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Irish flanker Sean O’Brien can count himself unlucky not to be in the Lions 23 for the first Test against the Wallabies on Saturday at Suncorp.
The tireless six or seven missed out to skipper Sam Warburton and Tom Croft in the starting line-up, then missed out again to Dan Lydiate on the bench.
Otherwise the Lions starting XV is very much the side that turned on the fireworks against the Waratahs last Saturday with the exception of the two wingers – George North and Alex Cuthbert – and ageless centre Brian O’Driscoll.
Missing selection from the Waratahs game are Simon Zebo and Sean Maitland on the wings, though Maitland made the bench, and hamstrung centre Jamie Roberts.
The Lions have a crack side for Saturday where the front-row battle will be one of the highlights, with Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, and Ben Alexander boasting 180 Wallaby caps between them, far more than the Lions who with Alex Corbisiero, Tom Youngs, and Adam Jones have 115.
The lineout will also be a key factor with Lions specialists Paul O’Connell (198cm), Alun Wyn Jones (196cm), and Croft (198cm) in the XV, and Geoff Parling (201cm) on the bench.
Matching them will be the Wallabies skipper James Horwill at 200cm, Kane Douglas (200cm), and Ben Mowen (195cm), with Rob Simmons on the bench waiting to use his 200cm.
So much will depend on the hookers – Moore and Youngs – feeding their tall timbers. Neither are too crash hot, but the better one on the night will be a major bonus.
Openside flanker Michael Hooper, with Liam Gill on the bench, will give the Wallabies an edge in open play and fetching – both are extremely fast around the park.
Where the Wallabies have a huge advantage will be halfback Will Genia, without peer in world rugby. Lion Mike Phillips is no slouch, but he will have his hands full keeping up with Genia.
Then it gets interesting between the tens, and the centres – James O’Connor, debutant Christian Lealiifano, and Adam Ashley-Cooper pitted against Jonathan Sexton, Jonathan Davies, and the legend O’Driscoll about to wear his 126th cap.
The Lions have the edge there, and on the wings with George North and Alex Cuthbert against the Wallabies Digby Ioane and debutant Israel Folau playing out of his fullback comfort zone.
And the Lions have the edge with the custodians as well – Leigh Halfpenny over Berrick Barnes.
Forwards win Test matches, and that’s where the Wallabies will shine. But the backs make the difference and that’s where the Lions have the advantage.
This will be a close one.
Let’s not have it decided by a last-minute penalty from the whistle of referee Chris Pollock.