Lions v All BlacksThe Lions team to play the All Blacks at Wellington at least passes more of a nod to the concept of players in form. Younger and hungrier, there's also a hint the game plan will not be the reworking of the English World Cup-winning module of two years ago. Nevertheless, there are enough eyebrow-raising calls to satisfy a convention of Roger Moore impersonators.

Viewed at face value, seven changes in personnel and three positional is an admittance of selection failure for the first Test, though Clive Woodward was damned if he did and even more damned if he didn't make a radical overhaul.

Bearing in mind the scale of the changes and the time constraints, and given the presence of three Welshmen, at nine, 12 and 13, there might have been an argument for playing one at 10 as well. Ditto, the selection of three Irish jumpers might have prompted the retention of Shane Byrne as the thrower, thus making allowances for a rare off-day which had as much to do with an astonishing system failure.

But Woodward did neither. Instead, he has unsurprisingly remained loyal to his lucky totem, Jonny Wilkinson as well as Jason Robinson, neither of whom can be described as form picks.

Describing Wilkinson as the Lions' best back in the first Test, Woodward said: "He's physically up to it, and mentally up to it," and was also the best big-match player and best goalkicker. "I understand that people would make certain assumptions about me picking him but I believe he's the right guy to play there."

As for Robinson, Woodward said: "I think he's playing okay, I think he's playing alright," adding: "I'm just comparing him with the other players we've got in the group, I think he's the right person to start."

Hardly a ringing endorsement, and a damning indictment of those overlooked.

Up front, Steve Thompson, not exactly Eric Bristow when locating triple 20, is called up with Donncha O'Callaghan, while Simon Easterby, Ryan Jones and Lewis Moody form an entirely revamped backrow. In praising O'Callaghan, there was also a clear message he expected a good deal more from Paul O'Connell.

"He (O'Callaghan) is like (Gavin) Henson, he's had a fantastic tour but also we had a poor night on Saturday, (Danny) Grewcock has now left us and he's got to take his opportunity and along with O'Connell, who's been given another chance. So it's a big opportunity for both the Irish guys."

Wilkinson reverts to outhalf at the expense of Stephen Jones, whose form has perhaps suffered by having the presence of England's much-trumpeted golden foot outside him, taking all the goalkicks, restarts and penalties.

Gavin Henson comes in at inside centre and Shane Williams, after what ought to have been a meaningless five-try haul against Manawatu, is on the left wing. In the latter two instances Woodward - who would have needed the skin of a rhino not to have been hurt by some of the criticism and name-calling that has come his way - may have been affected by the stinging rebukes from Wales, and JPR Williams in particular, for they surely both go against his gut instincts even in what he may have revealingly described as "a very attacking side".

He is fairly thick skinned, and always retains a sense of humour in the face of adversity, but his wife, Jane, looks particularly upset by the flak her husband has copped. Reflecting on the most disappointing night of his coaching career he said: "Rightly so I've had to take all the arrows and stones this week and feedback. That's all part of it. It was time to shake things up so we have changed the team. We have to front up and I promise you there'll be a completely different show come Saturday night.

"I've had better times. It's part of the job. I understand it. Sometimes I'm a little bit amazed by the amount of vitriol and bile that comes your way. You don't forget what certain people say, especially when you're down. But strong people come out stronger for these things."

Sections of the media are up in arms about Martin Corry's demotion to the bench, but he lacks dynamism and made little impression off a troubled scrum where, admittedly, organised backrow moves or flicks to a retreating scrumhalf were hardly employed.

Ryan Jones has been one of the tour's few successes, especially in the one-on-one collisions. Granted, he has played most of his rookie Test season at blindside, but plays at number eight for the Ospreys.

The other positional switches see Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey swap the right-wing/fullback roles, while Gareth Thomas moves to outside centre, where he last played at Test level against England two years ago, and last played there regularly for Wales six years ago.

"It's a risk but then again it's not a risk, because I think putting him in there up against Tana Umaga, and putting him in the frontline with Henson alongside him, is quite exciting," Woodward reasoned.

Perhaps the squarest peg in a round hole is Lewis Moody. A blindside with his club, Leicester, Moody will no doubt seek to cut Daniel Carter off at the pass and, while he's at it, in two. But he is at his best with his head in the air and is not a breakdown specialist.

There is no openside in the squad capable of going toe-to-toe, or more to the point, nose-to-nose on the deck at the breakdown with Richie McCaw. Perhaps there isn't one in Britain and Ireland, or the globe for that matter, but one still ventures that had a breakdown specialist such as Johnny O'Connor been included in the squad he'd probably be starting on Saturday.

Likewise the heavy-hitting, hard-running Jason White, one of the form players in the Six Nations, while the non-inclusion of a truly versatile forward such as Trevor Brennan still sticks out.

Idle last week, Martyn Williams had only one half against Manawatu before being put on the bench this Saturday. By contrast, Corry, who played the full 80 in the first Test, then played the full 80 in Palmerston North, is now covering backrow and secondrow on Saturday. He's been the flogged horse of this trip, and you hope for the Lions' sake and his, O'Connell and O'Callaghan stay healthy.(Wellington, Saturday, 8.10am)

15 Josh Lewsey (England)

14 Jason Robinson (England)

13 Gareth Thomas (Wales, c)

12 Gavin Henson (Wales)

11 Shane Williams (Wales)

10 Jonny Wilkinson (England)

9 Dwayne Peel (Wales)

1 Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

2 Steve Thompson (England)

3 Julian White (England)

4 Paul O'Connell (Ireland)

5 Donncha O'Callaghan (Ire)

6 Simon Easterby (Ireland)

7 Lewis Moody (England)

8 Ryan Jones (Wales)

Replacements: Shane Byrne (Ireland), Graeme Rowntree (England), Martin Corry (England), Martyn Williams (Wales), Matt Dawson (England), Stephen Jones (Wales), Shane Horgan (Ireland).