Corry barges into contention

'He's produced a couple of stunners and must come into Test consideration,' said Henry. 'He is hugely motivated to show the selectors they made a mistake by leaving him out.'

Corry, 27, raised the technical quality of his game to new heights, forcing himself into contention alongside the best No.8s in the British Isles - Lawrence Dallaglio and Scott Quinnell. While one still has to get his tour going, the other now knows that missing a match at this stage can be as bad for your Test health as missing a tackle.

Quinnell dropped out on Friday with a swollen knee, and Corry recognised that this was his chance to enter the ferocious back-row zone and show that he could compete as an equal.

A total of 22 England caps, 15 as a substitute, have left him yearning for better.

'I don't want to be a substitute all my life,' said Corry. 'I will never get used to it.'

He refuses to accept the role of fourth, fringe member of the celebrated England back row. 'I can never think like that, otherwise I'd end up with all sorts of negative emotions,' he said. 'But it does hit you, especially when you have insomnia at three in the morning!'

Corry had no trouble with his sleep last night. If Quinnell and Dallaglio lost any of theirs, it was on account of the fact that neither can afford to miss a trick against Australia A at Gosford tomorrow. Like a kaleidoscope, the patterns are changing with every match, so much so that, of the seven back-row players, only Richard Hill can be sure of Test selection.

The knowledge that they have given Queensland their biggest beating for 15 years - thanks in no small way to the blunders of a team badly adrift without a Wallaby trio headed by John Eales - will be a massive confidence booster for the Lions. They refused to be drawn into a brawl, while still punching their weight where it mattered, sailing home five-to-one on tries under Martin Johnson's commanding presence.

Jonny Wilkinson ran the game from start to finish, bringing a precision at fly half which sets him apart from the rest. He had a hand or a boot in three of the tries, kicked seven goals out of eight and took the heavy tackles in his stride.