Someone up there must like Lions tours. Perceived to be in jeopardy with the advent of professionalism, the second of this era has been pitched even better than the first. Save for some advance bile and hatred as in a Don King-like promotion, this one could hardly have been scripted better.

As was the case with the Springboks four years ago, the Lions will be hosted by the reigning World champions. Better still the Wallabies also hold the Tri Nations, the Bledisloe Cup and, as if the script needed it, the source of much of their current pre-eminence, the ACT Brumbies, recently achieved their holy grail of the Super 12s. You name it, the Aussies pretty much have it.

All that's missing in their collection is an historic series win over the Lions. They have hosted the cream of British and Irish rugby on seven occasions and apart from a one-off win in 1930, have seen the Lions leave victoriously each time.

This is only the third exclusive visit down under by the Lions, the others being those of 1899 and 1989. If the truth be told, the Australians' elevation in Lions' history had as much to do with South Africa's sporting exclusion as their ensuing emergence as a world superpower in the last decade or so.

Australia's desire to make amends for past failures will be overpowering, all the more so bearing in mind the residual ill-feeling about the Lions 2-1 Test series win a dozen years ago.

The tourists' abrasive response to losing the first Test by four tries to nil prompted the so-called Battle of Ballymore, which the Lions won 19-12, and the opening description by distinguished Australian rugby writer Evan Whitton: "The scum also rises."

In turning the series around the tourists have been widely hailed as the dirtiest Lions' team to ever tour Australia. In fact the then Australian coach Bob Dwyer would later describe the Lions as being at times "the dirtiest team I have ever seen in international rugby."

All of this is bound to get an airing, and will be compounded by the desire for a valedictory win for Rod Macqueen in his final season as Wallaby coach. Ultimately this series was a bridge too far for the likes of David Wilson, Tim Horan, Jason Little, Richard Harry, Phil Kearns and Andrew Blades while injury has denied the Wallabies of props Bill Young and Fletcher Dyson and centre cum goalkicker Stirling Mortlock.

Obviously the void is most acute in the front-row. In the light of Young's withdrawal from the original 30-man squad the existing options for this week are the uncapped tight-head Ben Darwin, Rod Moore, the relatively experienced Glenn Panoho or Nick Stiles, also uncapped.

With Michael Foley (34) rejuvenated and coming off the back of his best Super 12 campaign, the talented Jeremy Paul could be confined to an early impact role off the bench again, especially if Macqueen opts for Foley's fellow Queensland props Stiles and Panoho.

In other areas the Wallabies combinations are inate and cast in stone, such as John Eales and Dave Giffin in the second-row and George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, most probably the best half-back combination in the world.

Though Greg Smith disappointed on the Wallabies European tour last autumn, the dreadlocked ACT openside has had a storming Super 12 campaign and seems set to line-up alongside Matt Cockbain on the blind side and Toutai Kefu at number eight.

Elton Flatley, who was the leading Australian goalkicker in the Super 12s, looks like filling Mortlock's boots as midfield partner to Danny Herbert. This in turn may put Matt Burke under pressure for his place given Chris Latham has nailed down the full-back slot and Joe Roff (with a phenomenal 61 tests already at the age of 25) is a shoe-in on the other wing.

The Wallabies have plenty of options on the right-wing in addition to Burke, namely the potent but injury prone Ben Tune or the talented, goalkicking utility back with the Brumbies, Andrew Walker.

Then there is the Wallabies' famed defence, and for all Australian rugby's tactical innovation over the last decade, it's worth recalling that they only conceded one try when winning the World Cup less than two years ago.

Quite how Graham Henry designs a tactical blueprint to hurt the Wallabies will be intriguing. His own Welsh sides have tended to play quite flat and attack the gain line quickly through a big target runner - a Scott Quinnell or a Scott Gibbs - before taking it from there. By contrast, England have dominated the Six Nations (and dominate this squad) by playing with more depth and width.

However, given Phil Larder has raised the defensive bar, so to speak, to new heights with England and has been coming up with a few new designs with the Lions, either way a tight series in which tries will be at a premium seems probable.

And it is the result of the series, plain and simple, which will decide the success or otherwise of this tour. The Lions can win all bar one of the non-Test matches by playing the most vibrant brand of running rugby, as they did four years ago, but it was their willingness to tackle to a standstill and take their goals against tactically blinkered and even naive hosts in winning the Test series which defined the tour. As was also the case then, it won't matter a whit if they don't win the series, by hook or by crook.