FROM the moment Sir Clive Woodward announced his squad to tour New Zealand in mid-April, it was apparent that he would place the utmost reliance on his tried and tested England players. Yesterday he confirmed as much but, being Woodward, he is also seeking the best of both worlds by placing at the heart of his starting XV on Saturday the mainspring of the Wales grand-slam team.
Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones form the half-back partnership against the All Blacks at Jade Stadium in the first of the three-match series but outside, wearing 12 not 10, will be Jonny Wilkinson, England’s World Cup-winner. Nor could the head coach, gambling still, resist finding a role for Jason Robinson in the back three, despite his quiet form this year and the most muted of games, against Wellington, on tour with the Lions.
It is a decision that poses a further question about Gavin Henson, who played inside centre for Wales throughout last season and who knows how Jones plays rather better than Wilkinson. But Henson remains, for the time being, outside the match squad of 22 despite his heroics against Southland in Invercargill on Tuesday while Woodward restates his trust in Wilkinson, the man who has repaid him time and again.
One word answers the numerous queries about the selection, most of them born from indifferent form in both the RBS Six Nations Championship and on tour: experience. The Lions pack, for example, has twice the number of caps of its New Zealand counterpart (340 against 163) but is also an average of seven years older. Age was not a problem during the World Cup two years ago but Woodward believes that his veteran campaigners, notably Richard Hill and Neil Back, can reproduce the form they showed then.
He could also argue that, at hooker, he has preferred Shane Byrne, of Ireland, another over-30, to Steve Thompson on the basis of his sound game in Wellington, with more on the bench who will not see 30 again — Graham Rowntree, Danny Grewcock, Matt Dawson and Will Greenwood.
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What Woodward seeks is something that the Lions have found hard to find in New Zealand — control of the basics, which is where Ryan Jones performed so well against Otago to leap into contention.
“I was immensely impressed with the Welsh halves during the Six Nations, especially their second half in Paris, and that’s when I started thinking about who should play outside them,” Woodward said. “When Jonny became fit, that was an option, but I looked at every other combination. Gavin has done nothing wrong but it’s a very competitive environment and I’m pleased to go in with some very experienced players.”
In essence, therefore, Wilkinson’s 52 caps and World Cup medal outweigh Henson’s 16 and immense promise in a squad of whom eight players have made only one start in New Zealand. Wilkinson’s last international appearance at centre was in 1999 when Wales, coached by Graham Henry now filling that role for New Zealand, beat England at Wembley. But the last year of his representative schools career was at centre, as were his first two years with Newcastle Falcons.
“The number on your back only tells you where to stand at set-pieces,” Wilkinson, who moved from fly half to centre in the final quarter against Wellington last week to accommodate Stephen Jones, said. “Guys are so skilled in reading the game, they pop up all over the place. The pressure and the burden is shared and the direction of the team can be looked after by a number of players.”
Nevertheless, the All Blacks will explore the 10-12 channel through their big ball-carrying forwards for potential weakness, especially to assess whether Wilkinson’s tackling is as secure after his shoulder injury as it was before.
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As a counterpoint, the Lions now possess left and rightfooted kickers whose skills will be invaluable in playing for territory and in turning round the New Zealand wings. The kicker, of course, is only as good as his chasers and the Lions will want to ensure Doug Howlett and Sitiveni Sivivatu are not given opportunities to run but there is little doubt, particularly if the weather deteriorates, that their kicking strategy will be significant.
New Zealand have recalled Marty Holah from the Junior All Blacks’ tour of Australia after a minor back strain suffered by Richie McCaw, their open-side flanker. McCaw is not considered doubtful for Saturday. “It’s something that comes and goes and it’s never stopped me playing,” he said, but Holah, outstanding for New Zealand Maori against the Lions, gives his side a valuable insurance policy.
HOW THEY LINE UP
LIONS: J Robinson (Sale Sharks and England); J Lewsey (London Wasps and England), B O’Driscoll (Leinster Lions and Ireland, captain), J Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons and England), G Thomas (Toulouse and Wales); S Jones (Clermont Auvergne and Wales), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets and Wales); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues and Wales), S Byrne (Leinster Lions and Ireland), J White (Leicester and England), P O’Connell (Munster and Ireland), B Kay (Leicester and England), R Hill (Saracens and England), N Back (Leicester and England), M Corry (Leicester and England). Replacements: S Thompson (Northampton and England), G Rowntree (Leicester and England), D Grewcock (Bath and England), R Jones (Ospreys and Wales), M Dawson (London Wasps and England), W Greenwood (Harlequins and England), S Horgan (Leinster Lions and Ireland).