Banishment to Southland a double blow

It's the game no Lion wants to play, the one game on tour they would rather miss.

Those Lions not in Invercargill for tonight's match against Southland will form the first test squad for Jade Stadium on Saturday.

The Lions have been told if they're in at Southland, they're out in Christchurch.

But what the management hope is they will use their banishment as a spur.

It is a crucial stage of the tour. If the Lions get poleaxed in the first test, it will be these players' form tonight which the tour management will focus on next Sunday.

"Everyone's obviously very disappointed because they came on the trip to make the test side," tonight's captain, No 8 Michael Owen, said.

"Now we just have to try to bounce back and show the character we've got in the squad."

Owen, who would probably have been in the first test squad but for his Welsh countryman Ryan Jones' stunning performance against Otago in his debut outing since arriving as a replacement, said he would say "a few words" to the players, but reckons it is largely an individual thing.

"I certainly want to prove the selectors wrong in not picking me.

"To be an international player you've got to deal with disappointment all the time. One thing you learn is you can't mope around and sulk, or it will only get worse."

The unluckiest Lion to be in the deep south today is Welsh back Gavin Henson, easily the most surprising omission from the test squad.

"The fact Gavin's not in the test 22 should be an inspiration rather than a disappointment to him," Lions coach Gareth Jenkins said last night. "What he's got is an opportunity to make a statement."

Which will be cold comfort to the flashy second five-eighths, who wasn't making statements of any sort last night.

Jenkins said his first impression, having watched a couple of videotapes of Southland, was of an organised defensive team, whose units work well, but ... "I don't know how much physicality they've got. If we have an advantage it will be our physical stature."

Which tallies with Southland captain Clarke Dermody's expectations for how the Lions will attack them tonight.

"They'll try and put a lot of pressure on us at scrums and lineouts. If we get enough ball and can hold onto it, we'll be right in there," the Highlanders prop said.

Southland finished second-last in the NPC first division last year, but in Dermody, hooker Jason Rutledge, No 8 Paul Miller, locks Hoani MacDonald and Daniel Quate, and halfback Jimmy Cowan they have some quality players.

"We've got to throw everything at it," Dermody said. "Passion will get you through the first 20 minutes, but it's our rugby nous that will get us through the last bit."

* Invercargill, tonight 7.10

Southland

James Wilson, Mana Harrison, Bryan Milne, Faolua Muliaina, Watisoni Lotawa, Richard Apanui, Jimmy Cowan, Paul Miller, Hale T-Pole, Hua Tamariki, Daniel Quate, Hoani Macdonald, Aarron Dempsey, Jason Rutledge, Clarke Dermody (c)

Lions

Geordan Murphy, Mark Cueto, Ollie Smith, Gavin Henson, Denis Hickie, Ronan O'Gara, Gareth Cooper, Michael Owen (c), Martyn Williams, Lewis Moody, D. O'Callaghan, Simon Shaw, John Hayes, Andy Titterrell, Matt Stevens

Reserves:

Southland: Jayden Murch, David Hall, Rees Logan, Jeff Wright, Adam Clarke, Matt Petre, Pehi Te Whare

Lions: Gordon Bulloch, Andy Sheridan, Simon Easterby, Chris Cusiter, Charlie Hodgson, Tom Shanklin, Gordon D'Arcy