Shanklin: Tense times for Lions

Tom Shanklin anticipates a nervous month in the build-up towards this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour.

Cardiff Blues and Wales centre Shanklin is among 17 players selected for the South Africa trip who will be in Heineken Cup action this weekend.

Shanklin is part of a six-strong Lions contingent from the Blues that tackles Heineken semi-final opponents Leicester, whose solitary tourist Harry Ellis features among their replacements at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow.

Seven Munster players, meanwhile, and the Leinster trio of Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Fitzgerald and Jamie Heaslip clash tonight in Dublin.

Munster scrum-half Tomas O’Leary has already fallen by the wayside, a serious ankle injury ending his tour hopes just three days after Lions head coach Ian McGeechan announced the squad.

And McGeechan can now only hope there are no further casualties as the Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership competitions hurtle towards their climax.

The Lions depart for Johannesburg on May 24, with their opening game being six days later against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg.

“The Lions takes a back seat for the time being because hopefully we’ve still got some big games left to play,” said Shanklin, ahead of the Tigers clash.

“I just need to stay injury-free and make sure I am on the plane. It will be a nervous month ahead.”

Shanklin, a key part of the Blues’ bid to reach a first European final since 1996 when they were known as Cardiff RFC, made a premature exit from the 2005 Lions tour because of injury.

But he has his sights set on the Test team this time around – despite the presence of an in-form O’Driscoll.

Shanklin added: “I came back disappointed in 2005 because of the injury.

“I started the tour well, but the knee became too painful and meant I couldn’t get involved in the Test set-up. I hope to make amends in South Africa.

“It was great to go on one tour, but to be selected for a second is extra special – it’s a brilliant feeling.

“But I want to get in the Test team, and that’s the next goal. I won’t be going there to make up the numbers.

“It will be tough because Brian was the player of the Six Nations – and deservedly so.”

Shanklin’s immediate objective is to see off a Leicester side that will arrive in Cardiff after finishing top of the Premiership by five points.

Tigers’ Heineken quarter-final hero Julien Dupuy edges out Ellis for the number nine shirt. Frenchman Dupuy’s injury-time try booked a semi-final appointment with the Blues as Leicester beat Bath 20-15 three weeks ago.

And he is now preferred to Ellis, who is joined on the bench by fellow England internationals Julian White and Lewis Moody, plus fit-again former New Zealand centre Aaron Mauger.

Full-back Geordan Murphy captains a Leicester side that also sees Toby Flood restored at fly-half, Sam Vesty moving from 10 to 12 and wing Johne Murphy replacing the suspended Alesana Tuilagi.

The Blues make one enforced change following their quarter-final win against Toulouse, with Richie Rees taking over from injured scrum-half Jason Spice.

Munster, meanwhile, have replaced O’Leary with his fellow Ireland international scrum-half Peter Stringer for this evening’s first semi-final.

And with mumps victim Rob Kearney out of the Leinster side, Isa Nacewa switches to full-back and Shane Horgan lines up on the wing.