Australia yesterday unveiled their squad for the forthcoming three-Test series against the Lions and although it has proved a bridge too far for several of their World Cup winning team, it is still a measure of Wallaby consistency that 17 of that all-conquering squad remain two years on.
There is little in the way of surprises, with the newly-crowned Super 12 champions ACT Brumbies and their semi-final victims Queensland each boasting a dozen of the 30-man squad.
ACT, the first Australian winners of the Southern Hemisphere tournament, initially had 13 of a 31-man selection but their prop, Bill Young, has been forced to withdraw after sustaining a knee injury which will sideline him for two months.
This could create an opening for another member of that World Cup winning squad, Patricio Noriega, who is returning from injury after recently signing for New South Wales following a season with Stade Francais. Conceivably, the Puma-Turned-Wallaby prop could have two opportunities against the touring Lions, for both Western Australia and New South Wales, to state his case for a recall.
As expected, not least by Pat Howard himself, there is no recall for the Leicester centre and English club player of the year, despite the retirements of Tim Horan and Jason Little, as well as the injury-enforced absence of Stirling Mortlock.
Indeed, save perhaps for the exclusion of experienced back-rower Jim Williams - who could be Munster bound but has missed out here to Taitai Kefu and David Lyons - and at a push Rod Kafer (who performed poorly on the Wallabies' European tour last autumn) there are few talking points in a predictable selection.
Five uncapped players have made the 30-man cut - the hitherto injury-prone but decidedly useful ACT winger Graeme Bond, props Ben Darwin (ACT) and Nick Stiles (Queensland), and locks Nathan Sharpe (Queensland) and Justin Harrison (ACT).
After again pinpointing Australia's need to make sure of being strong up front, Rod Macqueen repeated his assertion that "the Lions will be the strongest team to ever come to this part of the world", adding that this year will be the greatest challenge ever faced by Australian rugby.
The Wallabies formally begin their preparations for the Lions series on Saturday, June 9th when they play the New Zealand Maoris in Sydney. The Lions will start their tour against Western Australia the night before. Australia will defend the Tri-Nations trophy against New Zealand and South Africa this year after Tests against the Lions on June 30th (Brisbane), July 7th (Melbourne) and July 14th (Sydney).
Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday that Lawrence Dallaglio will take his place on the tour and may be fit to play sooner than expected. Over the last three days, the former England captain has made better progress than expected on the knee ligament injury he suffered playing for his club Wasps on May 6th.
Lions team manager Donal Lenihan said: "Lawrence has done everything we have asked of him so far. We shall assess his fitness before we leave at the end of the week, but the medical staff are very positive.
"We shall give him all the time we can to prove his fitness, but the medical opinion is that he should be available to play in two to three weeks. A player of his quality will be given that time."
Three players - Mike Catt (back), Danny Grewcock (ankle) and Dai Young (calf) - have sustained injuries in the last few days, but none of them appear to be seriously affected. The other injury worry is Iain Balshaw with a shoulder problem, but he has taken a full part in training. Coach Graham Henry has told his squad that the team for the Test matches in Australia is wide open and there is everything to play for in the warm-up matches. "I have something roughly worked out for the first two games but I don't know yet what my Test side will be," he said.
