David Leggat: Too much yak, time to get playing

Finally, at last, it is upon us. There is only so much lead-up, so much hype you can take about the Lions before you reach for the Panadol.

So thank goodness the aimless talk will end when they actually get on the field for the first time in Rotorua tonight.

In three weeks' time, when the Lions are hours away from the first test against the All Blacks, the events of the Bay of Plenty match might be irrelevant, no more or less than a bog standard average tour match.

Then again, it might have assumed considerable significance. And there you have the interesting part about this, and any match when the tourists dip their size 12s into the home team's waters for the first time.

All the pontificating about what might happen will be rendered meaningless.

Sir Winston Churchill once famously remarked "to jaw jaw is always better than to war war".

To be fair to Churchill he was talking about events far more significant than sport, but in the context of the Lions he was wrong.

We've had far too much yak, it's about time sleeves were rolled up and players did what they've come here for. Bay of Plenty supporters may have taken heart from the Lions' scratchy 25-25 draw against Argentina in Cardiff before they flew out. But it's essentially irrelevant. What does count is how quickly the Lions settle into their work on New Zealand soil.

The keen-eyed types will look for small elements in the puzzle.

Such as whether the Lions get knocked back in the tackle by the hard men of the Bay park, or whether they get themselves a couple of metres over the advantage line; whether they can shunt back what is essentially a Super 12 pack at scrum time; whether they tackle with conviction when the likes of burly Aleki Lutui has a head of steam up; and how hard they're blowing at three-quarter time.

In a sense the Lions are on a hiding.

They are expected to win - with all due respect to the tenacity and skill of a Bay team good enough to win the Ranfurly Shield and reach the NPC semifinals last year - and if they don't do it impressively questions will be asked.

If they lose they'll be ducking serious flak. But at least Sir Clive Woodward and his coaching squadron will finally have something tangible to work with.

Woodward has professed he doesn't really care how the Lions look tonight, as long as they get more points than the Bay.

He's probably a disciple of legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi of Green Bay Packers Superbowl fame in the 1960s. Lombardi argued, "If winning isn't everything why do they keep score?"

As for the players, this is their first chance to put their hand up for consideration for the opening test.

For all the speculation that many players have next-to-nil chance of test selection, Woodward's preferred lineup is no lay down misere.

He may have mentally chopped a few after the Argentine flop but a strong display against Bay of Plenty will keep individuals in the test mix.

And that's the beauty of the tour opener. Finding out how good Gavin Henson really is; does Lawrence Dallaglio, No 8 now without a country, still have the old grunt; how quickly does openside flanker Martyn Williams cover the ground; is late inclusion Mark Cueto as quick and elusive as we've heard.

It's all very well watching these players on the square box but let's assess them against a Bay side with steam coming from their nostrils in their own back yard.

Then all the huff and puff of the last few months can be put where it belongs.