Wilkinson switch a bad idea but he might be back for more

It was never a manifestly daft idea, but the experiment of playing Jonny Wilkinson at second five-eighths needs to be confined to room 101.

But it might have to get another run next week, purely because the Lions are running out of bodies, with Brian O'Driscoll, Richard Hill and Tom Shanklin both out of the tour.

Sir Clive, then, has to decide whether he retains the midfield that finished last night's game or drop Stephen Jones for Wilko, introduce Gavin Henson at second-five and keep Will Greenwood at centre.

Retaining last night's combination of Jones, Wilkinson and Greenwood may be the favoured option, despite the fact the world's favourite rugby player cut a sad figure, bedraggled and confused in the Lions midfield.

Woodward, as he so often does with Jonny, saw a performance tinged with gold.

"I thought Jonny Wilkinson was outstanding," said Woodward. "He was defensively sound, stepped up and I don't have a problem with him.

 

For the rest of us, we watched a player who gallantly tried to impose himself without ever quite succeeding. That he didn't manage to wield any influence wasn't so much his failing, as that of his forwards.

Finding a pack that can compete with this monstrously aggressive All Black unit is the primary challenge for Sir Clive Woodward this week. And if he has got faith in his ability to do so, then he needs to shift Wilkinson in one berth and find someone with more presence and defensive clout to wear No 12.

Even in quite horrific conditions the All Black backs were capable of moving the ball and had clearly targeted the midfield channel as a potential source of joy. If the weather is better in Wellington, the carnage could be more severe. The Lions desperately needed a midfield target man to give the big lugs a ray of hope that someone wearing red could progress in the desired direction.

The Lions forwards just couldn't bash to glory as they had hoped. Every time a red shirt peeled off the back of a ruck, he was repelled.

Maybe if the Lions could've changed the point of attack and put a few passes together before taking contact, they might have got some go-forward and built a platform.

With a platform they might have been dangerous. As it was they bared some inoffensive gums, that were, as we expected, very pleasingly absent of teeth.

Wilkinson at 10 would help give them a bit more tactical control. Jones was too fond of booting down the middle. It's a deliberate move. The idea behind it is the fielding team has to make 50 metres just to find touch.

But last night it only served to give possession away and never remotely panicked Leon MacDonald.

The other curiosity about Jones persisting with this move was the difficulty the Lions were having at the lineout. Why kick the ball away when you can't be sure of ever getting it back?

Whatever the combination next week, it needs to be a hell of a lot more potent, on attack and defence, than the unit that started last night.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY