Lions Watch: The Aussies get the trash talking underway and Lazarus North ready for action

Call it gamesmanship. Call it psychological warfare. Call it the Aussies at their best. The local media are playing their part in the Test series and it’s fair to say they are confident.

The Aussies are the masters at attempting to get the upper hand by putting down their opponents, so we can’t say we were overly surprised with Green and Gold Rugby’s ‘5 reasons why we will beat the Lions’. Not lacking confidence in the team that will face the Lions on Saturday – “It’s a sumptuous mix of form and experience, grunt men and movie stars, big boppers and speed machines, piano removalists and piano players” – the likes of ‘Izzy’ and ‘Diggers’ are set to cause havoc. Claiming that the Lions are not only tactically predictable, they go on to suggest that the tourists have little insight into the Wallabies game plan- “they will have no idea what hit them”. Jonathan Davies, Alex Cuthbart and Mako Vunipola are derided as players the Aussies have dealt with easily in the past while the venue is also seen as an advantage, with the Suncorp a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies. Though it should also be noted the Lions have never lost in Brisbane. “This is Suncorp fu*king Stadium. And you ain’t walking out of there alive.” Let the games begin. Lazarus North ready for the Wallabies While the backs have been dropping like flies, George North has been declared fit. Warren Gatland has been dealt a huge boost after it appeared earlier in the week that the Welsh wing would miss out after picking up an injury against the Combined Counties. ‘Gorgeous George’, as Sky Sports have labelled him today, is expected to go straight into the side to face the Wallabies in the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday and Rob Howley has told the media he is in tip-top shape. “George was up this morning bright and early and he came through a fitness test and I have never seen him in better shape,” he said. He is available for selection at the weekend and it is a huge fillip for us. We looked after him over the last week and I think it is a huge morale boost to have someone like George North fit for us. With Jamie Roberts and Tommy Bowe due to miss out, the return to fitness of North is just the tonic for the tourists. Lions coverage on JOE brought to you in association with Kellogg’s, official cereal & snack provider to the IRFU.