Wilkinson to make Tour debut against Wellington

England maestro Jonny Wilkinson will play against Wellington on Wednesday in the final act of what Lions rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward admits is among the most challenging of selection conundrums.

The next chapter in the race to be Lions first five-eighth will be played out at Hamilton's Waikato Stadium tomorrow when Welshman Stephen Jones wears number 10.

Jones was clear favourite for a test spot after Wales' Six Nations triumph but the return to full fitness of Wilkinson and the form on this tour of England's Charlie Hodgson has left Woodward spoiled for choice. Irishman Ronan O'Gara is also in the running.

While many still believe Wilkinson has the inside running because of what he has achieved for England in lifting them to the 2003 World Cup triumph, Woodward said the race remained wide open.

He was delighted with how O'Gara controlled the second half of the tour opener against Bay of Plenty, while he described Hodgson's performance against Taranaki on Wednesday as probably his best this year.

"What it's done as make the position one of the most competitive," Woodward said.

"I've been delighted with all the half combinations... we've got three games to go before we start to seriously have to knuckle down on the starting 15."

Woodward confirmed Wilkinson would make his first appearance on New Zealand soil against Wellington, meaning all four first five-eighths would have played a match here.

It will be his second chance to prove he has fully recovered from the injuries that have sidelined him since his heroic World Cup final performance.

Wilkinson's other Lions appearance was the pre-tour game against Argentina, where he kicked a late penalty to draw the match.

Jones was trying to ignore the form of others, saying had known tomorrow's match would be his one big chance.

"It's an 11-game tour and there's a test coming around shortly. You're not going to get given many opportunities so you've got to make sure you play well in the game that you're given. But you can't go out and try and force things, you can try too hard sometimes."

Jones believed it would suit him if the Maori employed their traditional fast-paced game. He had become used to a fast-flowing style in the last year as it was the game Wales were trying to play and French club rugby was much less structured than the British method.

"That's what most teams in France are like. They have a small game plan really, there's a lot of room to manoeuvre, to what you want in that," he said.

- NZPA