With the Lions having played three tour matches in the last week, each member of the squad has now had at least one decent run out on the field. Some players have put their hands up more than others, but on the whole, the tourists look to be building some decent momentum as the Test matches loom ever closer. Contrast this with the Springboks lack of action however, and the question must be asked, has Peter de Villiers got his pre-Test planning right?

In the last two games, both the Golden Lions and the Cheetahs were refused permission to play either their full internationals or even those selected in the Emerging Springboks; only time will tell whether PdV was right in this regard. A similar policy was taken by the Boks management prior to the ’97 series against the Lions, something many observers considered a mistake. With hindsight, it probably was a poor decision to hold back the front line Boks prior to the Tests, so are the mistakes of twelve years ago about to repeat themselves?

After a rather lacklustre performance against a Namibian XV, a game in which the majority of their recognised first-choice players didn’t even play, the Springboks now have no other competitive fixtures before meeting the Lions in Durban on June 20. I feel that a lack of match practice could potentially be a real problem for them. Although the Blue Bulls hit a magnificent run of form on the way to winning the Super 14, the players chosen from the other provincial sides won’t have played for a month or more by the time the 1st Test rolls around; to be frank, I really can’t believe that PdV thinks wrapping up his star players in cotton wool is truly the best plan of action.

To a certain extent I can see his point; logic states that if they aren’t playing then they can’t get injured. This argument falls down quite quickly however when you consider that, as we all know, injuries can just as easily occur in training as on match day. Maybe I’m just being optimistic as a Lions fan, but I can see a real possibility that the Bok players will prove to be somewhat undercooked in terms of match sharpness.

You only need to look at the Lions themselves to find proof that there is no substitute for time on the field. After a poor opening tour match against the Royal XV, the next game against the Golden Lions produced a huge improvement in performance. They then went on to face the Cheetahs and, although they only just squeezed home in the end, the bottom line is they got the win and they also get to go again when taking on the Sharks this coming Wednesday. That is the key point that I’m making; it is so crucial that the Lions are getting the chances to work on the parts of their game that are currently not as strong as they should be, so that when they finally come to face the Springboks, they will be battle hardened and ready to hit the opposition with everything they've got. That’s the theory anyway, but whether their Bok counterparts will feel the same come game time, I just don’t know.

Of course, I may be completely wrong and PdV may ultimately be lauded for choosing to rest his players, rather than risk them in the earlier tour matches. If they are successful and the Bok’s freshness proves to be a key factor in a potential series victory, then the current murmurings of disagreement will be forgotten. One thing is for certain though, it’s differences of opinion like this that make a Lions tour to South Africa such an intriguing prospect, and I for one am loving it.