Concern ARU will hold back best young Queensland talent from tour game against the British and Irish Lions Chris Feauai-Sautia may miss out on the chance to play against the British and Irish Lions. QUEENSLAND'S tour game against the British and Irish Lions has been stripped of eight or more Wallabies but the big question is whether the Australian Rugby Union blocks some of the best replacements. Most foresaw yesterday's decision on the non-availability of 25 Wallabies for the tour games to be played by Western Force (June 5), Reds (June 8), NSW Waratahs (June 15) and ACT Brumbies (June 18). A dedicated three-week camp for coach Robbie Deans to prepare his troops for the opening Test on June 22 at Suncorp Stadium is fair enough with so much riding on the series. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play and hopefully beat the Lions. I wonder just how far the ARU has the nerve to go with that mantra. The world under-20 championships are on in France (June 5-23) over the same period. For the Reds, that would remove hotshot centre Chris Feauai-Sautia and backrower Curtis Browning from the June 8 tour clash against the Lions as well. If it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, surely Feauai-Sautia and Browning should stay in Brisbane to face the Lions. They may not have the chance in 2025. The under-20s performed so woefully last year (eighth) that the anxious ARU is likely to stop all under-20 players from playing the Lions as well. If ever there was a formula to kill off Australia's chances of getting another extended nine-game Lions tour, this is it. As recently as the last Lions tour in 2001, there were grave fears in the United Kingdom that Australia would not have strong enough provincial sides to justify seven tour games outside the Tests. Building up to the first Test blockbuster with a string of fizzers is hardly the way to hose that theory down. The Reds wanted to play giantkiller on this Lions tour as they did when upsetting John Dawes' 1971 Lions 15-11 at Ballymore. Without Will Genia, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, James Horwill, Ben Tapuai, Rob Simmons, James Slipper and co, that is unlikely. ARU boss Bill Pulver does not care what the Lions hierarchy thinks. The primary objective is for the Wallabies to win the three-Test series. Preparation is crucial and we know the Lions will be battle-hardened, make no mistake," Pulver said.