Balshaw's Brisbane chances in doubt

IAIN BALSHAW will discover tomorrow if a loss of confidence has cost him a Lions Test place against Australia on Saturday, writes Chris Jones.

Balshaw came on tour as the best attacking fullback in Northern Hemisphere rugby, but the pressure of living up to that has taken its toll.

After a solid, if uninspiring, performance in today's midweek win over New South Wales Country XV, Balshaw received a less-than enthusiastic rating from coach Graham Henry ahead of the Brisbane Test.

The team will be revealed first by Standard Sport tomorrow and it looks certain that Matt Perry will be the No 15.

Henry said: "Balshaw is lacking a bit of confidence and he is not playing well. He needs couple of tries to be back to the Balshaw of old." Given this tour has 10 only matches and six have already been played, there isn't enough time to get Balshaw back into the groove.

The 22-man match squad is based firmly on the England team despite the loss through injury of Dan Luger, Mike Catt and Lawrence Dallaglio. I expect Dafydd James and Jason Robinson to be the wings, with Rob Henderson to partner Brian O'Driscoll at centre. Jonny Wilkinson and Robert Howley will be the halfbacks, despite worries over the Welsh scrum-half's rib injury.

In the problem front row Darren Morris, the Welsh loose head, appears to have lost out to Scotland's Tom Smith.

Keith Wood is expected to recover from leg injury and hook, with Phil Vickery at tight head, and the England second-row partnership of Martin Johnson and Danny Grewcock should provide the power.

The back row will consist of Richard Hill, Scott Quinnell and Neil Back.

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