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Austin Healey backs three England players for Lions call-up, but one sticks out

By Ian Cameron
(Photos/Gettys Images)

Former British and Irish Lions utility back Austin Healey has picked three England players he believes will likely play some role in South Africa, despite not being picked in Warren Gatland’s initial Lions squad.

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Gatland’s squad may already be selected, but injury both before and during what is likely to be an attritional series in South Africa will undoubtedly see a significant number of replacements flown in South Africa from the UK and Ireland.

Healey believes that Ellis Genge, Manu Tuilagi and, maybe most intriguingly, Marcus Smith; will be among those to be flown, presumably based on their outstanding Gallagher Premiership form in recent weeks.

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“3 names who I think will end up in SA on Lions Tour Genge, Smith and Manu. All could add something to that squad,” wrote Healey on Twitter.

While Genge and Tuilagi have fully-fledged Test careers in the bank, Smith has just seven England caps to his name, and hasn’t featured for Eddie Jones’ team since 2019.

Sale Sharks’ Tuilagi has been dogged by injury and despite only returning to the field this weekend, is viewed as a very likely addition should Gatland’s suffer midfield casualties. Gatland has gone for a heavyweight midfield, with many viewing Bundee Aki’s inclusion coming as a direct result of the lack of availability of Tuilagi.

Genge has played like a prop possessed since he learned that he hadn’t made the plane to SA. The loosehead admitted this weekend that his omission had forced him to ‘have a word with himself’.

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“It was disappointing not to be selected for the Lions so I had a word with myself. I accepted that my performances had probably not been good enough.”

Most of the hype around Smith has been his likely inclusion in England’s summer Test squad, never mind being called up by the Lions.

“Marcus has done unbelievably well in putting his hand up and foot in the door for England,” said Quins coach Evans this weekend following their victory over Bath. “One of the main things he’s concentrated on is playing well for Quins. In the past even he would admit he’s looked forward too much on how to get into England.”

Despite Smith’s form, one might imagine that Gatland would likely look to the tried and trusted Johnny Sexton, who many were surprised didn’t make the original squad.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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