The British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland talks after they arrived at Auckland International Airport today.
Lions coach Warren Gatland says his son Bryn probably expects to make a few tackles against his side in tomorrow's tour opener.
Gatland senior is going to instruct New Zealand-born second five-eighths Ben Te'o to angle back and target Bryn at No10 - an unusual state of affairs for a proud father to be masterminding a game plan affecting his son. But the aim is to try a strategy that will potentially neutralise the All Blacks' kingpin Beauden Barrett in the test series.
"I spoke to him last night and he seems to be enjoying the week," Gatland said of Bryn. "We will catch up tomorrow. He probably expects to make a few tackles on the weekend but we haven't spoken too much about the game."
The Lions have a cushy opener, a soft entry point to New Zealand where they can set down a marker and feel good about life.
Something will have gone horribly wrong if the result is anything other than a comfortable victory for the Lions. But just because the result is a fait accompli, doesn't mean there won't be any intrigue or major points of interest.
The way the Lions use their midfield will be fascinating. They have picked Te'o at second-five and Jonathan Joseph at centre.
It's an all-England combination and comes with a mix of raw power - mostly from Te'o - and elegant running - mostly from Joseph.
This is how coach Gatland likes to set up his midfield: he favours a hard-running 12 who challenges the gainline with a centre who can do much the same but perhaps also add a bit of footwork and agility into the mix.
The consistent theme is that the midfield approach will be direct and confrontational. Somewhere in Gatland's thinking is that down the track, he wants to eliminate the attacking threat of Barrett by forcing him into endless defensive chores.
There unquestionably exists this idea that Barrett is defensively vulnerable and that the Lions can pressure the All Blacks by hammering the midfield ball carrying grunt down Barrett's channel.
The second component that is going to become more of an issue for the Lions as the tour develops is that if they persist with their desire to have a ball carrier at No 12, then they are going to have to make a direct choice at No 10 between Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell.
There won't be room for both and with Dan Biggar also a quality No 10, the Lions have potential to twist themselves in knots trying to figure out who to play at first-five when it comes to the tests.
Sexton starts in Whangarei and Farrell is on the bench and when asked if Gatland was adamant the latter was only a 10 and not a 12, he said: "We know that is an option for us having played there for England as well.
"But I think as do the other coaches that he is a world class No 10. It is not just Sexton and Farrell we have Biggar as well. There is some real experience there.
"Knowing the three of them they are all desperate to play in that position. The players are aware of the competition in that position. They will get a chance, the three of them to start.
"The Maori game is a week before the first test and we might be mirroring something close to our first XV by then. But that is a bit down the track. That is probably when we will start to think about potential combinations for the first test."
