The jury is still out

The Lions tour will provide a blueprint for future assignments, according to the New Zealand coach who knows as much as anyone about the challenge the All Blacks face.

Warren Gatland, the All Black hooker from 1988-91 but unlucky enough to be a contemporary of the most-capped All Black, Sean Fitzpatrick, has just finished a lengthy stint coaching in Britain and Ireland, most recently at champion English club Wasps.

He will take over as Waikato NPC coach this year.

Gatland believes the most interesting aspects of the tour will come off the field. Sir Clive Woodward is bringing more than 40 players and 26 backroom staff. It is a huge operation.

Will it work? The jury is still out, according to Gatland.

"There's so many different issues," he said. "The squad, the coaching staff, basing themselves in Auckland, it's never been done before. The gelling together of everyone, the dynamics of it all. There's a huge amount of ifs."

On the playing side, Gatland believes that when dealing with such large numbers "you're always going to get one or two surprises, and one or two surprise omissions".

He singled out England wing Mark Cueto and Scottish flanker Jason White as the unluckiest to miss the trip.

"Cueto scores lots of tries at club level, he's playing pretty well and he's under-rated. He's very unlucky.

"And White is the sort of player you need in New Zealand; physically abrasive, who can compete. He had a good Six Nations in a poor Scottish team."

Of the four-nation split, Gatland believes Ireland were lucky to have got 11, but otherwise reckoned it was about right.

Gatland has plenty of time for three England players who slipped under the radar before the squad was named, centre Ollie Smith, giant prop Andrew Sheridan and hooker Andy Titterell.

"Smith is very good, very quick and was just voted young player of the year in the English Premiership awards.

"He wasn't picked in the Six Nations, but Woodward likes him a lot."

Sheridan is a transplanted lock, by reputation immensly strong and a tidy ball carrier, as is the quick and lively Titterell — Gatland compares him with Keven Mealamu in style and workrate — who challenged Steve Thompson for his test place in the last Six Nations competition.

Any of those three could turn out the surprise package for Gatland, and a midfield pairing of captain Brian O'Driscoll and Smith — ahead of the more fancied Gavin Henson or Gordon D'Arcy — in the first test is not far-fetched.

Gatland believes Welshman Stephen Jones and, when he gets fully fit, Jonny Wilkinson are "head and shoulders" ahead of the other two first five-eighths, Charlie Hodgson and Ronan O'Gara, who have significant defensive frailties.

"Jones is the form player, Wilkinson's had only a bit of club rugby. They will try to get him up to speed as quickly as they can.

"The thing with Wilkinson is he's got that proven ability to kick goals in difficult conditions.

"At Newcastle [Wilkinson's club] it's always windy up there and you saw at Wellington a couple of years ago he kicked goals on a wet night.

"Woodward will be very conscious of that . . . night games, wet ball, ground a bit dewy. You've got to have somebody who is at 90 per cent in goalkicking."

Gatland believes the reason so many Englishmen are in the squad, 21, is they alone of the four nations have won in the Southern Hemisphere recently. That will have been a significant factor in his selection.

"They have been in a pretty hostile environment and come out of it. Even if they're not selected, having them as part of the squad to bring experience is important because a lot of them won't realise what's going to be coming at them."

Gatland rates it a tough itinerary and Woodward will want to get his preferred combinations working together early.

In terms of style, Gatland suspects it will be a case of England in red.

"I don't think it will be a lot different to the way England played. Woodward will pick a big, physical forward pack and they will compete very hard at set-pieces, the scrums, lineouts and, especially, the breakdowns."

Can the Lions win?

Gatland sidesteps the ultimate question, but does insist the Lions will arrive in excellent shape with many in strong form, and they won't shrink from the challenge.

"I'm sure everyone would love it to be 1-1 going to the third test. The Lions will compete really well up front and, when they put their top backline together, will be able to offer something."