Out-of-sight Irish fear losing out

As they kicked their heels in frustration over these idle last few weeks, the thought must have occurred to some of Ireland's Lions hopefuls that the foot-and-mouth crisis would leave them kicking little else this summer.

This is partly why the Irish management and the IRFU have tried so hard to find the Irish team some meaningful rugby before the end of the season, even to the point of considering moving the rearranged game with England to Paris. In turn, the Lions selectors had also been willing to send a representative (Donal Lenihan) to South Africa on that proposed short tour.

The flip side of the tour being postponed amid an increasing likelihood of Ireland not playing another game this season is that despite the good impressions generally created in what is now sure to be a truncated season, it may cost one or two Irish players a trip to Australia with the Lions.

Peter Clohessy and John Hayes, not to mention a host of other fringe candidates, would arguably benefit most from another chance or two in Six Nations company to impress the Lions selectors.

In the absence of Hayes and Clohessy from the fray, the Welsh pair of David Young, especially, and Dewi Morris had impressive outings in Paris last Saturday while Tom Smith remained one of Scotland's few shafts of light against Italy - although Mattie Stewart again didn't impress and was replaced at half-time.

Smith apart, the Scotland player making the most compelling case in every game for inclusion is lock Scott Murray. Eating into the Italian line-out (as Murray did) is not to be scoffed at, for statistically the Italy line-out has been the best around this season.

Ireland's Kieron Dawson and David Wallace are certainly not benefiting from their enforced idleness at international level, for suddenly the contest for openside flanker places is hotting up. Six have been named in the provisional 67man Lions squad and, of those, Martyn Williams especially and Budge Pountney enhanced their candidature at the weekend.

It is widely believed that Scott Quinnell and Rob Howley cemented their places in the Lions squad at the weekend. They also underlined their claims to starting places in the Test matches with their tours de force in Paris, further questioning the perceived logic of an English middle five en bloc.

Howley and Quinnell did, after all, illuminate the Welsh gloom during their dark hour against England and Quinnell's performance on Saturday - 16 ball-carries, 15 tackles (including two try-savers), four offloads (two creating tries) and a huge try for himself - arguably constituted the individual performance of the championship. Lawrence Dallaglio may have to shift over to the blindside after all.

As for the supporting acts, how the likes of Geraint Lewis (a sub on Saturday) Nathan Budgett (not even that) and the inexperienced young Scottish number eight Simon Taylor can all be in the provisional list while Anthony Foley, especially, and Alan Quinlan aren't, still defies available Six Nations form.

If all this wasn't great news for the Irish legion of fringe back-row contenders, Saturday wasn't all bad from a green perspective. In abstentia, Rob Henderson was arguably a prime beneficiary of more singularly unimpressive outings for Scott Gibbs of Wales (sadly reinforcing the impression that he's past his best) and Scotland's John Leslie (who doesn't look anything like the player of two seasons ago). Gibbs was pointedly replaced by Wales (and Lions) coach Graham Henry.

This was countered by the return to form and full fitness of Mark Taylor, who probably assured himself of a Lions place, given Henry's admiration for the player and the coach's belief that size matters. On the same theme, the sight of Italy's Mauro Bergamasco rounding Scotland full back Chris Patterson compounds the impression of the Scot being light in contact and certainly won't have done him any favours in the big picture.