True to his word, Warren Gatland has ensured all 41 members of the Lions playing squad have been granted at least one start in the opening three games. In promoting the remaining 11 players who had not started the games against the Provincial Barbarians and Blues, Gatland has also unveiled an entirely new starting XV for the second game running.
Hence, four players who had yet to feature at all on tour all make their first appearance. And all are experienced Lions – namely Sean O’Brien, Conor Murray, Jonathan Davies and George North. All are thus making their first appearance for the Lions since seeing out the decisive third test win over the Wallabies in Sydney four years ago.
This gives the side a badly needed injection of proven Lions winners and heavy hitters in the fall-out of Wednesday’s defeat to the Blues for the first big Saturday match of the tour against the unbeaten Super Rugby leaders.
For a game that is akin to a fourth test, the team will also be led by the victorious captain from that third test win in Sydney, Alun Wyn Jones – a three-time tourist who played in all three tests in South Africa.
Jones is partnered by George Kruis, while Murray is partnered at half-back by Owen Farrell. There is a heavyweight look to the bench, with a frontrow of Jack McGrath, Ken Owens, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje and CJ Stander amongst the forwards, and Dan Biggar’s concussion on Wednesday night means Johnny Sexton is again on the bench and thus involved for the third time, alongside Rhys Webb and Anthony Watson.
“The aim was always to start everyone in the first three matches and this selection ensures that we achieve this,” said Gatland. “This is an experienced team with nine of the starting 15 players having featured in 2013.”
“Our squad is working hard and we are seeing improvement in their performances both at training and in the games. Last night’s results against the Blues was disappointing and we know we can’t afford to give away so many penalties.”
“We are looking forward to the clash against the Crusaders and we expect a tough game against the most successful team in Super Rugby history.”
For their part, Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has opted to go into this game locked and fully loaded, with only two changes from the side that dramatically made it 14 wins from 14 this year against the Highlanders at home last Saturday.
One of those is injury enforced, with All Black Ryan Crotty sidelined due to a rib injury he suffered last week after his impressive play had helped the Crusaders make much of the first half running. The team also sees the return of another All Black, with Israel Dagg being promoted from the bench last week to fullback and David Havili switching to midfield. The only other change sees Bryn Hall starting and Mitchell Drummond on the bench as the scrumhalves rotate.
Hence, the Crusaders will start six of the nine players named in the All Blacks squad for their game against Samoa and the three-match test series, the other exception being the injured Kieran Read, who is expected to recover from a broken finger in time to play the Lions.
In addition to Dagg, this includes their entire tight five of Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Luke Romano and Sam Whitelock, as well as a cluster of gifted young backs and the roaming, all-court play of openside Matt Todd. Another All Black, Wayne Crockett, is part of a bench widely regarded as the best in Super Rugby, and a huge contributor to their unbeaten season so far.
“It was a hard team to select, we want to put the best team out but the whole squad has played very well,” said Robertson. “We’ve given our All Blacks a chance to play and that’s how much it means to us.”
Robertson expected to be facing what amounted to the Lions’ “shadow test team”, and when asked if they had learned anything new about the tourists, said: “No not really. Probably the tide of the game, the more pressure that was put on, you could see what they go to, their set-piece, their physicality. Look it’s a tough tour, they’ve just come together and trying to find out the combinations, and everything that you do when you first come together. They’ll be better for that hit-out. And we’ll expect their strongest group. And we have respected them with our preparation.”
The 33-man All Blacks squad features many of the familiar faces who helped the All Blacks to their record-breaking 18-match winning run, which included their runaway Rugby Championship campaign last year. The two uncapped players are the Hurricanes pair of utility back Jordie Barrett and centre Ngani Laumape selected. The squad has a total of 1,164 test caps, and an average of 35 test caps per player.
Jordie, Beauden and Scott Barrett are thus the first sibling trio to be named in the same All Blacks squad and will be just the fourth set of three brothers to play for the All Blacks, following the Brownlie and Nicholls brothers in the 1920s and the Whitelocks in recent years.
The squad has a mix of five Blues players, six Chiefs, seven Hurricanes, 10 Crusaders and five Highlanders.
“This has been by far the toughest team that we’ve had to select for some time and some players who are in very good form missed out, and we always feel for them,” said Steven Hansen. “But as is the nature of Test rugby I’m sure a number of them will get an opportunity, if not in this Series, then throughout the season.”
“We’re really appreciative of the opportunity to play Samoa first up. The Samoan game is ideal in preparing us for the challenge that comes with the Lions.”
Malakai Fekitoa, who scored a try and was yellow carded in the All Blacks’ vengeful win over Ireland last November. So too do fellow All Blacks Liam Messam and Nehe Milner-Skudder who, along with the brilliant Chiefs duo of Leinster-bound winger James Lowe and full-back Damian McKenzie, must be content with a place in the Maori squad to face the Lions.
Completing a triple whammy of selections for the Lions to encounter along the way, all bar one of that 27-man Maori squad are Super Rugby players. Things aren’t about to become any easier.
British & Irish Lions (v Crusaders, Saturday June 10th, AMI Stadium, 7.35pm NZST/8.35am BST)
S Hogg (Scotland), G North, J Davies (both Wales), B Te’o (England), L Williams (Wales), O Farrell (England), C Murray (Ireland), M Vunipola, J George (both England), T Furlong (Ireland), A W Jones (Wales, capt), G Kruis (England), P O’Mahony, S O’Brien (both Ireland), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: K Owens (Wales), J McGrath (Ireland), D Cole, M Itoje (both England), CJ Stander (Ireland), R Webb (Wales), J Sexton (Ireland), A Watson (England).
CRUSADERS: Israel Dagg; Seta Tamanivalu, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, George Bridge; Richie Mo'unga, Bryn Hall; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock (capt), Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Matt Todd, Jordan Taufua.
Replacements: Ben Funnell, Wyatt Crockett, Michael Alaalatoa, Quinten Strange, Jed Brown, Mitchell Drummond, Mitchell Hunt, Tim Bateman.
All Blacks squad (for three-match Test series v the Lions)
Forwards: Dane Coles (Wellington, 49), Codie Taylor (Canterbury, 15), Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty, 4), Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury, 58), Charlie Faumuina (Auckland, 46), Owen Franks (Canterbury, 90), Joe Moody (Canterbury, 24), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Auckland, 4), Scott Barrett (Taranaki, 4), Brodie Retallick (Hawke’s Bay, 60), Luke Romano (Canterbury, 26), Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury, 84), Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty, 40), Jerome Kaino (Auckland, 74), Kieran Read, captain (Counties Manukau, 97), Ardie Savea (Wellington, 12), Liam Squire (Tasman, 8).
Backs: Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato, 25), TJ Perenara (Wellington, 29), Aaron Smith (Manawatu, 58), Beauden Barrett (Taranaki, 49), Aaron Cruden (Manawatu, 47), Lima Sopoaga (Southland, 6), Ryan Crotty (Canterbury, 26)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu, uncapped), Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato, 9), Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau, 33), Jordie Barrett (Taranaki, uncapped), Israel Dagg (Hawke’s Bay, 61), Rieko Ioane (Auckland, 2), Waisake Naholo (Taranaki, 12), Julian Savea (Wellington, 52), Ben Smith (Otago, 60)
Maori All Blacks squad (v Lions, Saturday June 17th, Rotorua International Stadium, 7.35pm NZST/8.35am BST)
Forwards: Akira Ioane, Liam Messam, Kara Pryor, Elliot Dixon, Reed Prinsep, Tom Franklin, Leighton Price, Joe Wheeler, Chris Eves, Kane Hames, Mike Kainga, Ben May, Marcel Renata, Ash Dixon (capt), Hika Elliot.
Backs: Damian McKenzie, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Declan O’Donnell, James Lowe, Matt Proctor, Rob Thompson, Charlie Ngatai, Tim Bateman, Otere Black, Ihaia West, Bryn Hall, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.
