Telfer tips Ford as ideal hooker to fill Lions void left by injured Flannery

Published on Thursday 21 May 2009 23:03

KEITH Wood has urged the British and Irish Lions coaches to replace their injured hooker with another Irishman, but former Lions coach Jim Telfer insists young Scot Ross Ford is the obvious choice to fill the gap left by Jerry Flannery.

The Lions have put off until today naming replacements for both Leigh Halfpenny, the Wales' wing out of the first two games, and Flannery, the Munster hooker who suffered a chipped bone in his elbow in training on Wednesday and became the fifth player to be ruled out of the tour. The squad flies out of London on Sunday night and will face a Royal XV in Phokeng in their opening match next Saturday, so they are already running short on time to acquaint new personnel with team codes.

The favourite to take Halfpenny's place is Delon Armitage, the England full-back who can cover wing and centre and kicks goals, while Ford is viewed by many as the front-runner for the hooker slot. However, he faces competition from Ulster's Rory Best, who was due to captain Ireland in the first game of their Canada tour tomorrow. Perhaps unsurprisingly, former Ireland and Lions hooker Wood stated that Best was his choice to replace Flannery.

"Flannery was comfortably the best hooker in the last two seasons," he said. "He throws unbelievably well. Against Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, that's something that is very important. Accuracy is paramount."

It is believed that off-target throwing by Ford, notably against Ireland in the tight RBS Six Nations Championship, played a part in the 25-year-old missing out on the original selection, but it remains a mystery why the coaches need another 24 hours to decide on both replacements. There are suggestions that it is to allow Best to be flown home from Vancouver and into the squad before making the announcement. Ford is certainly ready and waiting for the call.

Telfer pointed to the fact Munster skipper Paul O'Connell fills the same role with the Lions may have a bearing on the selection. "If the coaches ask him who he'd prefer he may be tempted to go with Rory," said Telfer, "because he's the player he knows and has worked with a lot, but I believe they'd be missing out by not taking Ross.

"Some of the problems with Scotland's lineout in the Six Nations was not to do with Ross, but the lifters or jumpers and if they have watched Ross recently for Edinburgh then I think they'll take him, because like Mike he has shown his form again."

Telfer was the forwards coach when the Lions last won a Test series, with Ian McGeechan in South Africa in 1997, and he believes the secret to beating the Springboks is having a pack of powerful, rugby players.

"South Africa are skilful and when you play in South Africa you have to have forwards who are not afraid to be in open play with the ball in their hands. Ross has far more rugby ability than any of the three picked first by the Lions, never mind Best. He carries the ball well in open spaces; he's quick and strong, and can break the best defences.

"Rory is good in the lineout and the scrum, but he's an old-fashioned hooker, who stays close to the ruck and tight phases. Jerry Flannery runs in open spaces and would have been good, and so does Lee Mears, but you look at Ross, who has played sevens, is a former back row and the options he brings – they are far greater than many players."