There should be plenty of enterprising play on show at the Westpac Stadium
Hurricanes v Lions - Tuesday 8.35am, Sky Sports 1
Seven days ago, the midweek Lions responded to the morale boost of a Saturday thumping of the Maori All Blacks to record their first win of the tour.
Now they need to beat the Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington to lift spirits in the red camp after the first Test defeat to New Zealand.
Bookmakers do expect the Lions to triumph on Tuesday - setting the handicap mark at seven - even though the Canes boast surplus-to-requirement All Blacks Julian Savea and Nehe Milner-Skudder on the Wings, a Midfield pairing of Vince Aso and Ngani Laumupe who have shared 28 tries between them this season, and breakthrough player of the year Jordie Barrett at Full-Back.
This is because the Hurricanes are without their brilliant string-pullers TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett and dynamic Backrower Ardie Savea, who all featured in Saturday's 30-15 win for the All Blacks in Eden Park.
And they were beaten 19-17 by the Chiefs at the Westpac in their last outing three Saturdays ago, a first home defeat of the campaign.
That was a far stronger Chiefs outfit than the one beaten 34-6 by the Lions last Tuesday but the Canes are up against the same forward pack that rumbled in Hamilton safe in the knowledge that they were not going to be subbed and controlled by Half-Backs Greig Laidlaw and Dan Biggar.
In Hamilton a week ago, Liam Williams and Elliot Daly played well enough to force their way into the first Test back-three and the Lions finally produced some cutting-edge attacking.
And the incentive is there at the Westpac for more Lions to press their claims to Warren Gatland.
However, this makes a bet on a Lions win by 1-12 points at 2-1 appear good value as replacements may be used, for George North and the forwards especially
This may break up the Lions' cohesion, while they have also struggled to contain Test quality when they have come up against it in the Kiwi franchises. Sonny Bill Williams scored an opportunistic try for the Blues and set up their match-winner with an outrageous offload. Waisake Naholo barged over for Highlanders in their win and could have had a couple more tries. Milner-Skudder grubber-kicked the ball that was spilled by North for Liam Messam's effort for the Maori All Blacks.
The weather forecast for Wellington is for a calm, cloudy cool evening, with only a small chance of showers, so there should be plenty of enterprising play on show even if the Lions are likely to try and boss matters in the forwards and dominate possession and territory.
This makes Lions Outside Centre Jonathan Joseph look a great price at 12-5 to score a try.
Joseph scooted in for a try against the Highlanders after reading the movement and pass of Biggar and while is electric running has been the basis for most of his 16 Test tries for England, a few have been scored after defensive-interceptions.
Fast line-speed in defence has been a trademark of the good Lions performances this tour and the Hurricanes' natural game is to try and shift the ball through hands to the wings.
