Phil Vickery leads the side out today and he will want to nail down the tight-head slot, and if Andrew Sheridan has a monster day at the scrum he could yet oust Gethin Jenkins at loose-head. Ugo Monye needs a powerful outing, particularly in defence, to keep Luke Fitzgerald out of the left-wing slot while Nathan Hines and Donncha O"Callaghan are pushing for inclusion alongside Paul O"Connell in the second row.
Rob Kearney needs a solid game today in order to clinch the test spot ahead of Byrne who has shown one or two signs of frailty in the last two games -- notably the mistake that nearly allowed the Cheetahs to sneak victory last Saturday.
After an injury-disrupted tour, Martyn Williams will be bulling to make his case ahead of David Wallace at openside, while Tommy Bowe needs only a solid showing to cement his place at 14. Keith Earls gets another run at 13 and a big game may lead to a surprise selection on the bench, given his ability to cover wing, centre and full-back.
So, lots to play for then against decent opposition, with the Lions looking to build a collective performance around individual incentive.
Verdict: Lions - odds of 11/4 not that generous though
Team selection next Tuesday will be interesting
