THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS

Published Date: 16 June 2009
By DAVID FERGUSON
Chief rugby writer
ON ANY other day, Scotland's rare achievement in having four players selected for a British and Irish Lions team would be reason for great celebrations, but the team selected yesterday to face the Southern Kings was not the one any of them wanted to be in.
Playing just four days before the Lions take to Durban's Kings Park for the first Test of the 2009 series with South Africa, the chances of any of these players featuring in the main event now appear to be somewhere between slim and none. There will be scope for a small number to play tonight and be named on Thursday on the Lions Test bench, but the signs are now against any of the Scots being involved.

The selection of Euan Murray and Ross Ford in the front row suggests England pair Phil Vickery and Lee Mears will play in the first Test, with Wales duo Adam Jones and Matthew Rees on the bench. Mike Blair's place in the team tonight, providing he recovers fully from a foot ligament strain, suggests he is behind Harry Ellis, the England scrum-half, in the race for the bench and back-up spot to Mike Phillips, the Wales No9 who has enhanced his reputation on the tour so far.

Nathan Hines appeared to be Scotland's best candidate for a place in the Test squad, at least on the bench, and the hard-nosed lock has played well without being outstanding. But the fact that the Lions coaches have asked him to follow a bruising battle with the Western Province on Saturday with a start tonight at blindside flanker must cast that in doubt. Alun-Wyn Jones, the Welsh lock, now seems certain to partner Lions skipper Paul O'Connell in the second row on Saturday, with the veteran Simon Shaw a more likely replacement.

Donncha O'Callaghan will captain the Lions against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth, which the 30-year-old was clearly delighted about, despite the fact that it also virtually rules the Irishman out of that hallowed appearance in the Test arena this weekend. With the Lions moving to altitude for the final two Tests, most observers believe they must win the opening Test to have any real hope of emulating the 1997 Lions and winning another series in the Republic.

O'Callaghan, insisting everyone still has a chance of making that Test team, said: "This is the biggest honour of my life, I was taken aback when Geech told me. It's huge. You must enjoy moments like this when you are living out your dreams.

"It is a chance to force the coach's hands with a huge performance, and that's a great way for everyone to feel."

Blair is not the only one who will face a fitness test ahead of today's match. Welsh wing Shane Williams did not travel with the Lions on their charter flight to Port Elizabeth because he is suffering from a stomach bug. He has not been ruled out of the starting line-up and hopes to travel today. If he fails to recover in time, then Tommy Bowe will join the squad.

Ian McGeechan, the Lions head coach, has maintained that his final selection for the first Test would not be made until after tonight's game, but that was never going to be more than a crossing t's and dotting i's affair. Therefore, while being selected for the Lions is always an incredible honour, and the fact four Scots will play together is an historic achievement for those players, most will be gearing up for the fray today disappointed at being down the pecking order and viewing the Southern Kings as an opportunity to push themselves forward in the minds of the Lions management.

LIONS TEAM

(to play the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth, today. Kick-off 2pm BST)

15 K Earls (Ireland)

14 S Williams (Wales)

13 R Flutey (England)

12 G D'Arcy (Ireland)

11 L Fitzgerald (Ireland)

10 J Hook (Wales)

9 M Blair (Scotland)

1 A Sheridan (England)

2 R Ford (Scotland)

3 E Murray (Scotland)

4 S Shaw (England)

5 D O'Callaghan (Ireland, capt)

6 N Hines (Scotland)

8 A Powell (Wales)

7 J Worsley (England)

Replacements: M Rees (Wales), A Jones (Wales), T Croft (England), D Wallace (Ireland), H Ellis (England), R O'Gara (Ireland), U Monye (England)

This article was posted on 16-Jun-2009, 06:44 by Hugh Barrow.