Australia coach Schmidt impressed by depth of Lions squad

SYDNEY :Australia coach Joe Schmidt was impressed with the depth of the British & Irish Lions squad and thinks the Wallabies will have to play their own game if they are to come out on top in the three-test series in July and August.

The New Zealander knows many of the 38 players named last week from his time as Ireland coach but is looking forward to the Lions taking on Argentina on June 20 to get a glimpse of others and an idea of the way Andy Farrell's team might line up.

"I think everything's a contest there," Schmidt told reporters on Monday.

"Some of them I know very well having coached them, but I think some of the lesser-known ones are going to be very interesting.

"And also just to see what combinations the Lions staff are deciding to put together, because that might give us an indication of who we might face in the first test. Because there's a lot of competition for places."

Schmidt said he had been impressed with what he had seen of 20-year-old England flanker Henry Pollock, who was selected for the Lions after playing only 32 minutes of test rugby.

"(He) is a very, very promising player," he said.

"Considering he was playing in the England under-20s at the start of the Six Nations and came through and ended up playing for the senior side, not many players get to do that, particularly not in the forwards."

Schmidt oversaw a marked improvement in the Wallabies last year but said failing to beat Ireland in Dublin last November after leading 13-5 at halftime had taught them a key lesson.

"I don't think that we can come out against the Lions and say, right, let's try to shut the game down," he said.

"They have power, skill, they have speed. So they can play in a number of ways and whatever way they play, we're going