Bulloch to make Test case

Scottish hooker Gordon Bulloch will lead the Lions when they tackle Otago in Dunedin on Saturday.

A powerful performance from the Leeds-bound forward could thrust him into Test match contention, despite competition presented by England’s Steve Thompson and Irish hooker Shane Byrne.

Thompson is on the bench at Carisbrook, while Byrne shone in yesterday’s 23-6 victory over Wellington, but Bulloch now has his chance with the first Test against New Zealand looming.

Bulloch, 30, becomes the Lions’ third tour skipper in five games, after Brian O’Driscoll and Martin Corry, with head coach Clive Woodward edging towards decision day in terms of finalising his Test line-up to face the All Blacks on Saturday week.

Those plans received a lift today, with Lewis Moody recovering from a knee injury and being declared fit to stake his claim for Test recognition.

The Leicester and England flanker was hurt during training earlier this week, and stayed behind in Christchurch for treatment while his colleagues travelled to Wellington.

But he has made sufficient progress to satisfy the Lions medical staff, and he lines up in the back row alongside Welsh pair Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones, who makes his tour bow after flying out to replace injured Scotsman Simon Taylor.

Jones, part of the Welsh squad in Canada just a week ago, is an outsider for the Test 22, but those odds could shorten if he reproduces his RBS 6 Nations form that helped clinch the title and Grand Slam.

There is a place on the bench, meanwhile, for prop Andrew Sheridan, having shrugged off an ankle problem sustained during last Saturday’s defeat to New Zealand Maori.

Among those looking to impress at Carisbrook will be Charlie Hodgson and Chris Cusiter, who are reunited at half-back following their impressive contribution in helping the Lions defeat Taranaki.

The only players involved in the 22 who started last night’s Westpac Stadium clash are Ireland flanker Simon Easterby and England lock Danny Grewcock.

Otago coach Wayne Graham, meanwhile, has named 13 Super 12 players in his line-up, although All Blacks Anton Oliver, James Ryan and Carl Hayman will all be missing.

Lions: G Murphy (Leicester and Ireland); D Hickie (Leinster and Ireland), W Greenwood (Harlequins and England), G D’Arcy (Leinster and Ireland), S Williams (Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Wales); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks and England), C Cusiter (Borders and Scotland); G Rowntree (Leicester and England), G Bulloch (Glasgow and Scotland, capt), M Stevens (Bath and England), S Shaw (Wasps and England), D O’Callaghan (Munster and Ireland), L Moody (Leicester and England), M Williams (Cardiff Blues and Wales), R Jones (Neath-Swansea Ospreys and Wales).

Replacements: S Thompson (Northampton and England), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks and England), D Grewcock (Bath and England), S Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets and Ireland), M Dawson (Wasps and England), O Smith (Leicester and England), R O’Gara (Munster and Ireland).