The younger players in the British and Irish Lions side must be protected against the dangers of burnout if they are to make future tours, according to captain Martin Johnson.

Johnson said players like Irish centre Brian O'Driscoll, England outhalf Jonny Wilkinson and full back Iain Balshaw - all 22 - will not be available for the next two Lions' tours, to New Zealand in 2005 and South Africa in 2009, if they were not looked after properly.

"The reality is that they will be hard pushed to make the next tour unless something is done to stop them being worked to death for 11 months of the year. They need to be looked after," Johnson said wrote in his column in the Daily Mail yesterday.

"The punishment they must endure over 11 months of the season - especially Jonny and Brian with the amount of tackling they do - will take an inevitable toll. "What if they say: 'I can't go on because I'm burnt out'? That may well happen and it would be a crying shame if it does."

Despite Johnson's comments, the England captain did not voice criticism of the Lions' management, who have been accused of running the players into the ground by some squad members.

"I have always been reluctant to complain about the workload because we are privileged to be playing sport for a living when we would gladly do it for nothing," wrote Johnson.

"We have coped with this Lions' tour but you cannot expect those players to slog it through four more 11-month seasons and stand a chance of beating New Zealand in 2005."

Austin Healey, selected on a high after his selection to start on the wing in today's final Test, for the British and Irish Lionsin the decisive third test against Australia on Saturday, has unleashed a vehement attack on the host nation.

Under the headline: "And for our finale ... stuffing the arrogant Aussies," Healey let rip with a series of savage complaints in his column in yesterday's Guardian.

"Still, I think I might have been in with a shout of a place for the second Test," Healey explains, before expanding: "But then I was injured in the ACT game. Something else I have to thank my mate Justin Harrison for.

"I thought it was that flanker Peter Ryan who clouted me, but, no, there it is on video, my old pal, the plod from the second row. And what do you know, he's in the team to face us.

"Me and the plank. Do you think one of us will have the final say? I'll say so."

But it wasn't just the man who clattered into him as he crossed the line who was on the receiving end of Healey's bile as the Leicester man warmed to his task. "Did I say the weather has been crap? Just another Australian thing to get up your nose," he said. What is it with this country? The females and children are fine, and seem to be perfectly normal human beings, but what are we going to do with this thing called the Aussie male?"