Rugby:Johnson is favourite to captain Lions tour

THE Welsh are certainly entertaining when it comes to international rugby.

Not alone have they played some up and down rugby during the championship, but the French match must have been one of the all time great Jekyll and Hyde performances in international rugby.

To take such a hammering in the first half, where the French could have been three or four tries up, to turn around and put in such an outstanding performance in the second half must leave Graham Henry tearing his hair out — or whatever is left on his head.

Scott Quinell put in one of his huge matches and was supported well by the rest of his back row.

The Scots, yet again, huffed and puffed and only just managed to blow the Italians down.

Very few of the Scots are making any impression this season, and their team performances are a way behind the rampaging rucking teams of recent past.

Today I will be looking at the players in contention for second row positions for the Lions tour. Martin Johnson is the clear favourite, not alone to stake his claim for a second row test spot, but also to captain the tour.

His very abrasive style, sometimes overly abrasive which has got him in trouble, will be very much needed on the tour.

The confrontation at scrum and lineout during the Lions match will be a fair marker as to how the matches will go, and Martin has always been to the fore in both of these areas.

Always very solid at the front of the lineout for England, Martin should make that position his own.

His partner for England, Danny Grewcock, was also a certainty for the Lions tour, but his position is now in major doubt after picking up any injury recently.

His size and overall athletic ability will be missed if he does not make the tour.

Of the Irish players selected on the initial panel of players, I would be fairly sure that Malcolm O’Kelly will make the tour.

Malcolm has really matured as an international player and can perform with the best of them.

He was mostly noted in the past for his lineout ability, where he is very impressive on both his own throw but also in robbing opposition ball, but his overall play has improved hugely in the last two years.

Jeremy Davidsonwill probably not make the tour as he has been constantly injured.

Scott Murray of Scotland is one of the few to impress for Scotland this season. Very tall and athletic, Scott would be a handful to handle on the midweek team. His ability to win lineout ball, even when all around him are struggling for Scotland, must make a good bet for the tour.

If Grewcock is out of the tour to Australia then the selectors will have to look around for other international class players for the tour.

Players such as Archer and Shaw of England who are not getting on the England first team at present could very easily find themselves with a Lions blazer during the summer.