest team we can. I just hope we can go one step further than we've managed so far."
Woodward's strongest team means an unchanged pack for the first time on this tour, two injury-enforced changes at fly-half and inside centre and two more alterations to personnel in the back three.
Ireland's Geordan Murphy at last gets a chance at full-back while England's Mark Cueto is similarly rewarded for sterling midweek work with a place on the wing.
The pair replace Cueto's club-mate Jason Robinson and Wales' Shane Williams, while Josh Lewsey returns to the left wing to accommodate the Irishman. Will Greenwood comes into the midfield at inside centre - despite being named at No.13 in the absence of Gavin Henson (arm injury).
Said Woodward: "Murphy's had a very good tour and he was unlucky not to be included in one of the first two Test matches, and the same applies to Mark Cueto, especially the way he played in midweek.
"It was very tough on Shane Williams and Jason Robinson but I think, considering we were two-nil down it was right to give a couple of players who have been performing very well the chance.
"It's also very tough on Shane Horgan, who I was thinking about starting but opted to keep on the bench. He was very, very close to starting the game as well.
"But I'm looking forward to seeing Cueto have a go. He's certainly one of the form European wingers and now he gets his chance on the biggest stage."
Woodward also had a word for Ronan O'Gara -on the bench as replacement fly-half backing up Stephen Jones with both Wilkinson and Charlie Hodgson out injured.
"He's had an excellent tour and I know he'll perform very, very well if he gets the chance."
The All Blacks are not without their injury problems. Having already lost the services of last Saturday's man of the match Dan Carter and inside centre Aaron Mauger to injury, Henry was yesterday forced to make two further changes.
Openside flanker Richie McCaw was ruled out with a hamstring injury, while a groin strain has sidelined Carter's replacement at fly-half Leon MacDonald. The No. 10 shirt goes to debutant Luke McAlister, the 21-year-old Blues back who played at inside centre in the Maori side which defeated the Lions four weeks ago. Four-times capped Nick Evans moves on to the bench to take McAlister's place.
McCaw's absence has seen Henry and his selectors shift Rodney So'oialo from No. 8 to openside flanker, with Sione Lauaki coming off the bench to play No. 8 and genuine openside Marty Holah joining the squad among the replacements.
Woodward said the changes would not blunt the challenge facing his side. "What we've found out in New Zealand is that the strength in depth is just immense. So to see Holah joining McAlister, these are all great players and I don't see it will make much difference to the quality of the New Zealand team."
Woodward may be right. Carter was near untouchable last Saturday but although McAlister may not match his flair and creativity he is just as lethal with the boot. An impressive goal-kicking display for the Maori punished the Lions for their inability to interpret the local referees at the breakdown early on in the tour and if he is anything like as accurate as that night, then any indiscretion by the tourists will be ruthlessly dealt with.
Nor is New Zealand's midfield weakened by Mauger's absence as Henry has simply called in captain Umaga's Wellington and Hurricanes midfield partner Conrad Smith to reprise the pairing that cut swathes through France in Paris last autumn.
It's all very ominous for the depleted Lions.
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