Suffering Lions ‘should have called up wrecker Andrew Sheridan’

As Lions props drop by the day, former Wallaby front row Matt Dunning admits he cannot believe Warren Gatland has not called up Andrew Sheridan – the one man Australia truly fear.
Cian Healy and Gethin Jenkins have both  returned home with an ankle strain and calf injury respectively, so Gatland has called up England’s Alex Corbisiero and Scotland’s Ryan Grant to join Mako Vunipola as his loosehead options.
Sheridan has been keeping Jenkins out of the Toulon side this season and in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Saracens, he outshone Vunipola and Matt Stevens – both selected ahead of him for the Lions.
And, according to Dunning, Sheridan is the one man capable of destroying the Aussie scrum, all the more so in the absence of Sitaleki Timani, the giant second row who is renowned in Wallaby ranks for his scrummaging power.
Dunning told The Rugby Paper: “I would definitely have picked Andrew Sheridan in my squad. He’s the most powerful scrummager in world rugby so if you don’t get it technically right, he will destroy you.
“He’s not the most technical scrummager in the world, but there is nobody stronger.
“It might have been different if the Lions had some other options but you look at the squad and there is no one who shouts out, ‘I’m the best scrummaging loosehead in the world’.
“Even Gethin Jenkins,  had he been fit again, may be a great guy and very good around the park, but he wouldn’t have destroyed an Australian scrum.
“That’s what Sheridan can do and it’s why I’m really surprised they haven’t called him up. It will be a big battle up front, and him missing should help Australia. We’ve had to cope with a few big injuries in the last few weeks.
“Sitaleki Timani is a big loss. Speaking to the guys, they say he is the most powerful scrummaging lock we’ve got in Australian rugby so that could make a big impact.”
Dunning knows better than most the damage Sheridan can inflict, he started at loosehead in the Autumn International in 2005 when the Toulon man made his name by destroying the Wallaby pack, before again being on the receiving end two years later in a World Cup quarter-final defeat.
However in Sheridan’s absence, Dunning believes the entire series could come down to the battle between Wallaby loosehead Benn Robinson, and Lions tighthead Adam Jones. And he also sounded a warning for Robbie Deans’ men that if they do not win the first Test in Brisbane, they stand no chance of winning the series.
He added: “I think the scrum battle will be pretty much decided by who has the edge between Adam Jones and Benn Robinson.
“Benn is a very good technical prop, but he’s going to be going up against probably the best tighthead in the world, and however good he is technically, he’s still giving up about ten kilos to Jones.
“The scrum will be a great battle and will probably decide the whole thing. The other problem for Australia is that without (hooker) Tatafu Polota-Nau, who is injured as well, they are really relying on Stephen Moore to stay fit.
“Saia Faingaa, who will be the back-up now, is nowhere near as good a scrummager and would really struggle, whereas Moore and Polota-Nau have developed to become some of the best scrummaging hookers around over the last few years.
“For the Wallabies the most important thing is they have to win that first Test in Suncorp. They have a great record there and have beaten a lot of teams in Brisbane over the last few years.
“If they lose that first game then I can’t really see how they can turn it around. They will be in for a long series in that case. I’ll obviously be behind them all the way but I think it will be tough.
“The problem is that this is the first time a Lions team has taken on a side in the middle of Super Rugby.
“Usually people think the Lions are the team who are underprepared but I don’t see how Australia won’t be undercooked.
“They’re coming together later than the Lions, who will have had preparation games and should be sharper.
“If you add in the big injuries as well, losing Timani, Scott Higginbotham and Digby Ioane, it’s going to be very tough.”
PAUL EDDISON