The British and Irish Lions have selected a strong team to take on the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, in the first match of the 2017 tour, which takes place this Saturday.
Tour skipper, Sam Warburton, captains the side and is joined in the back row by Ross Moriarty and Toby Faletau. Iain Henderson and Alun Wyn-Jones are at lock with Rory Best in the front row, propped up by Joe Marler and Kyle Sinclair.
Greg Laidlaw and Jonny Sexton are at half-back, with Ben Te’o and Jonathan Joseph, continuing their English pairing at centre. Tommy Seymour and Anthony Watson are on the wings, with Stuart Hogg at full-back.
Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Tadhg Furlong, George Kruis and Justin Tipuric are the forward replacements. With Rhys Webb, Owen Farrell and Jared Payne cover for the backs.
The team is a mixture of youth and experience, with 9 returning from the 2013 tour and 14 set to make their Lions’ debuts. Alun Wyn-Jones is on his third Lions tour. Several of the team are favourites to appear in the Test series and all will want to stake their claim.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
11 players, from the original 41 picked for this tour, were ruled out of the first game as they were appearing for their respective clubs last weekend.
There are 9 English, 6 Welsh and 5 Irish in the squad, along with all 3 Scottish Lions.
The New Zealand Provincial Barbarians are a team made up of the best players from the Metre-10 and Heartland competition, which is a semi-professional club competition. New Zealand-born Jared Payne is a Provincial Barbarians alumnus and will hope to appear against his former team.
All Black legends, Sean Fitzpatrick, Christian Cullen, John Kirwan and Grant Fox have also appeared for the Barbarians.
At least one player on the Barbarians side will be known to the Lions squad, as Bryn Gatland, son of Lions’ coach Warren, will turn out on Saturday.
The Barbarians usually play in scarlet jerseys but the team have commissioned a special jersey to mark the occasion (as their usual jersey would clash with the Lions’ colours).
The Lions will want to get the tour off to a strong start and the players will want to hold their hands up for test selection by putting in a great performance. The tour starts here.
While the Provincial Barbarians will be the weakest opposition the Lions face, the NZPB players will still want to excel in what will be the biggest game of their lives.
The match takes place at Toll Stadium, Whangarei. The Lions played there in 1993, when it was know as Okara Park. The Lions beat North Auckland, 30-17.
The Lions will next play the Blues on the 7th June and the Highlanders on the 10th.
British and Irish Lions squad to face New Zealand Provincial Barbarians:
Hogg; Watson, Joseph, Te’o, Seymour; Sexton, Laidlaw; Marler, Best, Sinckler; Jones, Henderson; Moriarty, Warburton, Faletau.
Replacements: George, Vunipola, Furlong, Kruis, Tipuric, Webb, Farrell, Payne.
DECLAN MURPHY
Roar Guru
Some info on the first Lions XV for the game: STUART HOGG: Scottish full-back was first on most pundits' test teams. Player Of the 6 Nations 2 years in a row. Still suspect defensively. TOMMY SEYMOUR: Played for Ireland in the U-19 World Cup (2007) before declaring for Scotland. 16 tries in 36 tests. BEN TE'O: Rugby League convert. Played for Leinster for 2 seasons after moving to Union. 2 tries in 8 appearances for England JONATHAN JOSEPH: 16 tries/33 caps. Part of England side that beat All Blacks in 2012 ANTHONY WATSON: 13 tries/26 caps. JONNY SEXTON: One of the best out-halves in the world. Started in all 3 tests on the 2013 tour. Will be a marked man. GREG LAIDLAW: Record for most tests as Scotland captain. Led Scotland to its most successful 6 Nations campaign in over a decade with 3 wins from 5 games. 3rd in Scotland's most points record. Uncle Roy played in all 4 tests for the Lions against the All Blacks in 1983. Greig will hope his record is more successful ('83 Lios were whitewashed). TAULUPE FALATAU: World class no.8. Integral part of Wales' Grand Slam winning side of 2012. Played in the victorious 3rd test for the Lions in 2013. SAM WARBURTON: Lion king. Led Lions to their first winning series since 1997. Only second man in history to captain Lions on 2 tours, after Martin Johnson. World class at open and blind side. ROSS MORIARTY: Uncle Richard captained Wales to third place in the 1987 World Cup. Bone crunching tackler. Completes all-Wales back row in game against NZPB. IAIN HENDERSON: Versatile as both lock and flanker. Could be Ulster's best second row since Paddy Johns, or even Willie John McBride. ALUN WYN-JONES: 6 Lions tests. Lions captain in 3rd test in 2013, after Warburton got injured. Best second row in history of Welsh rugby. KYLE SINCLAIR: Debut season of test career has seen a meteoric rise for the explosive star. Has vast potential. RORY BEST: One of Ireland's most successful captains ever. Chance to excel after failing to impress on 2013 Lions tour. JOE MARLER: Contest with Mako Vunipola for England jersey has seen both props grow in stature. Will relish given first bite of the cherry.
Waxhead
Guest
Strong Lions squad for the 1st tour game is it Declan? Really - you'd know I guess. They are indeed chockers with English, Irish, Welsh test players. Now if they get beaten, or run very close, by what is no more than a NZ local club team what will that tell us about the Lions chances on this tour ?? :)
DECLAN MURPHY
Roar Guru
Jared Payne has been ruled out of the match due to a calf strain so his place will be taken in the squad by Elliot Daly.