Unity needed as Lions face axe

The British and Irish Lions face Otago at the "House of Pain" tomorrow and for the majority of players involved there is a growing realisation they are being cast in the role of tour also-rans.

Dunedin's Test arena has earned the "Pain" title because of the unfriendly welcome bestowed on unwary visitors. But for the Lions much of their agony this weekend will be self-inflicted.

Every Lions tour reaches a defining moment when the selectors nominate their chosen squad for the First Test and, for this year's vintage, that moment has arrived.

The success or failure of the venture now depends on how the players who are left out react to the disappointment.

The side for the opening clash with the All Blacks in Christchurch on 25 June is named on Wednesday and head coach Sir Clive Woodward admits there are only a couple of places still undecided.

The first four matches of this tour have yielded three victories of differing importance and a high-profile loss to the New Zealand Maori, which highlighted the Lions' problems at the breakdown.

Those have now been addressed and while the Lions have yet to set the most passionate rugby country in the world alight with their play, there is a growing realisation among Kiwis fans that this pride of Lions may be really dangerous.

The Lions XV chosen to face an Otago side stripped of its All Blacks is largely made up of players who are going to be plying their rugby trade outside the showpiece matches.

Only hooker Gordon Bulloch, fullback Geordan Murphy, scrum-half Chris Cusiter and outside-half Charlie Hodgson have shown the kind of form to warrant Test consideration.

And flanker Lewis Moody, who arrived on the tour with a growing reputation, has been forced out of tomorrow's game after failing to overcome a knee injury that could ruin his Test chances.

He is replaced by Simon Easterby, with Michael Owen among the replacements after returning from seeing the birth of his second child in Wales

This is the harshest rugby environment in the world and injuries to Lawrence Dallaglio, Malcolm O'Kelly and Simon Taylor, along with the late arrival of Stephen Jones, Jason Robinson and Gareth Thomas, have further complicated the selection picture.

Only men like Wales prop Gethin Jenkins have made absolute cases for a Test place and his form has set the standard for everyone else to match.

Jenkins knew it was going to be a massive personal challenge and has enjoyed putting down his marker. He said: "We felt like we did a great job against Wellington after critics had been saying we couldn't win quick ball at the breakdown. It was emphasised all week how clinical we had to be and it was a real test of our character as a squad.

"We had to smash them at the contact situations because they had been telling us we were soft. We showed that wasn't the case.

"When you hear what's being said here and then look around the team room at the quality of players in this squad you know there was a lack of respect being shown. I knew New Zealand critics would be getting into us and while it is tough, we are dealing with it."

The assumption is that the Lions side for the First Test will be strongly based on the England players that Woodward knows so well.

So a likely starting line-up would feature Lewsey at full-back with Gareth Thomas and possibly Murphy on the wings and Brian O'Driscoll and Gavin Henson at centre, outside the pair of Jonny Wilkinson in the No10 jersey and scrum-half Dwayne Peel.

Jenkins, Shane Byrne and Julian White will constitute the front row of the pack, with Ben Kay and Paul O'Connell locking a scrum completed by Richard Hill, Martin Corry and Neil Back.

But with three Tests to deal with and the threat of serious injury a constant worry, opportunities will surely arise for players who miss out on the Test series opener in Christchurch. That is why the Otago game is so important to the players outside that XV who believe they merit Test consideration.

For many on duty in the House of Pain, this will be a most searching test of their competitive spirit and rugby ambition. They have to believe Woodward when he says that everyone is still in contention.

It was a claim made by Graham Henry, the 2001 Lions coach in Australia-who then let the midweek players down by casting them adrift too early.

Henry is now in charge of the All Blacks and he will be watching with keen interest as Woodward manages this fiendishly difficult moment on tour. Having made a complete mess of it himself, Henry will recognise the signs of discontent.

Given that Woodward has repeatedly mentioned the mistakes of 2001 and his desperate desire to avoid the same pitfalls this time around, there is every hope the current Lions squad will remain united, a situation that will be massively important for the Test series.

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