Lewsey ready for any role

Josh Lewsey will play anywhere Sir Clive Woodward asks him if it means he can be a part of history as a member of a British & Irish Lions squad who beat the All Blacks in New Zealand. [more]

Lions Australia Tour 2013

Josh Lewsey will play anywhere Sir Clive Woodward asks him if it means he can be a part of history as a member of a British & Irish Lions squad who beat the All Blacks in New Zealand.

The England international will make his Lions debut against Bay of Plenty at full-back on Saturday, a position he may well occupy for the Test matches later in the tour.

He has the chance to lay down a marker for the Tests with both Jason Robinson and Gareth Thomas, other contenders for a place in the back three, yet to arrive in New Zealand.

But Lewsey refuses to cast his mind further ahead than this weekend and the individual responsibility he feels in ensuring the Lions lay a winning foundation which can be built upon for the rest of the campaign.

"For me this tour isn’t about wanting to get in the Test team," he said.

"Obviously I’d love to be involved but for me it is a squad thing. If you ask the lads, most of them would prefer to be a midweek player in a successful series-winning squad rather than a Test player in an unsuccessful squad.

"That is the cohesion and team bond you need in order to win in this part of the world.

"Clive said to me: ‘I am going to pick you at full-back against Bay of Plenty.’

"I said: ‘I don’t mind so long as I get the ball.’

"I have played at centre, both wings and full-back as well. As long as they don’t put me at tighthead I’ll be happy.

"The way I approach every game, I don’t set personal goals.

"As long as I come off having worked as hard as I possibly can and can look myself in they eye then you have got to give yourself a tap on the back.

"You will make mistakes and you will have bad games, but that takes the pressure off. If you have given everything, what more can you do?"

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