Lions v Wellington, Wednesday

[MattyNeth]

Current odds from Betfair Wellington 4.00 Lions 1.29 Draw 36.00 England World Cup-winning stars Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson will make their debuts on the Lions tour in the match against Wellington on Wednesday. Wales' Grand Slam-winning captain Gareth Thomas and former England flanker Neil Back will also play. Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward said Saturday's defeat by New Zealand Maori was "a bit of a reality check". Woodward added: "We've got to accept the disappointment, learn the right lessons and move on very strongly." After victories in their first two games, the Lions were outplayed by the Maori in a 19-13 loss on Saturday.

"Coming to this country was never going to be easy, the history books show that," said Woodward. "We will be judged on what happens in the Test matches, we won't be judged on what happened today (against the Maori). "It will be a big side out on Wednesday - (Neil) Back will play, along with guys like Gareth Thomas, Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson. "I am absolutely convinced, more than ever, that we have a team of people out here that can do something special in that first Test match. We've got the personnel here to fix a few things that we got wrong today." Woodward admitted that the Lions had been lucky not to lose by a greater margin. But he said there was still time to put things right in the three remaining games before the first Test on 25 June. "We lost fair and square - I think the scoreline in the end flattered us," said the man who led England to the World Cup two years ago. "It has happened before on Lions tours when games have been lost, and the team has gone on to win a Test series. "It is going to be the make or break of the tour, and we have got to move on very strongly and stick together. "The way the team came back, we could have won the game. Considering we were on the back foot for a lot of the match, I thought the character of the team was fantastic. "If we are brutally honest, we didn't deserve to win the game, but we had a chance to win, which shows huge character. It wasn't to be, but we have just got to keep cool heads."

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Wellington coach John Plumtree quashed suggestions that Wilkinson, who missed over a year of international rugby because of a series of injuries, would be targeted by his players. "I don't think so because Jonny Wilkinson is a bit special. Defensively he's very sound, on attack he takes the ball to the line and he's strong physically," he told the Dominion Post. "He'll be pumped up for his first game on New Zealand soil for Lions." British and Irish Lions: J Lewsey (England); J Robinson (England), B O'Driscoll (Ireland,capt), G Henson (Wales), G Thomas (Wales); J Wilkinson (England), D Peel (Wales); G Jenkins (Wales), S Byrne (Ireland), J White (England); D Grewcock (England), B Kay (England); S Easterby (Ireland), N Back (England), M Corry (England). Replacements: G Bulloch (Scotland), M Stevens (England), P O'Connell (England), L Moody (England), C Cusiter (Scotland), S Jones (Wales), S Horgan (Ireland).

[davidmphill]

Re: Lions v Wellington, Wednesday The backs look very strong and could be the test backs. Lions should win this one fairly comfortably if they want to be taken seriouslly by NZ and they should do. Gareth Thomas is underestimated by the English press but he's a big bugger and does a job admiralby for the Grand Slam 6 Nations Champions!