A FIRST TEST T WIN WOOD BE PERFECT; RUGBY UNION SOUTH AFRICA v BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, TODAY 2PM.

Byline: MICHAEL SCULLY

AS a veteran of the last successful tour in South Africa Keith Wood is sure of one thing - if the 2009 Lions are to survive and thrive they must play as a team.

They must be Lions - not simply the five Irishmen, six Welshmen and four Englishmen who comprise the line-up for today's first test in Durban.

Capped 58 times by his country, Wood is credited as one of the men who created the spark that culminated this year in Irish rugby's best ever season. But the footage of him in the red shirt of the Lions also resonates.

His two tours - in 1997 when the Springboks were beaten 2-1 and in 2001 when Australia recovered from the opening test defeat - were the last times the tourists were competitive.

The events of four years ago in New Zealand are best forgotten when Clive Woodward's unwieldy entourage limply fell to the All Blacks.

Predictably, Wood admits that winning today's test is crucial to the hopes of Ian McGeechan's 2009 Lions.

As the only test taking place at sea level, it's vitally important the tourists get off to the right start - with the likelihood of more injuries, this could be the strongest side the Lions can field.

"The intensity of the tests is truly startling - and you don't have that many guys to play in the last one," Wood said. "You have to win the first one."

Recalling the 1997 series victory, the 37-year-old added: "We won and because of that it's very special.

"Is it more than captaining Ireland? It's different. I just thought it was bloody phenomenal playing for Ireland, I felt honoured every time I stuck on the jersey. I thought it was an extraordinary thing, every time.

"But the Lions was very special because it was a totally new bunch of lads and you do your damnedest to get to know them over a month, it's very intensive.

"The pressure is trying to get the most out of you as a team over three or four weeks. That's hard and people pass that by at times as to how hard that is."

In the circumstances the team needs leaders and while he's keen to talk about the Lions as a collective, Wood is effusive in his praise of a quartet of Irishmen in that regard in the warm-up games already played.

The figurehead is Paul O'Connell as captain and the feeling is that if the Lions lose today, he is being set up in some quarters as the fall guy.

However, Wood feels he is the right man for the job.

"Some of the British press has had some criticism for him, not that he'll pay that any attention," he said.

"He just has to go on and do his job. In 1997 Martin Johnson played one and a half games, if that, before the tests because he was carrying an injury and the captaincy is as much about the guys who are with him.

"You can't tell me that those guys don't respect Paul O'Connell 100 per cent.

"Every one of those guys has spoken comfortably, without doubt, about what they think of him."

O'Connell and his second row partner Alun Wyn Jones face a huge lineout battle in the form of the Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield axis.

Wood claims that Jerry Flannery was a certainty for hooker until injury cruelly robbed him of his place but he has been pleased with the form of the man who benefited most - Lee Mears.

"He's a good thrower and he needs to be a good thrower," said Wood.

"Matfield and Bakkies Botha are fantastic, it's just how we deal with them being fantastic.

"Our lineout needs to be smart. If it means throwing to the front all day, then just make sure you win the bloody ball there all day.

"Paul's very astute. He's good enough to know that he doesn't have to call to himself. It isn't an ego thing with him, his view is about making sure we win the ball."

If the lineout is important, the breakdown is crucial and there will be two Irishmen at the heart of it.

Had Stephen Ferris been fit, there probably would have been three but England's Tom Croft plays at No6 alongside David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip.

"Croft needs to play the game of his life," sighed Wood.

"If you look at our back row in 1997 we had Lawrence Dallaglio, Tim Rodber and Richard Hill. They were unbelievably physical.

"Wally is very powerful but he's not very physical in terms of that kind of physicality but I would have liked to see Wally involved somewhere there. Jamie's become an awful lot more physical, I've been really impressed by him on tour.

"The two stand-outs for me have been him and Tommy Bowe - and not because they're Irish, because they're Lions. They just look like they're living the dream."

That leaves Brian O'Driscoll who has rebounded from his horrendous experience in 2005 when he was spear-tackled out of the tour in the first minute of the first test.

Wood said: "Brian looks hungry and ready. He's part of the back row, that's hugely important."

CAPTION(S):

WINNER Keith Wood on the charge against Springboks in 1997 IN FORM Tommy Bowe COLOSSUS Jamie Heaslip has been crucial in Lions back row HARD STUFF Former Ireland star Keith Wood is ambassador for Bushmills Irish Whiskey, official spirit of the Lions