Pin-up boy tough enough

Gavin Henson may want to look like David Beckham, earn like David Beckham and live his life David Beckham. He sure doesn't play rugby like David Beckham, though.

The playboy lifestyle invites derision in a game for real men. The poncy red boots that match his bottle-red hair make you think he is a glory boy with no heart.

He showed last night, however, that he is as tough as the red leather on his poncy boots.

Bay of Plenty centre Alan Bunting had two cracks at trying to run over him. On both occasions Henson picked him up and dumped back.

By the middle of the second half the Bay stopped trying to run that channel. They realised Henson was more than just a pretty face.

It was the biggest question hanging over him and having gone some way to answering it, the boy from the valleys must be in line to team up inside his captain for the first test.

How many of the side from last night will be joining him is very hard to say.

Lawrence Dallaglio looked full of menace before being taken to hospital after 15 minutes, while back-row chum, Martyn Williams, got to the widest parts of the field. But Williams wouldn't have been so effective if it hadn't been for the efforts of Richard Hill on the blindside.

The Saracens flanker is on his third tour and we knew why. He is never far from the ball, makes a silly number of tackles and is so clever at the breakdown where he gets his body in places it really shouldn't be.

For a man who missed most of last season with a serious knee injury, his efforts last night were Herculean. If he can reproduce the same form in his next outing the test jersey is likely to be his.

But Williams, Hill and Henson aside, there really wasn't much for Sir Clive to smile about.

His front row were given a very hard time. Both Gethin Jenkins and Matt Stevens love getting out into the open spaces. But the numbers on their backs demand that they spend a lot of time in the confines of much darker places.

Neither looks like they could hold a scrum steady at test level. And that could be the death knell for them.

The Lions, regardless of struggling up front for much of last night, will build their game plan around forward domination.

They will be bloody minded about it. They haven't sussed, or at least refuse to acknowledge, that New Zealand rugby is not as powder puff as they think.

Its not powder puff at all in fact and they may find they are banging their heads against a brick wall if they continue to try and bludgeon, and talk, their way to victory.

It was noticeable, however, that the scrum steadied when Steve Thompson came on at hooker. He's a huge man and his presence was noted in the final 20 minutes.

His Achilles heel is a suspect darts arm. That leaves Woodward with a dilemma because there are better throwers in the tour party - Shayne Byrne and Andy Titterall - but they can't match Thompson for work rate. Nor do they carry the ball as well as the Englishman.

And Woodward knows, especially after last night, that to make inroads in New Zealand you need big men who can ride some big hits and still retain possession.

And a first-five who can kick goals, pass and run the game. Something Ronan O'Gara clearly can't do.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY