Test Rugby 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour of New Zealand

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After the game against the Highlanders, will the picture be much clearer as to who the British & Irish Lions will pick for the 1st Test against the All Blacks?


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Oct 9, 2001
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After the game against the Highlanders, will the picture be much clearer as to who the British & Irish Lions will pick for the 1st Test against the All Blacks?


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It was fairly clear before tonight. Only Fullback, one of the wing spots, if Warburton was in or out of the side and what the make up of the back row and the bench were.

Payne went well defensively at Fullback and has put himself in the driver seat, as I don't think Halfpenny can cover as well, the other options are meh at 15 and better for cover. Think Warburton SHOULD miss out to Sean O'Brien at Openside and to C.J Stander as the back row option off the bench as he can play 6 and 8, it would also allow for a better combination in the back row from a mainly Irish group with Faletau giving Gatland his beloved option. Might be some movement as well in the order of the front row with the props at the end of the game getting badly beaten at scrum time. McGrath and Cole might of gone from 1st choice to 3rd choice, but they are in line to start against NZ Maori on Saturday so they will get a chance there. Will be interesting to see what Gatland does with Joseph as well. Who partners North in the wings I still have no clue

My Test side as we speak
15. Payne (Ireland) 14. North (Wales) 13. Te'o (England) 12. Farrell (England) 11. Watson (England) 10. Sexton (Ireland) 9. Murray (Ireland) 1. Vunipola (England) 2. Owens (Wales) (c) 3. Furlong (Ireland) 4. Itoje (England) 5. Kruis (England) 6. O’Mahony (Ireland) 7. O’Brien (Ireland) 8. Faletau (Wales)

16. George (England) 17. Marler (England) 18. Sinckler (England) 19. Wyn Jones (Wales) 20. Stander (Ireland) 21. Webb (Wales) 22. Biggar (Wales) 23. Daly (England)
 
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Teams to play on Saturday

British and Irish Lions: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Ben Te'o, 11 George North, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Sean O'Brien, 8 Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Sam Warburton, 21 Greig Laidlaw, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Elliot Daly.

Maori All Blacks: 15 James Lowe, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Matt Proctor, 12 Charlie Ngatai, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 1 Kane Hames, 2 Ash Dixon (c), 3 Ben May, 4 Joe Wheeler, 5 Tom Franklin, 6 Akira Ioane, 7 Elliot Dixon, 8 Liam Messam.

Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Leighton Price, 20 Kara Pryor, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Rob Thompson.

Lions basically at their Test side save for a few players who played Tuesday who are being rested due to being so close to the 1st Test and having played so much already on this tour (Wyn Jones and Stander come to mind) and also giving a few players a last chance to impress for selection from the Bench and also in Sexton starting.
 

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Teams to play on Saturday

British and Irish Lions: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Ben Te'o, 11 George North, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Kruis, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Sean O'Brien, 8 Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Sam Warburton, 21 Greig Laidlaw, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Elliot Daly.

Maori All Blacks: 15 James Lowe, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Matt Proctor, 12 Charlie Ngatai, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 1 Kane Hames, 2 Ash Dixon (c), 3 Ben May, 4 Joe Wheeler, 5 Tom Franklin, 6 Akira Ioane, 7 Elliot Dixon, 8 Liam Messam.

Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Leighton Price, 20 Kara Pryor, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Rob Thompson.

Lions basically at their Test side save for a few players who played Tuesday who are being rested due to being so close to the 1st Test and having played so much already on this tour (Wyn Jones and Stander come to mind) and also giving a few players a last chance to impress for selection from the Bench and also in Sexton starting.
You could say this is the unofficial 4th Test on the Lions tour, considering the fact that some of the players will be playing for a spot in the starting XV for their respective teams in the upcoming Tests series later on.
 
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Owen Farrell injured in train and is replaced by Dan Biggar on the bench for the Moari game. Would be in some doubt for the Test match if its too serious.
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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After seeing the All Blacks completely dismantled Samoa, and the British and Irish Lions likewise over the NZ Maori, I reckon we're in for one hell of a Test series.

Bring on next Saturday!


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Final warm up match before the first test on Saturday and its the Chiefs turn. Big talking point has been Gatland calling up 6 players not based on form but where they were at the time (basically demeaning the Lions Shirt). They make the bench tonight and the starting 15 is a dead giveaway as to who will be playing on Saturday.

Chiefs: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Tim Nanai-Williams, 12 Johnny Faauli, 11 Solomon Alaimalo, 10 Stephen Donald (c), 9 Finlay Christie, 1 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, 2 Liam Polwart, 3 Nepo Laulala, 4 Dominic Bird, 5 Michael Allardice, 6 Mitchell Brown, 7 Lachlan Boshier, 8 Tom Sanders.
Replacements: 16 Hika Elliott, 17 Aidan Ross, 18 Atu Moli, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Mitchell Karpik, 21 Jonathan Taumateine, 22 Luteru Laulala, 23 Chase Tiatia.

British and Irish Lions: 15 Liam Williams,14 Jack Nowell, 13 Jared Payne,12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 1 Joe Marler, 2 Rory Best (c), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Iain Henderson, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 James Haskell, 7 Justin Tipuric, 8 CJ Stander.
Replacements: 16 Kristian Dacey, 17 Allan Dell, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Cory Hill, 20 Alun Wyn Jones, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Finn Russell, 23 Tommy Seymour.
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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Would like to know why Tony Johnston is calling the Lions Tour warm-up matches for Sky NZ/Fox Sports and not the no.1 TV caller of rugby in NZ, Grant Nisbett.


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Oct 9, 2001
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The Lions midweek team is finally clicking and playing some great Rugby, just putting the Chiefs to the sword

Liam Williams and Jack Nowall putting in their Test claims
 
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Teams for the 1st Test

New Zealand

15. Ben Smith - Otago, Highlanders
14. Israel Dagg - Hawke's Bay, Crusaders
13. Ryan Crotty - Canterbury, Crusaders
12. Sonny Bill Williams - Waikato, Blues
11. Rieko Ioane - Auckland, Blues
10. Beauden Barrett - Taranaki, Hurricanes
9. Aaron Smith - Manawatu, Hurricanes
1. Joe Moody - Canterbury, Crusaders
2. Codie Taylor - Canterbury, Crusaders
3. Owen Franks - Canterbury, Crusaders
4. Brodie Retallick - Hawke's Bay, Chiefs
5. Samuel Whitelock - Canterbury, Crusaders
6. Jerome Kaino - Auckland, Blues
7. Sam Cane - Bay of Plenty, Chiefs
8. Kieran Read (capt) - Canterbury, Crusaders

Replacements:
16. Nathan Harris - Bay of Plenty, Chiefs
17. Wyatt Crockett - Canterbury, Crusaders
18. Charlie Faumuina - Auckland, Blues
19. Scott Barrett - Canterbury, Crusaders
20. Ardie Savea - Wellington, Hurricanes
21. TJ Perenara - Wellington, Hurricanes
22. Aaron Cruden - Manawatu, Chiefs / Lima Sopoaga - Southland, Highlanders
23. Anton Lienert-Brown - Waikato, Chiefs

British & Irish Lions

15. Liam Williams – Scarlets, Wales
14. Anthony Watson – Bath Rugby, England
13. Jonathan Davies – Scarlets, Wales
12. Ben Te’o – Worcester Warriors, England
11. Elliot Daly – Wasps, England
10. Owen Farrell – Saracens, England
9. Conor Murray – Munster, Ireland
1. Mako Vunipola – Saracens, England
2. Jamie George – Saracens, England
3. Tadhg Furlong – Leinster, Ireland
4. Alun Wyn Jones – Ospreys, Wales
5. George Kruis – Saracens, England
6. Peter O’Mahony (capt) – Munster, Ireland
7. Sean O’Brien – Leinster, Ireland
8. Taulupe Faletau – Bath Rugby, Wales

Replacements
16. Ken Owens – Scarlets, Wales
17. Jack McGrath – Leinster, Ireland
18. Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins, England
19. Maro Itoje – Saracens, England
20. Sam Warburton – Cardiff Blues, Wales
21. Rhys Webb – Ospreys, Wales
22. Johnny Sexton – Leinster, Ireland
23. Leigh Halfpenny – Toulon, Wales
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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That's a big call by the British & Irish Lions selection committee to have their captain Sam Warburton on the bench for the 1st Test against the All Blacks this Saturday night. And also Leigh Halfpenny, the man of the Test series from the 2013 win over the Wallabies, seeing him on the bench is a surprise too.


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I have not been following this a woile lot but how are there no Exeter players in the team?
 
Oct 9, 2001
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That's a big call by the British & Irish Lions selection committee to have their captain Sam Warburton on the bench for the 1st Test against the All Blacks this Saturday night. And also Leigh Halfpenny, the man of the Test series from the 2013 win over the Wallabies, seeing him on the bench is a surprise too.


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Not really a big call to leave Sam on the bench. O'Mahony and O'Brien were the form 6/7 coming into the tour and they proved that in the lead up matches, once they played the Crusaders and the Maori over Sam it was always going to happen. Halfpenny is not the same player he was in 2013 and is lucky to be on the bench
 
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I have not been following this a woile lot but how are there no Exeter players in the team?

Only Jack Nowell made the tour party from Exeter and he had a poor tour up until the Chiefs match on Tuesday. He might get a run in the 2nd/3rd Test depending on form of Watson and Daly but Gatland has North to fall back on
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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I'm confused about the tour - England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales are currently playing international's at the same time as the Lions.

Which have the B-sides? The national teams or the Lions? I want to know if the Lions are fielding the best possible side at present.

The Lions take the best players and the individual nations do the best they can with what's left.

England just won 2-0 in Argentina with 15 players touring with Lions.
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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Put out your predictions for the first Test tomorrow between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions at Eden Park, Auckland.

Just 3 things to remember: the All Blacks have not lost at Eden Park since 1994. The last time the Lions won a Test match was at the old Athletic Park venue at Wellington in 1993, and their last series win over the All Blacks was in 1971.


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Oct 9, 2001
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Put out your predictions for the first Test tomorrow between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions at Eden Park, Auckland.

Just 3 things to remember: the All Blacks have not lost at Eden Park since 1994. The last time the Lions won a Test match was at the old Athletic Park venue at Wellington in 1993, and their last series win over the All Blacks was in 1971.


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All Blacks to win the first Test, can't see how the Lions become the first to win at Eden Park since 84 despite no real issues with the team selected.
 

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Norm Smith Medallist
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Lions had chances that they didn't take and the All Blacks made them pay big time

And it's not hard to see why the All Blacks are back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions, but one of the best teams in the world of sports today.

If you make a mistake, or can't capitalise on your chances like the Lions did in the first Test, the All Blacks will jump on that and let you know all about it.


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Thought the Lions played a very good first half and looked in great touch, but then came out and played a really poor 2nd half which the ABs took complete control of and never looked like losing

Great 1st try by the Lions.

That try summed why the back line selections were made as they were and I thought Te'o played a great game vs Sonny Bill but the All Blacks just dominated up front and didn't allow the Lions time to think and going forward in the series will just get better.
 
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