Image source, Getty Images

Elliot Daly is the joker that every rugby coach wants up his sleeve.

Searing pace? Check.

An eye for a gap? Check.

A siege gun boot? Check.

The Wasps man can over both wings, full-back and outside centre and with the ability to slot off the tee from inside his own half is a very useful goal-kicking option.

A good performance today should secure his place on the Test bench.

A great one and he could be somewhere in the first XV.

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Hamilton is the latest stop on the Lions' tour of New Zealand, but what do you know about the Chiefs' home?

With a population of 161,000, Hamilton is New Zealand's largest inland city and the country's longest river, the Waikato, flows for 16km through its centre.

The city's Maori name, Kirikiriroa, means 'long stretch of gravel', while around half the residents living in Hamilton are under 30 years old.

It boasts three international sporting venues: Seddon Park, Claudelands and, of course, today's venue FMG Stadium Waikato.

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The word on Fleet Street is that Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony will be the man to emerge clutching a cuddly Lion mascot at Eden Park on Saturday.

The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and plenty of others say that he has overtaken Sam Warburton in the race for the Test captaincy and will form a back row with Sean O'Brien and Taulupe Faletau.

Image source, Daily Mail

Image source, Daily Telegraph

Image source, Rex Features

A brand reboot like no other.

The Living with the Lions documentary that charted the inside story of the 1997 tour of South Africa told it how it was - raw, brutal, funny and very human.

If you have seen, you'll know how good it is.

If you haven't, you have probably heard already.

Anyway, I urge you to read Tom Fordyce's feature on how the film was put together.

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The Chiefs won back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013 with Aaron Cruden at the controls and Sonny Bill Williams running hard lines outside him in the first half of that double.

They are not quite so hot this year, but have won 10 of their 13 games so far this season.

Image source, Getty Images

The Chiefs will be led by former Bath fly-half Stephen Donald - a World Cup winner with New Zealand in 2011, but are without their usual big names - the likes of Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane - who have been called up to All Black and Maori duty.

The exciting Samoan Tim Nanai-Williams - cousin of Sonny Bill - starts at outside centre.

Chiefs: S Stevenson; T Pulu, T Nanai-Williams, J Fa'auli, S Alaimalo; S Donald (capt), F Christie, S Fisiihoi, L Polwart, N Laulala, D Bird, M Allardice, M Brown, L Boshier, T Sanders.

Replacements: H Elliot, A Ross, A Moli, L Messam, M Karpik, J Taumateine, L Laulala, C Tiatia.

As we near Test week, the red shirts are starting to rival the locals.

Image source, Rex Features

As expected, all six of the controversial call-ups are among the replacements as Gatland looks to protect as many of the Test 23 as possible.

Elliot Daly and Liam Williams both start in the backline as they bid to sneak into the Test plans, with Daly well placed.

Tour captain Sam Warburton isn't involved - which points to him facing the All Blacks - while Jonathan Joseph is another name conspicuous by its absence.

Lions: L Williams (Wales); J Nowell (England), J Payne (Ireland), R Henshaw (Ireland), E Daly (England); D Biggar (Wales), G Laidlaw (Scotland); J Marler (England), R Best (Ireland), D Cole (England), I Henderson (Ireland), C Lawes (England), J Haskell (England), J Tipuric (Wales), C Stander (Ireland).

Replacements:

K Dacey (Wales), A Dell (Scotland), T Francis (Wales), C Hill (Wales), AW Jones (Wales), G Davies (Wales), F Russell (Scotland), T Seymour (Scotland).

Image source, Rex Features

Some Lions are more tourists than others it turns out.

Welsh quartet Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies and Scotland duo Allan Dell and Finn Russell are all named on the bench for today's game after being drafted into the Lions party last week.

Warren Gatland's argument was that being in similar time zones - Wales were in New Zealand already while Scotland were in Australia - meant that the six could step straight into to provide bench cover and warm-up fodder without missing a beat.

Critics suggested that handing out Lions shirts like training bibs has devalued them.

Either way, expect every home nation to be touring South Africa along with the Lions in 2021.

And so are the Lions fans...

Image source, Rex Features

The dress rehearsals are almost done.

Today is the last tour match before the Lions embark on their assault on the highest peak in world rugby - a Test series in New Zealand.

A last chance to impress?

A duff performance and it may be your last game of the tour full stop.

Kick-off against the Chiefs is a little over an hour away.