Aisle be back: The bye week

I know there's a bit of unease over the casualty rate in the All Blacks' potential backline for the Lions series.

But we're worrying about the wrong thing. It's the piano movers, big rigs and poachers where the clash will be decided.

And the good news is that so far so good - the key forwards are firing and the back-ups are doing the job too.

You see, we'll probably put together a backline regardless that will edge the Lions for creativity. That may well be the reason we win.

But if they don't see any ball, and spend their time tackling and it rains (it never rains in Wellington but two of the tests are in Auckland) then it could easily swing the other way.

Warren Gatland will probably find it easier to gel together a strong forward pack from four nations than he will to get a well-oiled backline in the limited time available.

Given that, the Lions route one for victory will have to be to dominate up front. We saw how the All Blacks struggled in Chicago with makeshift locks.

So rejoice every match where our key forwards come through unscathed. They're going to be needed.

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Still with the Lions, and I read a report this week that future tours by them will be only seven matches long.

You really know how disregarded fans are when you see decisions like that. It's ostensibly about player welfare.

No-one's listening but I am sure true rugby followers want firstly tours, and then longer tours. And that applies to the boys in black too.

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Poor Queensland - two hurricanes in one week. So the Canes are coming off the bye and into steamy Brisbane. The Reds are steaming of course, but not in a nice way,

I guess if you really want to catastrophise, the Canes will be complacent, and a  little rusty, and run out of puff in the heat. After all the Saders almost fell over there.

Yeah nah. If they don't pick up the full five, something's gone seriously wrong.

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Eric Watson's death this week threw up an interesting fact. He gave up coaching the All Blacks because it cost him too much to be away from his signwriting business. How times have changed.

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The Hurricanes play the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night at 9.45pm.

Lifelong All Blacks supporter Kev has followed the Hurricanes since they began. Last year his faith in them was rewarded when they won the title – can they do it again?