Wynne Gray: Lions on prowl for a kill may yet go hungry

John Mitchell. Photo / Dean Purcell

When well-travelled coach John Mitchell looks at his Lions side he notes they don't have much experience in their tight forwards.

But you can almost pick up the anticipation in his voice when he learns that the Blues have switched half of their All Black-laden pack to the bench.

He delivers some "Blues know best" thoughts about that selection as they look for some renewed energy in their Super 15 campaign.

'At this stage, continuity is best. We must learn from the games we've had and make improvements," Mitchell said from his Johannesburg base.

The Lions were looking after their players, the coach said, they were building spirit and had made one injury-forced change which increased their mobility.

"The start will be very important for both teams," Mitchell added. "The Blues get excited by attack and we like to as well. It will be all about who gets the initiative early and who can hang on to it."

His Lions squad was far fitter than they had been, with evidence of that in the narrow losses to the Bulls and Stormers.

But the cold statistical evidence paints a bleak picture the Lions are looking to change.

Their last victory was in May 2009, when they sneaked past the Highlanders 27-22. Since then they've lost 16 successive games, including every match last season.

Whether the Blues reacted to that record in their selection will always be something for conjecture.

The facts are they've made six changes with coach Pat Lam talking about the need for a 22-man effort to get home at Ellis Park tomorrow.

Players had to be managed, especially with the rugged travel schedule to South Africa, Perth next week for the Force then home to host the Hurricanes.

He and his coaching staff had faith in the full squad though this match would be a "massive challenge".

It's taken on even more significance after the listless last-round loss to the Sharks. Now the new-look Blues have to bounce back at altitude against a resurgent Lions side.

Lam tried to dampen the significance of last week's loss as he pointed out 10 of the 15 sides in the competition had lost at least once while the unbeaten teams had not yet played offshore.

The Lions already looked a different side under Mitchell's tutelage, said Lam, and they had displayed more structure and organisation.

Similar factors were involved in Ali Williams' retention at lock for the Blues, despite statistics which did not tell a good story about his performance against the Sharks.

"We certainly feel he's best suited for this and he does a lot of the organisation as well. He's getting better and better each game," Lam said.

It seems the Blues are banking on their alternate players holding the Lions, until they can inject the experience and potency of men such as Keven Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid and Rene Ranger from the bench.

Before that, the Blues will need forward control so the Alby Mathewson - Luke McAlister axis can find cohesion and rhythm.

Up high in his Ellis Park coaching box, Mitchell and his crew, including former Blues first five-eighths Carlos Spencer, will wonder if this will be the breakthrough match.

"We're all committed to this group, all thirsty for success and we know we have to create a winning attitude," he said.

The question is, who will be the first victim?