Lions squad

[Rosco]

Rónan Kelleher has been called up to the British and Irish Lions squad and will arrive in Cape Town today. The 23-year-old, who became only the fifth Irish player to score four tries in a test against the USA Eagles last Saturday, will provide additional cover at hooker for the remainder of the tour

 

[Rosco]

British and Irish Lions: 15 Anthony Watson, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Conor Murray (c); 1 Wyn Jones, 2 Ken Owens, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Iain Henderson, 6 Josh Navidi, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Tadhg Beirne, 21 Sam Simmonds, 22 Gareth Davies, 23 Elliot Daly

 

[Grjt2]

Alun Wyn Jones returns to the squad. Wtf.

 

[Judge Jules]

Has to have been a wrong diagnosis to begin with, surely. I know he's tough as old boots, but still.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

 

[Grjt2]

Has to have been a wrong diagnosis to begin with, surely. I know he's tough as old boots, but still.

Dislocation without complications? (This is probably an Eminem lyric).

Geraint Thomas just rode the Tour de France following putting a shoulder out. Painkiller companies must be upping their game

 

[Grjt2]

Not promising signs for the Lions. Also hated Itojes post match interview. These boys are going to have to fight fire with fire and the quicker they realise that the better

 

[Judge Jules]

Absolutely - always crucial on a Lions tour but probably more so in Sth Effrica than anywhere else.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Kolbe magic last night:

 

[Judge Jules]

Well, we made it easy for him by kicking to him far too often, but he's some player right enough.

 

[Rosco]

The squad were apparently informed about the squad and it's been leaked to the Times:

Lions (possible team): Stuart Hogg; Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly, Robbie Henshaw, Duhan van der Merwe; Dan Biggar, Ali Price; Wyn Jones, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tadhg Furlong; Alun Wyn Jones (Capt), Maro Itoje; Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.

Replacements: Ken Owens, Rory Sutherland, Kyle Sinckler, Tadhg Beirne, Hamish Watson, Iain Henderson, Conor Murray, Owen Farrell.

I'm delighted to see Price playing, but I'm a little surprised about the rest of the backline - Adams and Williams are puzzling omissions.

Lawes in the back row is possibly the worst pick of the bunch though.

 

[Judge Jules]

I wonder if the omission of Adams and the inclusion of Lawes are down to Gatland's preference for heft, which playing in South Africa will have accentuated further. Adams in particular is not a big guy by rugby standards - we were both (separately) regulars at the same coffee shop once upon a time.

 

[Rosco]

The bench being 6 forwards suggests the same to me.

It seems he's relying on the versatility of some of the likes of Henshaw and Daly to cover aot of backline positions, which is fine unless they get injured.

 

[Rosco]

 

[Rosco]

Despite the slightly odd lineup I think we'll have in by about 7-10 today

 

[Judge Jules]

The game not taking place at altitude should help, and the lack of recent game time for some of the Saffers' big hitters may do so as well. There are suggestions that Watson was close to selection despite Gatland's predilection for big players, so he may be worried about du Toit in their back row. I know little about Conan (and was surprised that Gatland of all people didn't plump for Faletau). Have we got the balance right back there (not suggesting we haven't - genuine question)? Centre is Daly's club role but I have some sympathy for Jones' preference for putting him in the back three, so that'll be interesting.

 

[Grjt2]

For me, Daly at risk of becoming a jack of all trades….

 

[Rosco]

Faletau hadn't been good otherwise he would have started. But I don't like the back row selected. I would have gone with Curry,Conan and Watson. And I'm not a huge Conan fan - he's a good all-rounder and can do enough of everything to get by but I think he's just a little bit off being ready for this. If the Lawes selection is primarily for the lineout then it was a bit unnecessary because Conan is a decent option at the tail.

Not sure about the back three either.

 

[Rosco]

I still backed the Lions at 3/1 to win by 1-10 points.

 

[Grjt2]

Wowsers

 

[Rosco]

Started slowly. But the second half was superb.

Itoje was magnificent,but the back row really stepped up in the second half and it made the difference. Mako coming on solidified the scrum too.

And then having Murray and Farrell to come when trying to hold a lead was perfect.

 

[Jürgen4PM]

I think we had lady luck on our side today. Got to say that Lawes and Itoje were immense.

 

[Rosco]

I enjoyed this one

 

[Judge Jules]

Yep. It reminded me of the time on a previous Lions tour when Scott Gibbs flattened Os du Randt and said "Get up, you fat bastard" as he ran past him on the floor.

We did have some decisions go our way which might not have, but so did they (not unusually in S.Africa). I wish Lawes would play like that for England! Itoje's display reminded me of Jan Molby in the first Merseyside Cup Final, where he was somewhat on the edge of things till Peter Reid kicked him, at which point he got mad and bossed the whole game from then on. Itoje lost out in his first confrontation with Etzebeth and that was the best thing that could have happened for him and the Lions, because it fully ignited the warrior in him.

 

[Jürgen4PM]

How many changes for the next test?

Aki in for Daly is a must for me.

Players who could be in danger- Hogg, Conan, Price, Curry, Watson and Biggar.

Wyn Jones might be back in contention if fit

 

[Rosco]

I'd say Sutherland will be dropped. They'll probably keep the rest of the pack the same, but Curry might be a little at risk.

The backline didn't function well at all so I'd imagine there will be changes there.

I wonder whether Gregor Townsend was allowed to pick the backline for yesterday's game - some of the choices were very surprising.

I wonder whether it might be Farrell at 12 and Henshaw at 13.

 

[Jürgen4PM]

I don't think anybody got close to picking the backline selected. If I was picking it, only VDM and Henshaw make it.

Just seen the Watson tackle again.......We got very lucky with that one!

 

[Rosco]

Lions team to play South Africa on Saturday – S Hogg; A Watson, C Harris, R Henshaw, D van der Merwe; D Biggar, C Murray; M Vunipola, L Cowan-Dickie, T Furlong; M Itoje, A W Jones (capt); C Lawes, T Curry, J Conan. Reps: K Owens, R Sutherland, K Sinckler, T Beirne, T Faletau, A Price, O Farrell, E Daly.


Sutherland , Daly and Price dropped.

 

[Judge Jules]

Vunipola and Harris I can understand, because the players they're replacing weren't impressive. However, I didn't think Price did much wrong and if the change at 9 suggests, as it seems to do, that Gatland's sending them out to go toe to toe with the Boks, I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I think they can handle it, but I don't think fighting an enemy on ground of his choosing is usually a good idea.

 

[Rosco]

I thought Price played well, his passing was top class. He for the ball out to the backline with speed regularly and gave them opportunities that weren't taken.

Maybe Gatland wants a more conservative approach this week.