Lions: Perry winning fitness battle

Lions full-back Matt Perry appears to be winning his fitness race for Saturday’s second Test against Australia in Melbourne.

Perry, who has yet to train this week after being injured during the first Test, was today named in a 27-man Lions’ squad for the Colonial Stadium showdown.

‘‘Matt is coming in at about 90% and we felt there was no point risking him in training,’’ said Lions’ coach Graham Henry.

The Bath and England star suffered a groin muscle problem going off at half-time during the 29-13 victory in Brisbane and has undergone extensive physiotherapy this week.

Bath colleague Iain Balshaw would be his probable deputy, but Henry will not now unveil the starting line-up until Friday afternoon.

Centre Will Greenwood (ankle), lock Scott Murray (ribs) and David Young (calf strain) were not considered, while various bumps and bruises elsewhere has put the scheduled team announcement back by 48 hours.

Lions manager Donal Lenihan denied it was an attempt by the tourists to play mind games with the world champion Wallabies, whose coach Rod Macqueen today revealed a side showing three changes.

Flanker Neil Back, absent from the first Test because of a rib injury, has now regained full fitness and is set to return in the back row probably at the expense of his unlucky Leicester colleague Martin Corry.

Greenwood, Murray and Young apart only seven other players in the 37-man party were not named in today’s squad.

Flanker Colin Charvis is currently serving a two-match suspension, while the others not involved are Roman O’Gara, Tyrone Howe, Scott Gibbs, Mark Taylor, Malcolm O’Kelly and Jeremy Davidson.

Austin Healey, who produced an outstanding two-try display in the dramatic victory over ACT Brumbies last night, is among the squad and should be fit.

Healey took a bang on his thigh in scoring the Lions’ equalising injury-time try, being clattered by Brumbies’ flanker Peter Ryan as he touched down.

The Lions’ management have ruled out any prospects of citing Ryan however, who was earlier yellow-carded for throwing a series of punches at Corry.

‘‘I have looked at the video,’’ said Lenihan, in relation to the Healey try. ‘‘But I don’t think it was a citing incident, their player was committed to going in.

‘‘There is an independent citing commissioner in place, and we can recommend that he looks at an incident for us. He hasn’t drawn our attention to any incident last night.’’

With the Lions set to let matters lie, Henry and his coaching staff are now focused totally on trying to wrap up the Test series in Melbourne.