AS WE NOW look towards the fourth round of the Six Nations, the opportunities for Lions auditions are rapidly reducing.
Lions head coach Warren Gatland said before the championship got underway that the Six Nations clashes would play a major role in how he and his assistants select their squad to travel to New Zealand.
Though there will be club fixtures to impress in before the final squad is officially named on 19 April in London, the Six Nations is naturally the prime stage for potential tourists to stake their claim.
In that context, the two Lions-related contests in round four will be riveting. Winning in the Six Nations is the priority for the players involved, but Gatland will watch England v Scotland and Ireland v Wales in a different way to most.
He is heavily interested in the individuals and combinations between individuals that may help the Lions win in New Zealand.
Wales legend Shane Williams, who is part of ‘The Toughest Trade’ on RTÉ 2 tonight at 9.30pm, will be in Cardiff for the Irish visit to take on Rob Howley’s side on 10 March and sees this fixture as crucial to many players’ Lions hopes.
“It is massive, I think there are some fantastic key battles going on there,” says Williams. “Justin Tipuric, who has probably been the best player in Wales for some time, against CJ Stander or Sean O’Brien.
“Physically those boys are bigger or stronger than Tipuric, but he is more of a footballing seven. That is a great match-up. Does Warren Gatland want a footballing seven or does he want a physical lad like a Stander or an O’Brien, who is really going to take it to the All Blacks on the tour?
“You have Sam Warburton, who was the last captain on the Tour, who knows how to win a Test series. He is going to have a great match-up too. Whether it is Faletau or Moriarty against a Jamie Heaslip, who will probably be pencilled in for starting the Test series.
“Sexton and Biggar, Murray against Webb, it makes for a great game.
“The Welsh players will be thinking, ‘We haven’t played well, the Lions tour is around the corner. If we aren’t on form going on the Lions tour, we won’t be selected.’ You have a short turnaround, if you don’t play well you aren’t in the Test.
“So there is that in the minds, that is why Ireland probably have the upper hand as well. They are more confident, they are mentally in a good place, they are playing some good rugby.
“Sexton comes back in the team, puts in a man-of-the-match performance, he is flying high. Murray has one of his best games in an Irish shirt, he knows Rhys Webb is on his back for a starting place.
“So it makes for a great game, probably the team that goes out there and doesn’t worry about it comes out on top.”
The meeting of Wales and Ireland also pits two potential Lions captains against each other, in Alun Wyn Jones and Rory Best.
There are other contenders within the two squads, of course, with Williams believing that Ireland scrum-half Murray could feature in that debate.
Welsh leader Jones has faced criticism since last weekend for a Welsh decision to kick to touch with a penalty against Scotland, when the lock had initially indicated that he wanted a shot at goal.
“You learn as a captain,” says Williams. “For Alan Wyn to say he was overturned on a decision – if you are captain, you are captain. I know Alan Wyn, he is a stubborn git. I don’t think I have ever seen or heard him change his mind before.
“I don’t know what the understanding was with him and Dan Biggar. Dan is the kind of person who is quite upfront and doesn’t mind speaking his mind, like Sexton or Farrell.
“I know Leigh Halfpenny wouldn’t have grumbled if Alan Wyn had said something. He will learn from that experience.
“I have been captained by Alan Wyn, I think he is a fantastic captain. He leads from the front, very Martin Johnston-esque, no nonsense. He doesn’t really want to talk to the press unless he has to, not like Sam Warburton, who is a good politician, as you probably know.
“[Jones is] a no-nonsense captain who does his talking on the field. The less BS you have from your captain, as far as I’m concerned, the better. So yeah, he is definitely captain material.
“The thing is, on the Lions Tour, do you need a captain that just gets on with it on the field and inspires his players or do you want a person that can keep the pressure of the press off their back as well?
“That is where the likes of a Best or a Hartley or a Sam Warburton come into mind. Alun Wyn is a great captain, he would be my frontrunner, but there are a couple of good captains about.”
