With just six days to go before the first Test against the All Blacks, our rugby correspondent assesses the Lions’ hopes of victory

THE players who will take on the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday were revealed by default yesterday via a mass mothballing operation from Warren Gatland for tomorrow’s game against the Chiefs.

The midweek game ahead of the Test series is the one nobody wants to be picked for, so hearing their name called will have brought a sinking feeling to Ireland captain Rory Best, compatriot Robbie Henshaw and England’s Dan Cole.

Dirt-tracker status has been bestowed upon them and underlined in black marker pen by the Lions coach’s misguided decision to call up the likes of Cory Hill and Kristian Dacey over the weekend to back them up from the bench in Hamilton.

For all the furore over Gatland picking on geography rather than ability, that storm will blow over.

This tour, like every Lions tour, will ultimately be remembered for what happens in the Test series and it will be his Test players that will define the tour. That team is now picked. Whatever Gatland may say publicly about places being up for grabs for the first Test, he knows privately the chosen ones to take on the world champions and it would be a considerable surprise if he strayed far from the 15 who steamrollered the New Zealand Maori 32-10 two days ago.

The one possible change could be at stand-off with Owen Farrell on course to shake off the thigh injury that ruled him out in Rotorua.

Sean O’Brien’s bristling display in the No7 shirt, which helped deliver eight turnovers, almost certainly consigns tour captain Sam Warburton to the bench, with Peter O’Mahony set to lead the side instead.

Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones – a substitute with Tommy Seymour tomorrow alongside the plastic Lions – looks destined to reprise the same role for the Test side, with Maro Itoje having been a one-man straitjacket against the Maori.

Itoje appears inked in to take on the All Blacks along with half the Saracens pack, including hooker Jamie George, who could start a Test for the Lions before doing so for England.

“Test selection would be incredible – it’s what I’ve always dreamed of,” said George.

“It’s fast, physical rugby here but I’m not going to be intimidated by anyone.”

The muscular punch of Ben Te’o on Saturday – just what Gatland likes from an inside centre – creates the likelihood of another promotion for an England bench man. There is an argument for counter-balancing Te’o’s power with the fast feet of Jonathan Joseph outside the Auckland-born centre.

Joseph scored a fine try against the Highlanders in the Lions’ best attacking performance of the tour but he is likely to be named as a replacement with Gatland preferring the defensive solidity of Jonathan Davies.

Defence has been the Lions’ strongest suit in New Zealand – red meant stop for the Maori just as it did for the Crusaders. Their set piece was exemplary against the Maori too, and the maul the weapon they need it to be on this tour.

“We’re trying to put teams under as much pressure as possible. If you look at teams who have done well against the All Blacks, like Ireland in Chicago, they have done well at the set piece,” said George.

True, but Ireland also scored five tries in that famous win in November and the concept of a Lions attack remains largely theoretical.

The rugged, smothering nature of the performance against the