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Jamie Roberts: 'Back-row selection impossible'

Roberts: 'Back-row selection impossible'
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Jamie Roberts says that head coach Warren Gatland faces a tough task of picking his British and Irish Lions side for their opening Test with Australia.

British and Irish Lions center Jamie Roberts believes that head coach Warren Gatland has an unenviable task of selecting the back-row for their opening Test with Australia next week.

The Welshman, who faces competition for his place in the side from the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Brian O'Driscoll and Jonathan Davies, has been named in the starting XV to face the Waratahs at the weekend.

However, Roberts admits that he isn't so sure of his place in the team for the clash with the Wallabies and feels that nobody in the party is sure of a starting berth.

"One position there's a lot of strength in is centre, but it's even more so in the back row," Roberts told the official Lions website. "You can pick three of any of those players and you'd have a world-class back row.

"It's a bit scary, and we can be very optimistic about that. There's probably three or four combinations that you could pick there and they'd cause the Australians bother, so that's very pleasing.

"We haven't got a clue [who'll be in the Test team]. The coaches have made that clear to the players, that they'll give everyone a shot. This Saturday's selection will probably sway things a little, that's what people are expecting anyway. But as a side we'll wait and see."

The Lions face the Waratahs on Saturday in Sydney.

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Matt Cotton
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British and Irish lions player Brian O'Driscoll tries to break through a tackle from South Africa's Adi Jacobs on June 27, 2009
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