To Irish, and especially Munster, minds, he'll forever be known for his Backhander in the Heineken European Cup final of 2000, but in the midst of all of the Lions' problems at the breakdown, Neil Back has emerged as something of a saviour, a knight in shining armour to the rescue of the Lions' much-discussed difficulties in this area.

None of these problems are especially surprising, but with Marty Holah's predictable eclipse of Martyn Williams (fantastic link player though he is) when the ball was on the deck and the going became physical, the Lions desperately need the nuggety little English and Leicester openside to step up to the plate.

Of course, the Lions' problems go way deeper than just a groundhog seven, no matter how the 36-year-old returns to the fray after a four-week suspension.

"It's an area the team needs to sort out," said Back yesterday before repeatedly pointing out like some wizened old sage: "You've got (the fact) that the team hasn't played together that often, and it takes time to build relationships and partnerships."

For Back, the oldest player to be picked in an original Lions selection, this is a final farewell to a staggering career. A pivotal moment in his career was his six-month suspension after the 1996 English Cup final at Twickenham when he punched referee Steve Lander after the latter's controversial late penalty-try decision enabled Bath to beat Leicester.

He returned a stronger player then and in a smaller reprise of that episode, his recent four-week suspension for punching Joe Worsley in the Zurich Premiership final at Twickenham may again have worked to his benefit.

"There's no question that I would back myself. I'm happy in this environment and I'm desperate to play. It's been very difficult for me. I'm not a great watcher of games. I think it's been an advantage for me to get away with training and not take the knocks and bangs for a couple of weeks. I've had a heavy season and the rest has done me good.

"But it's not about what I do. We were beaten by a better team the other night but we were beaten by the Blue Bulls in '97 and won the Test series and in 2001 by the Australia A side and should have won the Test series. Let's not read too much into the defeat. We've got to learn from our mistakes."

Back observed that "speaking to Jonny Wilkinson the other night, he agreed that the star position over here seems to be the number seven rather than the number 10."

In a fascinating discourse on the murky arts of the tackle/breakdown area, Back admitted that "the physicality we've met in that area is different from the Northern Hemisphere. More players seem to know what to do down here."

Asked what the essential technical difference was, Back (who is clearly cut out for coaching, and Shane Jennings for one will learn multitudes from him) commented: "Clearing past the ball. It's about tightening guys and getting over the ball. We need to be more physical getting over the ball and it starts with the first man in, but it's a team effort."

Viewed in this light, the challenges presented by New Zealand sides, all the more so on a Lions tour, make it the ultimate test for an openside.

"Yea, I think it is. As I've said already the (number) sevens down here seem to be the star players. It's a huge challenge for me, one that I've met before and come out on the winning side," he said, in reference to England's seminal 15-13 win in Wellington over the All Blacks in 2003.

"So I don't see it as something beyond me. It's a challenge I'm looking forward to, and getting back to playing."

When it was put to him that a second successive defeat for the Lions might seriously derail the tour, Back responded almost incredulously.

"Well, that's not going to happen."

That's what the Lions need now. And one suspects that's what they're going to get.