Back to add pace as Lions plan to finish with flourish

WITH HOOKER Keith Wood, left wing Alan Tait and out-half Gregor Townsend ruled out of contention because of injuries, the Lions selectors were forced to make three changes in the team to meet South Africa in the third and final Test at Ellis Park tomorrow.

In fact they have made four alterations from the side that won the second Test in Durban last Saturday. In addition to the above changes, the selectors have brought in Neil Back on the open side flank for Richard Hill.

While it is hard luck on Hill, who served the cause well in the first and second Tests, it is very difficult to quibble with the selection of Back. He has had a very good tour. His pace, industry and courage are assets to any team.

The Lions are going to try to play an expansive game at pace and Back is a man who will fit into that pattern.

The selectors have brought in Tony Underwood for Tait on the left wing and Mike Catt takes over from Townsend, who sustained his thigh injury during the closed training session the Lions had on Wednesday afternoon. It did not respond to treatment overnight.

One surprising decision is the selection of Mark Regan ahead of Barry Williams at hooker. Williams has been the bench replacement for the two Tests. Regan did have a very good match on Tuesday against Northern Free State and is perhaps that bit quicker than Williams and that obviously weighed the issue in his favour.

While it was evident during the week that Wood and Tait would not be fit because of groin injuries sustained in Durban last week, Townsend's unavailability came as something of a surprise.

The selectors had other options available to them in constructing the back line. They could have played Neil Jenkins at out-half and given the full back berth to Tim Simpson, while Jeremy Guscott could have been moved to the wing and Allan Bateman brought in at centre. But they chose not to exercise those options in the belief that the back line has better attacking potential as now named.

It will be a Test debut for Catt, Regan and Underwood, but Back came on as replacement last week in Durban. Regan has been in the shadow of Wood and Williams on the tour, but has emerged, to pip Williams for the spot vacated by Wood. "I felt I was in with a chance when Keith was ruled out. You cannot afford to lose heart and hope on tour, you may be only a pulled muscle away from getting in the side." I think the match last Tuesday probably helped me to get in," said Regan, who is an especially accurate line out thrower.

Back, who so often has been dropped by England, was delighted to win a Test place in his own right. "I thought such a chance had passed me by," he said.

Ten of the players chosen for the Test will have played in all three. They are Jenkins, Scott Gibbs, Guscott, Matt Dawson, Tim Rodber, Lawrence Dallaglio, Jeremy Davidson, Martin Johnson, Paul Wallace and Tom Smith.

The Lions manager, Frank Cotton, responded to some severe criticism from Colin Meads, the former All Black captain, coach and manager. Meads, in keeping with his usual practice of knocking teams from the Northern Hemisphere has been at it again on television.

"Criticism from that quarter is not unexpected," said Cotton. "When has anyone ever heard Colin Meads say anything good about rugby north of the Equator. I would like to remind him that as player, coach and manager and he has been all three with New Zealand he never won a Test against the Springboks in South Africa. Perhaps he should remember that when he sits in judgment on the merit of a side that did."