Here is the lineup for the tour’s final midweek game against the Hurricanes on Tuesday.
British & Irish Lions (v Hurricanes, Tuesday June 27, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, 7.35pm NZST/8.35am BST)
15. Jack Nowell – Exeter Chiefs, England, #828
14. Tommy Seymour – Glasgow Warriors, Scotland, #813
13. Jonathan Joseph – Bath Rugby, England, #809
12. Robbie Henshaw – Leinster, Ireland, #824
11. George North – Northampton Saints, Wales, #792
10. Dan Biggar – Ospreys, Wales, #821
9. Greig Laidlaw – Gloucester, Scotland, #810
1. Joe Marler – Harlequins, England, #811
2. Rory Best (c) – Ulster, Ireland, #793
3. Dan Cole – Leicester Tigers, England, #794
4. Iain Henderson – Ulster, Ireland, #808
5. Courtney Lawes – Northampton Saints, England, #826
6. James Haskell – Wasps, England, #823
7. Justin Tipuric – Ospreys, Wales, #786
8. CJ Stander – Munster, Ireland, #831
Replacements:
16. Kristian Dacey – Cardiff Blues, Wales
17. Allan Dell – Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland, ~834
18. Tomas Francis – Exeter Chiefs, Wales
19. Cory Hill – Newport Gwent Dragons, Wales
20. George Kruis – Saracens, England, # 817
21. Gareth Davies – Scarlets, Wales
22. Finn Russell – Glasgow Warriors, Scotland
23. Jared Payne – Ulster, Ireland, #830
What do you make of this side? Will any of them press for a test berth?
A good balance. Depending on which players are omitted from Canes, this side could win.
0
The answer would appear to be not many, not gone through the bench but there are plenty of regulars in the starting XV.
0
Kruis on the bench instead of AWJ would seem to be significant with regard to selection for Saturday. Hope JJ has a big game and puts himself in the running. This front row is very solid with Cole playing better than he has for a couple of years and Best back in decent form. If it is wet they should get enough of a platform to beat Hurricanes up front. They are missing quite a few AB´s and I fancy Lions to win by 14.
0
Seems odd that Kruis is on the bench when he played a full 80 on Saturday? It would indicate that AWJ and Itoje will be starting. It makes me wonder what AWJ has to do to get dropped?
0
You’d think so, however AWJ was on the bench last week and still started over Itoje (who wasn’t), so he may just be keeping us guessing!
0
I don’t think we can read too much into that – Daly and Williams played 80 last Tuesday and then started on Saturday. Although I will venture that if Kruis comes on at 50mins, then whomever is taken off will be in the 23 Saturday…
Itoje appears nailed on to start the next test, outside of that it is wide open – any of the 4 could start or bench.
It is interesting that the one area that I always saw as a huge Lions strength (with Launchbury and Grays not even touring) has turned into a bit of a problem area to work out…some of this self inflicted (not picking Itoje to start the test) and some luck with fitness (as I have said before, convinced Lawes would have started the test if not for his HIA etc, also AWJ does not appear fit).
0
Issue I have with this team is it limits the options to freshen things up for Sat, reason being Gats has realised his huge error on the call ups and seems to intent on using them as emergency injury cover only and not to help manage squad rotation.
There is a decent case, after Saturday’s performance, for Lawes, Henderson and Itoje to be the 3 locks for 2nd test (Lawes for linespeed, lineout and max physicality, Itoje for being Itoje, and Henderson for being the best at blasting people out of the ruck and close quarter combat)
0