Lions take second string to Otago

The Lions have named an apparent second string to take on Otago in Dunedin on Saturday.

Scotland hooker Gordon Bulloch is the captain of the team, which has quite a Celtic feel. It features four Irishmen, three Welshman, two Scots, and six English.

Geordan Murphy returns at full-back, although he is widely tipped to be in the Test team next Saturday. Denis Hickie and the hitherto disappointing Shane Williams are on the wings.

Will Greenwood pairs up with Gordon D'Arcy in a muscular centre pairing, and the backs will be fed by the Charlie Hodgson and Chris Cusiter pairing that was so successful against Taranaki.

Lewis Moody has recovered from his knee injury and returns to the back row, partnering Welshmen Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones, who gets his first start after arriving to replace Simon Taylor.

Donncha O'Callaghan and Simon Shaw, both of whom have impressed on their tour so far, get the chance to stake their claims for Test match selection in the second row, and Graham Rowntree and Matt Stevens will prop up captain Bulloch.

There is plenty of heavyweight artillery on the bench: Steve Thompson, Andrew Sheridan and Danny Grewcock will make a big weight difference if they enter the fray, as will Ollie Smith.

Coach Sir Clive Woodward defended his decision to give likely Test starters like Jonny Wilkinson and Gareth Thomas only one game before facing up to the All Blacks in nine days' time.

"There is a fine line between match preparation and picking up injuries. The New Zealand team have done it one way by putting their team in cotton wool for 15 days," he said.

"We're doing it slightly differently by giving the players one or maybe two games to get ready.

"You've got to take everything into account and use common sense. Looking at every individual player, if we get our preparation right starting now in the build up to the Test, then we'll be in as good a shape as we can be.

"My priority for that first Test match is to make sure we arrive fresh and as the tour unfolds the more I believe it is correct.

"I'm looking forward to this week's game, but the Test match is looming large now and I believe we will have a fresh, fit Lions team, and if we do that we have half a chance."

British and Irish Lions: 15 Geordan Murphy (Ireland), 14 Denis Hickie (Ireland), 13 Will Greenwood (England), 12 Gordon D'Arcy (Ireland), 11 Shane Williams (Wales), 10 Charlie Hodgson (England), 9 Chris Cusiter (Scotland), 8 Ryan Jones (Wales), 7 Martyn Williams (Wales), 6 Lewis Moody (England), 5 Donncha O'Callaghan (Ireland), 4 Simon Shaw (England), 3 Matt Stevens (England), 2 Gordon Bulloch (captain, Scotland), 1 Graham Rowntree (England). 
Replacements: 16 Steve Thompson (England), 17 Andy Sheridan (England), 18 Danny Grewcock (England), 19 Simon Easterby (Ireland), 20 Matt Dawson (England), 21 Ollie Smith (England), 22 Ronan O'Gara (Ireland).

Kick-off: 19.10 (07.10 GMT)
Referee: Lyndon Bray
Touch judges: Paul Honiss, Kelvin Deaker
Television match official: Paddy O’Brien
Substitute controller: Gary Wise
Substitute recorder: Kevin Malcolm
Assessor: Stuart Beissel
Match statistician: Dickie Haigh