Wynne Gray: Clive, it's the Lions, not England

Stirring music and video images of the Lions halted discussion of their first test side to play the All Blacks.

It was more like a proclamation as the 22 players and officials traipsed into the Christchurch Convention Centre where coach Sir Clive Woodward had to wait until the crashing music subsided.

Frankly, it was all a bit much. But there was more.

As he has done repeatedly on this tour, Woodward started with a small speech in which he lauded the way Gavin Henson, among others, had played.

Later in question time, Woodward said Henson had done nothing wrong at all.

Fair shake, it is the coach's prerogative to pick whomever he wants, and it will be Woodward taking the praise or condemnation tomorrow night.

But it did seem unusual for him to mount such a defence of one player and then leave him out, not only of the XV but also the reserves.

It seemed more like a public draping of the arm around Henson, even though the midfielder was not in the room.

After some of the blemishes - in the recent Alastair Campbell-free weeks - which raised the ire of the British and Irish media, the spin doctor has returned and with him, coincidentally, the choreography.

All sorts of words were uttered about how well the Welshman took his omission, but his own verbals before and after the Southland match suggested intense disappointment and bitterness about his rejection.

The Herald understands Henson was less than reserved when told of his omission. Perhaps his displeasure was based on the belief that Woodward never seriously considered enough players outside a core of Englishmen, that he was always going to play Jonny Wilkinson somewhere.

That opinion gained more traction when Woodward made a slip of the tongue as he spoke later on about the formation of his pack, a group he described as England, before correcting himself with the word Lions.

Then the players were off for interviews with the print and radio journalists who now number about 120 after this week's arrival of the chief sports writers from the major dailies in Britain.

The question and answer time went smoothly in contrast to the All Blacks' initial effort where their minders did not allow enough room or time to accommodate such numbers.

It was like watching a cattle sale inside a sauna as players and media jostled for opportunities.

Journalists from France, Japan, Australia and the agencies have joined the tour, and there are also about 45 photographers accredited and about 150 people who are used by television channels.

Quite what they all made of test episode one will now be open for public scrutiny.