Woodward has to ponder the pivotal Lions decision

When Sir Clive Woodward announces his squad next month for the Lions tour of New Zealand, he will at least have a form guide to work with, although not the one he expected. By contrast, his extra large coaching staff was hand-picked long before the four home countries became engaged in the Six Nations' Championship.

When Sir Clive Woodward announces his squad next month for the Lions tour of New Zealand, he will at least have a form guide to work with, although not the one he expected. By contrast, his extra large coaching staff was hand-picked long before the four home countries became engaged in the Six Nations' Championship.

Mike Ruddock, most people's idea of coach of the season, and his excellent back-up team of Scott Johnson, Andrew Hore and Clive Griffiths, will play no part on the Lions tour other than to invite Woodward to select a healthy contingent of Welsh players.

This is not an oversight by Woodward but a condition laid down by the Welsh Rugby Union, whose priority is the national team. Gareth Jenkins of Llanelli, favourite to succeed Steve Hansen as Wales coach until the WRU asked Ruddock to apply, is the only Welshman on Woodward's coaching staff. By their exploits in the Six Nations, Wales could argue that they deserve a lion's share of the representation for the tour of duty of All Blacks country. If that is the case, it would surely force a wry smile from the New Zealand management. Although Ruddock has been an inspiration, there are some who say the foundation stone for the Principality's revival was laid by Graham Henry and Hansen, even though neither had much to write home about in terms of Six Nations success.

A spark that did not die ignited something new and extravagant in the World Cup when Wales threw caution and everything else to the wind against New Zealand in Sydney and then ran England close in the quarter-finals. While the world champions and their new captain, Jonny Wilkinson, suffered a severe reaction to the euphoria of November 2003, Wales maintained their progress and their refreshing brand of 15-man rugby.

Wilkinson, who had the whole world in his hands, if not at his feet, 16 months ago, looked like a player in a Greek tragedy last Sunday. No sooner does he put on the Newcastle jersey for yet another comeback than he is carried from the field, his left knee encased in ice. Torvill and Dean have spent less time on ice than the World Cup hero, but the latest prognosis on Wilkinson is not half as gloomy as the pictures of a stand-off who can't stand on his own two feet. He damaged medial ligaments in his left knee against Perpignan nine weeks ago. This time, it's a strained ligament.

"It's a different injury on the same knee but it's not as bad as we first thought," Steve Black, the Newcastle fitness coach, said. "Jonny's training on his upper body every day and nobody can say whether he'll be back in five weeks, three weeks or a week. The top and bottom of it is that he's been very unlucky."

Could he make the Lions tour by June? "As far as Jonny Wilkinson is concerned, I wouldn't rule anything out," Black said. "He's an eternal optimist and he's still young, a lot younger than another Geordie hero, Alan Shearer. Shearer has had knee reconstructions but he's doing so well they don't want him to retire. The similarity between them is they are extremely strong, resilient professionals."

In the absence of Wilkinson and others, Martin Corry, England's new captain, admitted that the good ship's compass rose had lost its bearings. "We want to be the best side in the world again but we're miles from there at the moment. There isn't an area in our game that doesn't need addressing. It could be a slow process, perhaps slower than we thought."

Sir Clive, who will be reunited with Andy Robinson for the Lions expedition, will still draw heavily from the England forwards, who can expect to form the basis of his Lions pack, but then the picture is less clear. Brian O'Driscoll is the standout captain: he's the most gifted centre in the world, he was sensational on the Lions tour to Australia in 2001 and, if leading by example counts for anything, he's perfect for the role. Corry would make a good vice-captain.

It is at No 10 where the canvassing becomes fraught. As it stands, Stephen Jones is the form outside-half and he would walk in with his Wales partner, Dwayne Peel. Most of their colleagues in the back line have a case. Charlie Hodgson, who looked every inch the part against South Africa in the autumn, having won his own battle of wounded knee, has not measured up since then. Ronan O'Gara was not the happiest of tourists four years ago, although he's a contender and, at a push, there are others who can be considered, including David Humphreys, Ceri Sweeney and Olly Barkley.

In many other positions, Woodward is not short of top-flight players. Lawrence Dallaglio has put his hand up and there are plenty of currently on the casualty list, like Colin Charvis, who are not out of it. It is at half-back that Woodward has to get it right.

"The pundits gave their views on the shape of the Lions team before the Six Nations started and very few Welshmen got a mention," Ruddock said last week, as Wales prepared for the visit of Ireland. "Those articles have been up on the door of our training barn for the last few weeks." The barn is not a converted cowshed but a huge purpose-built, indoor, training facility at Wales's headquarters, the Vale of Glamorgan Golf and Country Club. When Henry was the Wales coach, the WRU was in such a financial hole, it had trouble keeping up the payments to the Vale's owners, who, at one point, turfed the squad out of the barn and locked the doors.

The WRU are still up to their neck in debt from the building of the Millennium Stadium, but the banks have restructured the loan and the Vale can't do enough to accommodate the class of 2005. The whole country acquired a spring in its step - and that was just by beating England.

The Heineken Cup - no Welsh team reached the quarter-finals - has been no yardstick for the Six Nations, which has seen France and Ireland perform fitfully, England unrecognisably and Italy and Scotland predictably. The pulse was quickened and the tempo raised by the spells cast by Ruddock's magic dragon.