Owen Farrell is a leader – his absence would be a huge blow to the Lions | Nick Evans

The fly-half is a totem for the Lions and if he cannot win his fitness race for the first Test it would be a significant hit to their chances in New Zealand

The general consensus is that if the Lions are going to beat the All Blacks they will need to score three or four tries but that is a myth. They are in New Zealand to win Test matches, they are not going to play a lot of rugby, they are not going to showcase many skills and they will 100% try to strangle the All Blacks. If they execute the gameplan, built around a very solid defence, a very solid set-piece and a very accurate kicking game, then one try could be enough.

Related: Lions are running out of time to be ready for All Blacks, says Steve Hansen

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