Wynne Gray: Underdone test sides a concern

Three uncertainties straddle the countdown to the long-awaited test series between the All Blacks and Lions.

The weather next Saturday in Christchurch, the performance of referee Joel Jutge and the inadequate matchplay for both XVs hover above most of the predictions about the opening international.

The All Black selectors have maintained a cautious approach, mindful that they trained the team too hard early last year and lost momentum in the Tri-Nations. They have accepted a national trial, one test against Fiji, others' involvement in the Maori match and one camp this week in Auckland as the appropriate groundwork to take them into test week.

They recognise the risk of being a shade underdone, that rest is rust, as assistant coach Wayne Smith suggested recently.

But they also know most of the All Blacks are familiar with one another's play, they have been working hard on retooling the strategies they slogged at for a month on last year's tour to Europe. They are not the pick-up side the Lions are trying to fuse into a test framework.

That limited time the Lions have had together on the park, getting used to one another's nuances, shades of style and defensive techniques, sussing out how New Zealand teams play and smelling their approach up close, may be the tourists' greatest hurdle.

It has been at the forefront of most post-match comment on this tour.

But coach Sir Clive Woodward and his staff have not wavered publicly from their view that they must give everyone a shot on this trip, even though they will reach the first test with too many players having too few games.

It is a by-product of the decision to bring a bloated playing squad and promising them all games even if that has meant only three minutes as a sub for someone like halfback Gareth Cooper.

Privately the other day Woodward said he needed one more big Saturday game for his likely test XV before the Christchurch test.

He had that chance today against Otago - a match when he should have run out some like Gareth Thomas, Jason Robinson, Jonny Wilkinson, Stephen Jones, Matt Dawson, Andy Sheridan or Steve Thompson - men who need more games than training sessions.

As probable test No 8 Martin Corry said midweek, the issue was transferring individual talents into team unity.

It was an ongoing difficulty, gathering players from four nations and all sorts of different walks of life and playing styles and trying to gel them into a singular pattern

"As much as we'd love to do it, and you'd love it to happen quickly," he said, "it doesn't happen that way."

Captain Brian O'Driscoll accepted he had restricted chances to work up a rhythm alongside Gavin Henson or Wilkinson but thought their class would bridge the gaps.

Senior citizen Neil Back agreed that the Lions' difficulties at the breakdown were organisation issues. Analysis had identified the issues but the solution was more time together.

Against Wellington midweek, Back said he had made a few line breaks but had been unable to link up with his support and that was an indication of the Lions' blending struggles.

He had been in sides which had beaten the All Blacks before so how close were the Lions to achieving that result?

"I think we are a long way off," he said, "and that is purely because of the game time we have had together. Time is very limited so there is still a lot of work to be done. We have improved some of our deficiencies but there is a lot of work to be done to beat the All Blacks."

Assertions by Wellington coach John Plumtree that his team would have shipped 60 points against the All Blacks cut no ice with Back.

He had been with Lions tours to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001 when they lost matches and then won the first test. Victory against Wellington had restored momentum and everyone had to increase their performances before Christchurch.

Now the Lions just had to get on with it, Back said.

"If I was picking the [test] side I would be in it, but I'm not, that is for others to decide," the chunky flanker said in response to his chances for Christchurch.

"All I can do is be the best I can possibly be."