Sir Clive Woodward: The big worry I have for the British & Irish Lions despite Queensland Reds rout - and the three players who impressed me most including Test bolter

When the British & Irish Lions landed in Australia, there was immediately a big debate over the Wallabies releasing their best players for the tour’s warm-up fixtures.

That has happened to a degree. But I think the team’s first two matches Down Under have shown why it’s vitally important for Andy Farrell’s players to be tested fully.

Both last Saturday’s win against Western Force and Wednesday's victory over Queensland Reds have followed similar patterns. The Australian sides have been competitive for 40 minutes in each game before falling away badly to be beaten quite convincingly. That is exactly what happened in Brisbane.

The Reds had a lot of enthusiasm in the first period and put the Lions under pressure. But after the break, they just couldn’t live with the power of their opposition and it was men against boys.

As coach, Farrell will be pleased on the whole. But there is part of me that wonders if his players will be underdone for the Test series with Australia if this carries on.

What can Farrell can do about it? He and his players can only play what’s in front of them. But at the same time, it's clear the Lions need stronger challenges to be primed to face the Wallabies.

I really do hope the Test matches will be closer, more competitive games and I’m sure they will. The Force and Reds matches have shown why the Lions were so keen to make the point about Australia releasing their best players when they landed in the country. The Lions got a pre-tour agreement over Australia player release in place for a reason and that was because they wanted to be worked hard.

That hasn’t really happened so far. Both games have really been 40-minute matches with the result a foregone conclusion. The best thing that’s happened to the Lions so far has been their defeat by Argentina. That’s because they were given a proper game by a world-class side.

I really hope in the coming weeks that the matches with the Waratahs and Brumbies see Australia’s best players on show for their domestic sides. What we have seen so far has shown the lack of depth in Australian rugby. That’s something we knew before. It’s no surprise.

I think this is why Joe Schmidt is protecting his top players. He knows if he suffers injuries, he is in big trouble. Simply put, this situation wouldn’t be happening if the Lions were touring New Zealand or South Africa. Or even France!

The Lions can’t control their opposition. What they can control is their performance and I think they should be very pleased.

The handling ability from one to 15 in this Lions team is something I don’t think we’ve seen from many previous touring sides. Yes, in the first half in Brisbane there were nine handling errors.

Just before the half-hour, the television pictures cut to Farrell who wore a steely look on his face, the expression summing up how he felt about his team’s performance. Farrell seemed calm on the exterior. But it was clear to me that internally, he was frustrated to say the least by the errors.

He would have been pleased to see them tidied up after the break. I’m not too concerned about the dropped balls. What I am worried about is whether or not the Lions will be tested fully before they face Australia.

I thought there were three outstanding performers against the Reds. My star men were all in the forwards – Maro Itoje, Jac Morgan and Jack Conan. Behind the scrum, Tommy Freeman was the back who stood out.

I’m pleased for Itoje. I didn’t think he was at his best against Argentina but he produced a proper captain’s performance in Brisbane. He and wing Freeman are certain Test starters.

Morgan is now the only Welshman on tour, after Tomos Williams suffered a hamstring injury, and he proved himself worthy of being in that category too. He was brilliant against the Reds, totalling 20 tackles and scoring a try.

Conan is the only specialist No 8 in the squad and I thought he was outstanding. The pass he delivered when combining with Ollie Chessum to help Duhan van der Merwe score was just fantastic. That’s what I mean by the ball-playing ability of this Lions team.

The signs are really, really positive. They far outweigh any negatives for me.

I think if the Lions win the first Test with Australia on July 19, they’ll go on to claim the series 3-0. But the first part of that statement is far from a given. The Lions need greater challenges than they have had so far and they also need more luck with injuries. Elliot Daly suffered a worrying blow to his arm in Brisbane.

I’ve said for a while that England needed to move on from Daly, but he has proved his class - and me wrong - by playing the last 11 Lions games in a row. That is a brilliant feat by anyone’s reckoning.

The Lions will hope Daly isn’t ruled out of the tour because his form has been excellent. That’s especially the case given Hugo Keenan and Blair Kinghorn – both full-back options – have yet to play Down Under.

Either Itoje or Morgan would have been deserving of the player-of-the-match award. But I’m pleased it went to Morgan who I think is superb. It may seem nonsensical to some, but I think it’s important every Lions team has player representation from each of the four home unions.

Morgan is ploughing a lone furrow for Wales, but what a job he is doing. He was excellent and has put real pressure on the likes of Josh van der Flier and others who are rivalling him in the back row.

Now, it’s on to Sydney for the Lions. In my gut, I feel Saturday’s game with the Waratahs will be their toughest yet on Australian soil, especially if the likes of Joseph Sua'ali'i are involved.

If the Wallaby sensation isn’t playing, the result is likely to be similar to the matches we’ve seen so far. And no one – not the Lions, Australia nor the tour as a whole – will benefit if that is the case.