2009 Lions watch

Eurosport - Thu, 16 Oct 10:59:00 2008

The British Isles' finest were in Heineken Cup action last weekend, allowing Lions selectors an opportunity to assess their form at the highest level of European club rugby.

RUGBY O'Driscoll (AFP) - 0

The Good

Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster and Ireland)

Having seen his 2005 Lions tour cut short by an infamous spear tackle, O'Driscoll (pictured) will be desperate to make the Test side in South Africa. BOD has had a quiet start to the season but showed flashes of brilliance in the win at Edinburgh, where he made a number of midfield breaks, scored one try and set up another. The Lions need O'Driscoll to be at his very best and the way he is managed this season will be crucial to their chances. His mouth-watering showdown with potential Lions rival Riki Flutey in Leinster's clash with Wasps on Saturday will tell us and the selectors more - about both players!

Richard Wigglesworth (Sale and England)

Wigglesworth has slipped down the England ranking since appearing in the World Cup final: Danny Care and Harry Ellis are currently competing for the number nine shirt. But Sale coach Philippe Saint-Andre's decision to go with Wigglesworth at fly-half in the win over Clermont may well have pushed his man into Lions reckoning. It is unlikely Wigglesworth would have made the squad just as a scrum-half, but his ability to play both positions - and well - can only help his chances. Still has much to prove, but such versatility could be welcome on a bruising 10-match trip.

Martin Corry (Leicesterand ex-England)

The former England skipper is retired from international rugby, but does that also include the Lions? At 35, Corry may now be more suited to Leicester's second row but he has lost none of his raw, granite-edged approach. Corry was prominent in the loose against an Ospreys pack laden with internationals, and proved a trusty lineout target. A veteran of two Lions tours, Corry would make an ideal skipper for the midweek side. Question marks exist over his ability to last 80 minutes, especially in the energy-sapping African heat, but an hour's contribution from Corry could be extremely useful.

Danny Cipriani and Josh Lewsey (Wasps and England)

What better way to show that their high-profile bust up was no more than a flash in the pan than to combine well for one of Wasps' three tries in the victory over Castres? Training ground flare-ups are fairly common in rugby and considered no bad thing; it shows the players care and are 'up for it'. The Lewsey-Cipriani incident certainly appears to have helped Wasps as they secured just their second win from eight games in all competitions this season.

The not so good

Gavin Henson (Ospreys and Wales)

What is it with this supremely talented individual that makes him so difficult to manage? A falling out with his Wales team-mates contributed to his omission from the World Cup last year and now a missed training session has cost the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup. The Welsh club were found wanting in Henson's number 12 channel during the loss at Leicester and could be exposed again by Perpignan - the French will have noted the ease with which Tigers wing Matt Smith burst through midfield. Lions coach Ian McGeechan will want a tight-knit group in South Africa and Henson's presence in the squad could jeopardise this. Could his name already have been scratched off the selectors' list of definites?

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport

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  1. hENSON IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE NUMBER ONE INSIDE CENTRE IN EUROPEAN RUGBY. WHEN HE PLAYS WALES AND THE OSPREYS ARE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TEAM WITHOUT HIM BOTH SIDES SUFFER AND END UP WITH A WEAK MIDFIELD.

    From richard.carbis, on Wed 15 Oct 8:54PM
  2. not only is he a plonker, he cant behave himself on British Rail either - what a waste of talent

    From john, on Wed 15 Oct 6:56PM
  3. henson is a plonker!

    From jason b, on Wed 15 Oct 5:59PM
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