Lions tour the focus for Wilkinson, says Woodward

The biggest name in Northern Hemisphere rugby, Jonny Wilkinson, is "desperate" to get fit for the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand, the team's coach Sir Clive Woodward said here today.

Woodward, here to look at grounds and training facilities ahead of the 11-game tour starting in June, said the star first five-eighth would be a key part of the team if he can recover from a knee injury.

Wilkinson suffered a new injury to his left knee over the weekend that is likely to keep him out of the game for the next 4-6 weeks.

"I'd be surprised if he plays in the Six Nations," Woodward told reporters in New Zealand today.

Woodward, who coached Wilkinson to World Cup glory with England in Sydney last year, said he was the biggest name in the northern game "by a mile".

"He's desperate to come on this trip."

The Lions have budgeted to tour with a 44-player pool from which the midweek and test sides will be drawn.

Woodward stressed he would coach the test side playing the All Blacks in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch but remain involved in the midweek side coached by Ian McGeechan.

He defended the Lions' decision to bring 26 other personnel, including coaches, medical staff and Prime Minister Tony Blair's former press secretary Alistair Campbell, saying the touring side had to change or risk redundancy.

The size of the management team was necessary to cope with the demands of the professional game and was prompted by the disappointing 2001 Lions tour of Australia, where they lost the series 1-2 despite having a very strong side, he said.

This Lions would be the best-prepared team ever, he said.

The tour was the biggest thing in UK sport this year, apart from the upcoming Ashes cricket series, and had received massive media attention -- hence the decision to take Campbell.

Although Woodward denied he was here to launch a charm offensive, he outlined plans to have all Lions players not involved in the tests made available to unions for public appearances.

He also heaped praise on the current All Blacks, describing their 45-6 defeat of France at Paris in November as "just outstanding" and singling out first five-eighth Daniel Carter.

The tour could be "organised chaos", he joked, but would be a treat for the fans, including the more than 25,000 expected to travel here from Europe.

The 11-match tour begins on June 4 with a game against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua.

- NZPA