A patchy but ultimately enthralling Six Nations campaign reached its breathless climax on Saturday, but already teams of the tournament have been put to bed and the focus shifts to the British and Irish Lions tour this summer.
With half its teams tied on three wins each and even Grand Slam winners Ireland desperately narrow Six Nations campaign victors over England and Wales, the Six Nations has provided few dead certainties for the Lions team. Ian McGeechan and his coaching team will once again have the toughest selection job in rugby as they seek not simply to select the best fifteen players in the British Isles but to decide who will combine well with whom, how to blend flair with stability, and which players will gel as a team in the face of the most brutal defense in world rugby.
We start in the forwards, where the Lions will have to find the brawn to match the sheer bulk of the South African pack, the best line-out jumper in the world, and the beast that is Schalk Burger. Man-mountain Andrew Sheridan has had a disappointing tournament and is likely to be warming the bench for the man who played all three tests four years ago, Gethin Jenkins.
Rock solid in the scrum and quick enough in the loose to tackle Hugo Southwell on the touchline, Jenkins' physical toughness was proved by the incredible 16 tackles he made against England in what both packs described as one of the most bruising matches they had ever played. He must start.
Only England's Phil Vickery made more that day, but he loses out in my XV despite a recent resurgence. Frequent treatment to his neck and recurrent poor discipline suggest there could be better options at loose-head. Adam Jones has had a good winter but may find the hard, running pitches and thin air of the Highveld too much. Euan Murray will hold the scrum steady and put in plenty of work with one of the others a useful option on the bench.
No man stands out at hooker: Lee Mears is busy without punching any holes and played his part in an unflappable English line-out, and Ross Ford has been solid for Scotland, but Rhys Jones’ throwing will hardly stand the Matfield test. In the absence of an outstanding candidate the temptation is to choose Jerry Flannery in the hope he can reproduce the Munster and Ireland jumping chemistry with Paul O'Connell.
Lock Paul O'Connell has been totemic for Ireland this campaign and stands alongside fellow captaincy candidate O'Driscoll as a dead certainty for the Lions XV. His line-out prowess could shake even Victor Matfield and he is a warrior with and without ball in hand. This is one man who will not falter in the face of the Springbok pack.
The place alongside O'Connell is up for grabs. Alun Wyn Jones had the pundits purring early on, but faded, especially in the line-out. Team mate Ian Gough caught the eye with a couple of terrific big hits but also suffered at the line-out. English captain and line-out tactician Steve Borthwick only turned up for one game, while Scotland barely had a fit lock in their squad, ruining Jason White’s winter in the process.
Donncha O'Callaghan
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