The Lions tour ground to a halt last Tuesday, and it's been a long week since then. Nothing less than victory against the New South Wales Waratahs will suffice in Sydney's Football Stadium today (Sky Sports, kick-off 10.30 Irish time) to kickstart the Oz odyssey again, with this Saturday and next Saturday's first Test in Brisbane now the pivotal games. Most likely the rest of the tour will hinge on these results.
Most likely, too, the Lions will obtain a restorative win today, and convincingly enough at that. It's set up that way. Of the 10 Waratahs who started in last Tuesday's win, three have been rested today (including centre Nathan Grey) and while the remaining seven have been buttressed by a couple more who appeared from the bench in Gosford, they actually had better preparation with Australia A.
Whereas the A side were in camp for 10 days, the nine who start today were only reintroduced to their team-mates on Wednesday. Never mind that it might be difficult for them to scale those heights again for the second time in five days, it's clear that the Australians put most of their non-Test eggs in the A basket.
Graham Henry has admitted that the Lions this week did likewise, focusing their energies on the Saturday Test side, though by the looks of last Tuesday that process was already well in train. Tuesday's team played like 15 individuals, who not only had little time together as a unit but were hugely conscious that this was near enough to their last chance for forcing their way into the test side.
By contrast the more feted and more established Saturday side have no such pressure on them individually, though of course everyone could do with a big game today, starting with Lawrence Dallaglio especially, but also the likes of Will Greenwood, Jason Robinson, Matt Dawson (who might already have too much to do to catch up on Robert Howley) and Darren Morris could conceivably play themselves on or off the test side today.
That they are playing with most of the test side will help them, unlike Tuesday's unfortunate lot.
Nor should this team be nearly as lacking in cohesiveness, especially at lineout where Keith Wood was on the money last week. You'd hope, if not presume, that the restarts will improve from time on the training ground as well.
There's been an awful lot of time on the training ground, most of it behind closed doors and it's funny how results dictate so much else. In the light of those opening three wins, rumours of fatigue, the squad being overtrained and somewhat bored, gradually abated, but in the light of Tuesday's setback they have resurfaced.
It's been a long week alright, a sombre and serious one at that, which simply must yield a win to restore morale.
In an odd way though, winning will have its downside to a degree as well, in that it might further cause a split in the camp between the established Saturday side and the rump of a midweek side cast adrift.
Henry has stated that the best means of overcoming the obvious demarcation lines that might ensue and the pitfalls that follow is through good communication. On the evidence so far, you'd have to seriously wonder whether those communication lines are adequate enough. Not enough to greatly affect today perhaps, but as four years ago showed, unity is strength.
Newsouthwales: E Carter; S QauQau, L Inman, S Harris, S Staniforth; M Edmonds, S Payne; R Moore, B Cannon, C Bladews, J West, T Bowman, S Pinkerton, S Sinau, P Waugh. Replacements _ D McRae, R Tombs, A Baxter, P Noriega, L Green, P Besseling, D Hickey
Lions: I Balshaw (England); D James (Wales), B O'Driscoll (Ireland), W Greenwood (England), J Robinson (England); J Wilkinson (England), M Dawson (England); D Morris (Wales), K Wood (Ireland), P Vickery (England), M Johnson (England, capt), D Grewcock ( England), L Dallaglio (England), S Quinnell (Wales), N Back (England). Replacements : T Smith (Scotland), R McBryde (Wales), M Corry (England), R Hill (England), A Healey (England), R O'Gara (Ireland), M Perry (England).
Referee: S Young (Australia).
Last five meetings: ('89) NSW 21, Lions 23; ('71) NSW 12 Lions 14; ('66) NSW 6 Lions 6; ('59) NSW 18 Lions 14; ('50) NSW 6 Lions 22.
Overall record: Pl 18, NSW 3 wins, 1 draw, Lions 14 wins.
