By Neal Collins

I told you Sir Clive Woodward would stick to his tried-and-tested World Cup winners for the first Lions Test against the All Blacks in Christchurch on Saturday morning.

All nine of them. Ten if Lawrence Dallaglio hadn't fallen over. What kind of British and Irish team is this?

Wales have just won the Grand Slam, England have finished out of contention for two years on the trot and we are presented with an all-white-on-the-night 22-man squad comprising 13 Englishmen, five Welsh, four Irish and NO Scots.

It's not right. I never said it was. But I've been subjected to a torrent of largely Welsh abuse for daring to suggest Sir Clive would ignore form (and his promise to select on merit) and stick with guys like Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Ben Kay, Richard Hill, Neil Back and, on the bench, Matt Dawson, Steve Thompson and Will Greenwood.

The only one who deserves to cruise straight in is Josh Lewsey, the one man who has avoided injury and burn out since the golden autumn of 2003.

The Welsh are furious. And rightly so.

I had an email from esteemed rugby expert Chris Baldock, the guy who ghosts JPR Williams's stuff for the Sunday News, thanking me for giving his columnist's views a wider airing.

Can't wait to see what the great Welsh surgeon has to say about this little lot (like all the angry Welshmen, you can carry on abusing me on nealcollins@hotmail.com but remember, it's not my fault!)

I hope they win on Saturday, otherwise the world will fall apart.

Sir Clive will have to stand down for Ian McGeechan and they'll have to start again with Gavin Henson, Tom Shanklin, Michael Owen and Martyn Williams all called up, along with some of the frustrated Irish backs.

I predicted all the forwards, fully expecting Sir Clive to ignore the late claim of Welshman Ryan Jones, who played so well on his debut against Otago last week.

Even in the build-up to the World Cup final, the Aussies were chuntering on about Dad's Army as Hill, Back and Dallaglio lumbered towards the climax in Sydney.

Now it's Granddad's army, with Martin Corry in for Dallaglio.

I always agreed with the front row. Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins has been superb and Ireland's Shane Byrne gets the nod ahead of Steve Thompson on line-out throwing alone. Julian White is a must, though I can't help feeling Andy Sheridan deserved a place on the bench as an impact substitute.

It's in the locks and loose forwards I feel Sir Clive has gone back too far. He wrote off Neil Back two years ago. Now 36, he's back ahead of all his rivals despite missing the Six Nations. Ditto Richard Hill, who has struggled with injury all season.

I've seen what these guys can do. The aura about the pair of them. Scary guys who work in the shadows. But would Owen, Williams and Jones have been such a poor choice?

I hope to God that England's experienced trio give Richie McCaw (who has a bad back, that's one bit of pre-Test good news) and Co a nightmare in the loose.

But talking about dodgy backs has Jason Robinson, late arriving because of his wife Amanda's problems giving birth to Robinson Mk IV, done enough to slot in ahead of Shanklin and Shane Williams, neither of whom even need to get changed on Saturday?

Has Will Greenwood, relegated with Harlequins after a mediocre season in France, really done enough to merit a place on the bench?

And why not give Chris Cusiter a replacement's role ahead of Matt Dawson...the Scots have got NOBODY in the 22.

Jonny Wilkinson at centre? He hasn't played at No 12 since an experimental England game in 1999.

Ah well. Another few days of nasty texts from angry Welshmen isn't going to hurt me.

Sir Clive has a thick skin too. JPR's words will never hurt him. As long as he's done the right thing.

I can see Sir Clive's thinking. Solid, reliable performers up front, both Wilkinson and Stephen Jones kicking the All Blacks deep into their own half (though Henson's not got a bad boot either). Wilko grabbing every penalty he can to get points on the board.

It might work.

Perhaps it has a better chance of working than picking a Welsh-based, run-and-pray fifteen.

The Welsh took the All Blacks close in the World Cup and closer still last autumn. Imagine if Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones had been able to recreate that magic with Shanklin, Henson, Gareth Thomas (who is selected on the wing) and Williams... with a little help from Lewsey and a reliable, experienced pack?

That might have worked too.

It might have to work in Tests two and three.

But if the Lions get a thumping on Saturday, the Sir Clive farewell party could be seriously derailed by angry Welshmen, some of who have already put their Lions shirts up for sale on ebay.