Plumtree aims to derail the Lions

It may have been purely coincidental that a train rumbled past as Wellington coach John Plumtree made his most telling observation about tonight's match against the Lions.

"Now we can totally derail them if we turn them over," Plumtree said of a game which, after the loss to New Zealand Maori, has assumed crucial importance to the Lions tour.

Lose tonight with what amounts to a virtual first test combination and the Lions have big problems.

But although Plumtree is confident Wellington, even without four All Blacks, will be up to the task, he acknowledged the Maori result has not helped his team's cause.

"They will be looking to get their tour back on track. The Lions will be really upset about that loss," he said.

"They'll want to win from now on until the first test. They'll be desperate."

Plumtree, who steered Wellington to the final of last year's NPC before losing to Canterbury, reckons there's no point playing it tight.

He has the backs to cause headaches for the Lions and he wants his players to enjoy the night.

"We certainly think that physically we can control them in phase play. But we're not going to beat the Lions by kicking the ball into touch and driving.

"We've got a lot of threats out wide and if they play well then who knows."

Threats such as hard-to-fell Ma'a Nonu, fleet-footed Jimmy Gopperth, pugnacious halfback Piri Weepu and hard-running wingers Lome Fa'atau and Roy Kinikinilau.

As for the Lions, they are buoyed by the first appearances in New Zealand of a clutch of key figures: flanker Neil Back, goalkicking star Jonny Wilkinson, and utility backs Jason Robinson and Gareth Thomas.

That gang of four, who can boast 240 test caps between them, are capable of giving the Lions a huge boost, both in terms of morale and their quality of rugby.

Wilkinson's importance speaks for itself. He has not played outside Welsh halfback Dwayne Peel before. That will be interesting, but if it works it has a first test combination written all over it.

Peel squared off against Weepu when the Maori representative made his All Black debut against Wales late last year.

Wellington flanker Ben Herring is relishing having a crack at Wilkinson. He knows every Lions match has drawn a stellar performance from the local No 7.

"How Marty Holah played was outstanding. That's the benchmark for openside play at the moment," Herring said.

Back has been itching to get out on the park after serving a four-match ban.

Another flanker, Lewis Moody, is out of the reserves, and out of the Otago match on Saturday, with a recurrence of a left knee injury.

Assistant coach Gareth Jenkins said the Wellington match was important. Momentum had to be regained after the Maori loss.

"We've had a clear debrief ... after the Maori game. We've got to be positive, we have to approach it as a game we have to win."

Ain't that the truth.

Wellington

Westpac Stadium, tonight 7.10

Shannon Paku
Lome Fa'atau
Ma'a Nonu
Tane Tu'ipulotu
Roy Kinikinilau
Jimmy Gopperth
Piri Weepu
Thomas Waldrom
Ben Herring
Kristian Ormsby
Ross Filipo
Luke Andrews
Tim Fairbrother
M. Schwalger
Joe McDonnell (c)

Lions

Josh Lewsey (E)
G. Thomas (W)
B. O'Driscoll (c) (I)
Gavin Henson (W)
J. Robinson (E)
J. Wilkinson (E)
Dwayne Peel (W)
Martin Corry (E)
Neil Back (E)
Simon Easterby (I)
Ben Kay (E)
D. Grewcock (E)
Julian White (E)
Shayne Byrne (I)
Gethin Jenkins(W) 

Wellington: Luke Mahoney, John Schwalger, Kane Thompson, Justin Purdie, Riki Flutey, Tamati Ellison, Cory Jane
Lions: Gordon Bulloch (S), Matt Stevens (E), Paul O'Connell (I), Richard Hill (E), Chris Cusiter (S), Stephen Jones (W), Shane Horgan (I).