Into the Lions' den

Ian McGeechan names his Lions touring party tomorrow and, even before a name has been read out, there are concerns about the lack of creativity in the touring party.

The likes of Gavin Henson, James Hook and Danny Cipriani – three of the most naturally talented and exciting rugby players hailing from these shores – are expected to miss out on the trip to South Africa for a variety of reasons.

Henson is almost certain to be omitted on fitness grounds, Hook may stay at home due to poor form and for Cirpriani it would be a mixture of both.

The likely selection of Paul O’Connell as skipper for the tour is expected to set a tone of hard-nosed competitive selections that offer hope for a competitive series, but little in the way of inspiration.

O’Connell’s Ireland team mates Brian O’Driscoll is likely to be a key figure and proved that he is still amongst the world’s very best in this year’s Six Nations, but he lacks the ability to dazzle and the broken play threat of his earlier career.

The dancing winger Shane Williams may well be the only member of the squad who can claim the tag of genuine match-winner.

The fly half position seems to sum up this squad, with the test match berth likely to come down to a duel between Ireland’s Ronan O’Gara and Welsh stand off Stephen Jones.

Both are established test number tens and are reliable options but neither has the ability to produce the kind of inspired moments of magic of which Hook and Cipriani are capable.

Yes, there is a need for a tough approach against South Africa and Ian McGeechan will no doubt benefit from the selection of a number of fiercely combative and reliable individuals to mould into a test team.

But even the most solid and competitive side needs its jokers, its game breakers, and in a large squad on a long tour such as the Lions, where campaigns are often beset by injury, McGeechan would do well to have more than one joker in his pack.

Clive Woodward’s England World Cup winning side in 2003 was the perfect example of a unit that relied on grit and determination, rather than dazzling rugby to achieve success.

But just as important as the likes of Martin Johnson, Richard Hill and Lawrence Dallaglio – the driving forces behind England’s power play – were the one or two players capable of moments of individual brilliance, such as Jason Robinson and Will Greenwood, who could turn a big game.

You can also look at the Lions’ opponents South Africa during their own successful World Cup campaign in 2007.

Their effort was led by the brawn of the likes of Victor Matfield, Bakkes Botha and Schalke Burger, but their star was the sensational speedster Bryan Habana, while the precocious Francois Steyn also provided key moments of audacious skill.

McGeechan would also do well to place less emphasis on the versatility of the fringe players in the squad – with the likes of Toby Flood and Chris Paterson touted as possible back-up tourists – and more of the potential impact from the bench of, say, a Ben Foden or a Keith Earls.

In modern day rugby, which is becoming ever more a twenty-two-a-side game, the impact of replacements in a tight test match could decide the series.

Frank the footman carries out his duties

The Fabio Capello England bandwagon kept on rolling at Wembley with a solid win over a competent Ukraine side.

The Italian seems to have instilled a winning mentality into his side and even when Andriy Shevchenko equalised for the visitors, an England victory always looked like the only outcome.
Although England received a reality check against Spain in Seville in February, the side has come a long way.

The former Milan and Real Madrid boss seems to be achieving the old trick of getting the best out of his players and the team are playing with confidence.

Most pundits and journalists have been waxing lyrical about the way Capello has managed to get the best out of both Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, with both men enjoying the same freedom they play with at club level.

But perhaps a more impressive change from Capello’s point of view is the way he has changed the mentality of Frank Lampard.

The Chelsea midfielder has experienced fluctuating fortunes during his international career, reaching the highs of England player of the year and the lows of boo-boy.

Under Capello his performances have almost crept under the radar but the Italian himself will certainly be impressed with his industrious efforts and shows of team responsibility.

Playing more of a holding role for his country, Lampard has reinvented himself as a highly effective cog in Capello’s well oiled machine – as opposed to the free-running individual of his early days that he still displays at club level.

He has been playing alongside Gareth Barry in the midfield engine room but the Aston Villa player is not the same kind of sitting player as Claude Makelele or his Chelsea successor John Obi Mikel.

It is easy to get world class players such as Gerrard and Rooney and get them to play with freedom and licence, it is much harder to take players used to that liberty to restrain their attacking instincts and play a disciplined role for their teammates.