McGeechan facing selection headache

LIONS coach Ian McGeechan will draw up his team for the first test following tomorrow’s clash against a newly-formed Southern Kings side in Port Elizabeth.

McGeechan’s main selection debates concern the front five, notably props and lock, where Nathan Hines and Alun-Wyn Jones are battling to be chosen as captain Paul O’Connell’s second-row partner.

Everything seems straightforward behind the scrum, although James Hook could still put pressure on fly-half favourite Stephen Jones after continuing to impress.

“I see him (Hook) kicking kicks for the Ospreys all the time,” said Ireland’s Tommy Bowe. “But to come off the bench and have the nerve to slot one from so far out, having dropped short with one a couple of minutes before that just shows his character.”

Number eight Andy Powell also deserved considerable plaudits after dominating the back-row contest at Newlands – despite going into the game with a fractured bone in his heavily-bandaged hand.

“I have got a little bit of a fracture there,” said Powell. “It’s a bit painful, but these things happen in professional sport. You just want to get into that red jersey and forget about it at the end of the day.”

Added McGeechan: “There are going to be some tough selection calls. We’ve got to where we are now, and we have got one game left before the first Test match.”

Only full-back Rob Kearney is unavailable for tomorrow’s appointment with the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth.

Scotland scrum-half Mike Blair, meanwhile, faces a late test on his ankle to determine whether he will be ready.

But Lions doctor Gary O’Driscoll has delivered an upbeat overall assessment as the tourists hurtle headlong towards the business end of their 10-match trip.

“Rob Kearney took a knee straight into his left thigh that has given him a dead leg. It was the sensible thing to take him off,” said O’Driscoll. “He has a full range of movement in the thigh today, and the initial signs are he should be available for later in the week.

“Mike Blair has a mild sprain. The coaching staff have given us until Tuesday morning to do a final fitness test, so there is every chance he’ll be available.”

O’Driscoll also played down any concerns surrounding Blair’s fellow squad scrum-halves Harry Ellis and Mike Phillips. England international Ellis has a mild chest infection, while Test number nine favourite Phillips has been suffering from bruising and stiffness in his lower back.