By Bryn Palmer

New captain Gareth Thomas has been asked to lead the fightback

Only once, against Australia in 1989, have the Lions recovered from the setback of losing the first Test to win a series.

And given the poverty of their performance in Christchurch on Saturday, the scale of the recovery required this time is bordering on the impossible.

So how can the Lions stem the All Blacks tide and give themselves hope of keeping the series alive in Wellington?

BBC Sport attempts to provide a few pointers to an under-fire Sir Clive Woodward and his coaching panel.

Calamitous in the extreme on Saturday, with 10 of the Lions' throws being stolen by the outstanding All Blacks duo Chris Jack and Ali Williams.

The Lions only managed to win four of their 14 line-outs

Their dominance owed much to them outmuscling Paul O'Connell and Ben Kay in the air, not always legally, and the subsequent confusion in the red ranks.

A dismal lack of communication and Shane Byrne's woeful throwing - "Shane just didn't get the call. He thought he heard something else," was how O'Connell described the throw that led to Williams' try - did not help either.

Byrne will surely be discarded, with Steve Thompson - not exactly 100% material at the line-out himself - set to start at hooker.

Kay's reputation is also in tatters, and thanks to Danny Grewcock's latest ill-timed bout of indiscipline, either Donncha O'Callaghan or Simon Shaw can expect a summons.

Sound familiar? Ever since Lawrence Dallaglio was carted off 20 minutes into the tour, the Lions have looked a rudderless bunch.

Of course you can't legislate for your captain being crudely up-ended and suffering a dislocated shoulder in the opening minute, as was the fate of Brian O'Driscoll.

But the direction should not be coming from just one man, and O'Connell, Kay, Neil Back, Stephen Jones and Jonny Wilkinson were all close enough to the heart of the action.

Strangely enough it appears Martin Corry, who took over the captaincy and worked tirelessly as ever, has been singled out as the scapegoat. Gareth Thomas has a big job on his hands.

Did the Lions really believe they could win by simply squeezing the All Blacks at the set-pieces, kicking for territory, waiting for mistakes and banging over the penalties?

Wilkinson is not a natural ball-carrier at centre

That appeared to be the limit of a conservative selection and game plan, and the Lions got their just deserts when their basic skills deserted them in the monsoon conditions.

The horrendous weather should have played into their hands, but the tourists favoured the boot at every opportunity, and had no-one to take the ball up over the gain line.

Woodward opted for two people to play the same kicking role in midfield, and neither Jones nor Wilkinson did it very well. One of them will have to make way this week.

It is hard to criticise a three-quarter line that had precious little ball to work with as a result of the forwards' deficiencies and the tactics forced on the midfield axis.

But it is hardly surprising there was no pace or rhythm to any of the rare attacks given they had never played together, in those positions, for more than 20 minutes before on tour.

If Gavin Henson is fit, Woodward has to select him at inside centre to inject some forward momentum and confidence, not to mention a prodigious kicking game.

They must also look to bring the running ability of Gareth Thomas and Josh Lewsey into play at every opportunity, rather than reducing them to frustrated bystanders.