Gavin Hastings: Jones apart, the mix so far don't impress me much

There was a moment, just one moment, when I thought the Lions might have lost this one. If they hadn't scored that try just before halftime and Otago had scored early in the second half - as they did - then it could have gone pear-shaped.

But I was well pleased with that second-half performance by the Lions and particularly the forwards. They did well at the scrum, the lineout was reasonable and they forced Otago into some mistakes and some good turnover ball.

Having said that, I am still struggling to feel this Lions side is on top of their game. As it has been all tour, it seems to be an uncomfortable balance between bringing such large numbers on tour and the inability to play their top side to improve the combinations and the thrust.

Don't get me wrong, I have no doubts this Lions side can produce a huge performance in the test next week. It's just the old question - have they given themselves the best chance to do so?

You would normally be playing your test side a week out - last night, for example. But that wasn't the test side last night. They played against Wellington, or most of them did. We have kept the test side away from the arena, and only time will tell whether it was better to keep our cards covered or to declare the hand and play it. I thought Ryan Jones, the No 8, was brilliant. Only a replacement but he has come from the tour of Canada and has obviously got game time. You can see in him the benefits of game time. He took his opportunity and ran well, competed hard and thought on his feet. It was such a strong perfornmance that he might well have played his way on to the test bench. His try sealed victory for the Lions, I thought, and he was an all-round star performer.

In the backs, I don't think the Lions fired on all cylinders. Geordan Murphy was disappointing, he made some unforced errors and I think Josh Lewsey's test place is secure.

I don't want to come across as overly critical but I do think the backs have a long way to go. Shane Williams took his try well - thanks, again, to Ryan Jones - and might have got on the bench ahead of Jason Robinson if only for the reason that we have hardly seen Robinson on this tour and he didn't play all that well. There's that equation again: game time versus cards held to chest. Martyn Williams will be in the mix, I think, as I am not ure Neil Back is the answer.

I think Chris Cusiter might have done enough to get a bench place as well - I think he is just ahead of Matt Dawson at the moment.

And neither Charlie Hodgson nor Ronan O'Gara is the answer at No 10 - and I'm not sure Jonny Wilkinson is either. I wasn' ttoo impressed with him against Wellington.

It's the same old problem - not enough game time and combinations. The Lions will pick up big-time next week. The Maori were tough, but the All Blacks will be tougher.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY