Age shall not weary this flanker

Neil Back says he's 'desperate to play'. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Neil Back, international flanker, age 36.

Is his selection tonight against Wellington a tribute to his skills, an indictment of young flankers in the UK or a result of a bloated Lions touring squad?

Take your pick. Whatever your verdict, Back's selection is extraordinary. It prompted a columnist to quiz coach Sir Clive Woodward recently on whether this Lions visit was a major tour or a holiday for the aged.

"It is a no-brainer," Woodward replied. "He's been brilliant recently. Age doesn't come into it. I made a big mistake after the World Cup dropping him.

"But I'm not bringing him back out of sympathy. The Lions need him."

When Back surges on to the Cake Tin wearing the red No 7 jersey it will be 36 years and 150 days since he took his first breath in Coventry.

That is some going, although he has a way to go to overtake Edward Hughes, who played for the All Blacks in 1921 aged 40 years 123 days.

While Martyn Williams and Lewis Moody battled with the openside flanker work for the Lions during Back's four-match ban for punching, neither was helped much by their comrades.

Back should not want for assistance because his team-mates will be fired by the chastening Maori defeat, while the Wellington pack has never been the most potent rugby animal.

Meanwhile, Woodward was promoting his ageing flanker's skills.

"The last time Backy played [Richie] McCaw," Woodward added, "he came out on top."

When coaches win they can recreate history, as Woodward did about the 2003 test in Wellington when England beat the All Blacks in horrendous conditions.

Since that World Cup-winning year, Woodward axed Back from his England squad.

Now many near the Lions squad are painting Back as the tourists' saviour for the vexed breakdown area. His crafty experience is being billed as a useful weapon, his lack of size and dwindling pace ignored.

Listen to others, apart from Woodward, who have watched Back go round for his Leicester club this season and they will tell you he began well but then faded.

Back has given himself a decent chance to recover from the rigours of the English club scene after he was banned for belting Joe Worsley.

That suspension finished yesterday as the Lions continued to mull over their lack of success in the tackled ball zone.

"I am desperate to play," Back said. "I back myself both physically and mentally. I look at every setback positively and I have been able to get away from all the knocks and bangs.

"I am in prime shape and ready for Wellington. To get into the test side would be a real challenge but it is one I have met before and done. It holds no fear for me at all."

Back started his international life in 1994 and first played against the All Blacks as captain of England's second side at Huddersfield in 1997.

His side was well beaten, 59-22, but Back was scornful.

"They had to cheat to stop us winning the ball, they are very good at slowing the ball down, they spread very well in defence," he said.

Sounds very much like Piri Weepu's assessment of the Lions' work when they were beaten by the Maori on Saturday.

The halfback, who has been picked in the Junior All Blacks, mixed it with Matt Dawson on Saturday and goes up against another test contender Dwayne Peel in this game.

Wellington v Lions

1930: won 12-8
1950: lost 12-6
1959: lost 21-6
1966: won 20-6
1971: lost 47-9
1977: lost 13-6
1983: lost 27-19