Byrne becomes a real contender

Lions Tour: It's an extraordinary story really, but then again Lions tours always throw up at least one.

It was only thanks to the tour to Australia four years ago, when Keith Wood was a pivotal figure, that Shane Byrne made his long-dreamt-of debut for Ireland as a 65th-minute replacement for Frankie Sheahan in a 37-3 win over Romania in Bucharest.

Byrne was then 30 years old and delighted just to have won a cap. Fast forward four years and he's in the frame to start or be in the 22 for the first Test against the All Blacks.

Just as remarkably, and embarrassing for the IRFU, no sooner might Byrne (34) become a Lions Test hooker than he will fly the coop, perhaps to Wasps, as the English champions are keen to sign him. It has been circulating for weeks that the Irishman was belatedly offered a much-reduced contract for next season by the union, effectively downgrading him from an international to a provincial contract.

Byrne's agent has reputedly since been in touch with several French clubs, and though the IRFU have apparently upped their offer, negotiations drag on.

Not that this shows any signs of preying on his mind. Once again, Byrne is wearing that disbelieving, child-in-a-sweetshop, permanent grin.

"Where else would you be?" he said after an efficient and clever performance in the 23-6 win over Wellington.

"I'd like to say this is a dream come true, but it's not, because I never even dreamt of being on a Lions tour. It's absolutely fantastic. I've just won a game wearing the Lions jersey. It doesn't get any better than this."

Asked where this would rank in a career that has seen him win 38 caps and be an integral part of the 2004 Triple Crown success, among other highlights, Byrne paused: "It's pretty bloody high on my career list. This is what makes it worth it all, being away from the family and all the shitty days in training."

Of his performance, he didn't look too downcast. Most importantly of all, Byrne's darts were pretty much on the bull's eye, losing one to a deflection at the front and another when he overthrew a ball to the tail.

"I'm happy enough. You never come off the pitch thinking you had a brilliant game. But I enjoyed it. It could have gone on a bit longer and I would have enjoyed it. I'm pissed off I missed a couple of lineouts towards the end, but the good thing is that we knew why they happened. It wasn't like, 'jeez why did that happen?' We know what happened. It's everyone's fault. I overthrew one, that's the way it goes."

Steve Thompson may make more impact as a dynamic ball carrier, but his lack of accuracy at lineouts under pressure may be too big a risk come the Tests. The lineout has such a ripple effect on establishing a team's patterns, on territory and on try-scoring opportunities, that the Lions will need all the accuracy they can muster.

Thompson's selection on the replacements' bench for the game against Otago could be read so many ways it's perhaps best not to give yourself a headache.

Yet in the heel of the hunt it would also be no surprise if Woodward went with his gut instinct, which would surely be to pick the player he knows best for the first Test in Christchurch a week tomorrow.

Though Byrne acquitted himself well in two cameo appearances off the bench, Wednesday's game in the swirling wind and teeming rain at Westpac Stadium in Wellington was effectively his one opportunity to stake a claim for a Test place. Pressure? He seems almost to be enjoying himself too much to feel that.

"Look, if that's the way it happens, always try to make sure you do the best so when the opportunity arrives you're in good nick to make the most of it. There's nothing else I can do. I won't be involved on Saturday, and you just hope you've done what you can do so you're there in the shake-up.

"Of course, it was a factor," he admitted. "As each game goes by the clock is ticking and you know the selectors are looking for partnerships, in the front row or lineout. Everybody is very aware it's happening. You try not to let it affect you but it is there. You try to concentrate on your own game, think of yourself first and do your job right."

Just as pertinently, Byrne was part of the best forward performance of the tour, allowing for the opposition.

"We needed that. We played most of the game in their half, which was the plan. There was a bit of backlash after the game last Saturday (against the Maori) but we needed it for the tour," he said, admitting it had been a "tetchy" week in training.

Byrne was "delighted" with his two props, Gethin Jenkins and Julian White, in a strong scrummaging effort. The Lions always appeared to have an edge, even if referee Paul Honiss penalised them three times.

"If refs give a free kick, that happens and you get on with it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "When a penalty or free kick is given you have to be aware of it, the scrum can't become just a lottery. To be fair, so much goes on in front rows that thank God refs don't have a clue what goes on, because that's where the fun and games are. You can't have a situation with a penalty this way or that way. I thought we were on the front foot, so maybe we have to be a bit less aggressive.

"It's no insult to refs. No ref knows what goes on in there. It's a case of interpretation, not a Northern v Southern interpretation - you come up against that no matter where you play. You have two responses, either balls it out and go 'to hell with it' and hit them as hard as you can, or else play a little cuter once you have the strength, don't attack the hit as much as before."

Fine-tuning the lineouts in such a short time is a more difficult task.

"It's hard going from one match to the other. Using the lineout as an example, we're swapping personnel and we only really have one proper session together each time; and that's all you can do.

"That's the hard thing, but we have to step out on the pitch and we did that. I think after the last couple of days people didn't want to accept anything else other than perfection. Everyone stood up to be counted. We all needed that performance, and statements were made in set-piece, breakdown, attack, defence, everything."

And by Byrne as much as anyone.