Another drubbing in store

It tells you something about how the Lions are perceived , doesn't it?
The All Blacks selectors change almost half their backline for the second rugby test at the Cake Tin on Saturday and no one bats an eyelid.
Generally it would be a situation where the rugby news media, in particular, would be having a field day.
They'd be talking forever about the old adage of never changing a winning team and condemning Messrs Henry, Smith, Hansen and Lochore for even considering it.
But so woeful were the Lions in the first test at Jade Stadium last weekend it probably wouldn't have mattered had 13 changes been made to the ABs starting line-up.
Every man , woman and dog would still have been wagering heavily on the home team winning by a huge margin, certainly more than the 18-pointer they delivered in atrocious conditions in Christchurch.
The big danger for the All Blacks has to be complacency.
No matter what Mr Henry and company say human nature dictates that when victory is achieved as easily as it was at Jade it is more difficult to lift oneself mentally for the next game against the same opposition.
The first 10 minutes will tell you whether the ABs are totally up for it.
For you can bet that with their whole tour resting on the result of Saturday's match the Lions will be all fire and brimstone in the opening stanzas.
They will be into it boots and all (literally and figureatively)and just how the AB's respond will very probably decide just what their winning margin will be at the end of the 80 minutes.
If they can keep the Lions scoreless in that period the likelihood is the already shaken confidence of the tourists will be eroded to the point that any chance of them making a close go of it will be down the gurgler.
On the other hand, if the Lions are able to get a few points up early on their confidence will grow and it could be well into the second spell before the AB's assume control. And by then a win of major proportions would be out of the question.
Going into the first test it was easy to predict the Lion' tactical approach.They were always going to place total emphasis on gaining superiority up front with their backs basically making up the numbers.
With that approach failing so badly, however, the Lions just might surprise us by coming up with something entirely different on this occasion.
The romp over a dismally poor Manawatu on Tuesday could well have been enough to sway Sir Clive into thinking that at least some of his backs can actually run with the ball and that letting them loose might be the most profitable way to go.
Not that the Lions won't be anticipating their forwards doing an awful lot better than they did at Jade.
You can bet with absolute certainty that the lineout will be more efficient and the scrum more stable for they simply could not perform worse than they did in those vital ball-winning areas last weekend
One imagines too they will be more assertive in the rucks and mauls too and while the expected dust-ups there didn't happen at Jade I would be very surprised if there wasn't a couple of "incidents" on Saturday night, especially with the O"Driscoll tackle controversy continuing to make the headlines.
The ABs tactics seem sure to revolve around using the full width of the paddock to stretch the Lions defence to crumbling point and on a dry ground wingers Sivivatu and Gear-and hopefully Ma's Nonu later in the game- should see plenty of quality possession.
Expect them then to be the headliners in what should again be a comprehensive All Blacks win.