15+7

It's a funny old idea, the British & Irish Lions tour. Sporting series, seasons, careers even are naturally directed towards climactic matches, points, moments that come to define everything that went before them; define teams and players as winners or losers - but very few in such a direct, deliberate, cut-throat fashion as a Lions campaign.

Six games played, their fundamental purpose being to allow Ian McGeechan and his team to decide who are the best (fit) players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to pull on the red jersey, when it really matters against South Africa. To get 37 down to 15+7. There's been a lot of productive training in between times, but you learn the most about players when they're out on the pitch. Competition for places is always good in any team, but this is a different dynamic altogther - every member of the squad playing for those test spots. McGeechan and co. have done well in ensuring that atmosphere of competition within the squad, revolting against the 2005 Woodward tour, when the effects of drawing a firm line between midweek and test sides were most damagingly manifested. All we've wanted to know for weeks, though, is who's in and who's out. The Springboks gave us their line-up on Tuesday, including Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brussow and, perhaps, a snif of place-kicking weakness. The Lions 22 for the first test was finally unveiled this lunchtime, the inclusion of the more physical David Wallace over dynamic playmaker Martyn Williams most newsworthy. 12 out of the 15 starters - including Lee Mears who became the only option at hooker after Jerry Flannery was ruled out - were those I would have picked back in April. The form of Tom Croft, not even included in the original tour party, has meant the Leicester man has stolen in on the blindside, Jamie Roberts stood up in the warm-up games to claim the No.12 jersey, whilstUgo Monye has gone forwards as Shane Williams has gone backwards on the left wing in recent weeks.

Six games won, not that that will count for anything unless it goes the tourists' way during just 240 minutes of action on the next three Saturdays. It could only take a minute and a half for all of the optimism to disappear - as in Christchurch four years ago, when Tama Umaga and Keven Mealamu cynically ended Brian O'Driscoll's tour. All the talk of floundering at the breakdown, whether O'Driscoll's past it and captain O'Connell should even be in the side will be stopped in its tracks, or intensified inexorably further, depending on whether we (as it's quickly become natural to call 'us', the Lions of 2009) sink or swim on Saturday. The first twenty minutes in Durban will be an enormous step up from what's come before. The huge 'I just scored against the Lions and I'm never going to forget it' grin sported by Mpho Mbiyozo after his late consolation try on Tuesday tells one story - of plucky provincial sides who have made up the numbers. Nearly every other minute of Western Province's 8-20 defeat, as large chunks of the tour, told a different one - of the Lions being severely tested, and, most importantly, learning important lessons of themselves before the three tests. The tourists' professionalism and, encouragingly, incisiveness of backs such as Tommy Bowe, got them through. Lions tour proper, though: that started today.


The Lions have been going forwards at scrum-time all tour, not least in Tuesday's victory in Port Elizabeth. Welsh referee Nigel Owens rewarded the tourists for their dominance with a, somewhat dubious, penalty try, and showed a commitment to keeping scrums competitive by awarding a penalty when the Lions turned the screw again as late as the 77th minute. Many officials would have let the struggling Kings forwards off that late in a game. So much will depend upon the referee's interpretation as the front fives come together in the three tests. I'm sure the Lions backroom team would love to have Owens back to officiate, but it'll be Kiwi Bryce Lawrence in control on Saturday afternoon. Their selections suggest a lack of confidence in Lawrence allowing the Lions to exploit the scrum, where they will expect to have the upper hand, with Springbok captain John Smit only recently moved to prop, a particular target. The Lions' strongest scrummager, Andrew Sheridan, has not even made the matchday 22, whilst lanky Alun Wyn Jones, no match for the brawn of rivals Nathan Hines and Simon Shaw, has been preferred in the second row. The Springboks are afraid - assistant coach Dick Muir upping the ante by questioning the legality of the tourists' scrum. Let's just hope the officials let the scrum play a part in the series.


Ian McGeechan and Keith Earls reminds me of Sven-Göran Eriksson and Theo Walcott. Walcott, then 17, was included in the England football coach's squad for the 2006 World Cup, but never made it onto the pitch. He was said to benefit from 'the experience', and current England boss Fabio Capello has reaped the rewards, most notably with the winger's hat-trick in Croatia. Although not quite as shocking, McGeechan's inclusion of fellow Irishman Earls in the Lions party raised plenty of eyebrows. The 21 year old had only played twice for his country, and went on to endure a torrid opening to his Lions experience, spilling the ball repeatedly early on in the narrow win over the Royal XV. Sven and Theo didn't have the luxury of warm-up games as Ian and Keith have had, and, in his subsequent appearances, Earls has grown into the Lions shirt, scoring a fantastic try against the Cheetahs and impressing on Tuesday against the Southern Kings. He started at fullback - where he played on his debut for Ireland - and did everything asked of him in defence, as well as making some slicing breaks from deep, when perhaps a lack of experience and naivety in his final pass stopped him from laying on tries. He's showed himself a raw but special talent. McGeechan's bravery might just be Declan Kidney's gain, Earls taking his place amongst a glittering array of Irish wide backs for future years. A potential matchwinner for the Lions in Australia, 2013? Why not? Just the small matter of the World Champs to deal with first... BRING ON SATURDAY!!