Brian O'Driscoll names his 2021 Lions XV to defeat the Springboks: 8 English, 3 Welsh, 2 Irish and 2 Scots
2005 Lions skipper Brian O’Driscoll has named the XV he believes capable of defeating South Africa when the eagerly awaited Test series versus the Springboks get underway this time next July.
O’Driscoll, the Irish midfielder who went on four Lions tours and was infamously dropped by Warren Gatland for the 2013 series decider against Australia, has opted for an England-dominated selection for a 2021 series that will begin in Johannesburg on July 24 next year.
It’s a selection reflective of O’Driscoll’s liking for the England team under the baton of Eddie Jones – O’Driscoll had tipped them to win last year’s World Cup before the tournament started, a prediction that only fell short at the final hurdle when the Springboks beat the English at Yokohama.
Announcing his pick of the Off The Ball radio show in Ireland, O’Driscoll began his eight-strong England preference by choosing Anthony Watson and Jonny May on wings, Manu Tuilagi at centre and Owen Farrell at out-half.
Upfront, he added four more English men, Billy Vunipola at No8, Sam Underhill at openside, Jamie George at hooker and finishing up with Maro Itoje at blindside rather at second row which is his regular England position and where he played in the 2017 drawn Lions Test series in New Zealand.
What do you make of Brian O'Driscoll's Lions XV? | ?@VodafoneIreland | #TeamOfUs https://t.co/eg5X3Gx0AZ
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) July 24, 2020
Explaining his thinking on Itoje, O’Driscoll said: “The back row aside from Billy is very difficult. I’m going to go from a size aspect and it makes another decision easier. I’m going to go with Maro Itoje at six. That size will matter, particularly against South Africa who we have seen decimate teams physically.
“You look at Pieter-Steph du Toit playing at six, you have got to match him. Itoje is someone who is capable of doing that.”
Switching to players from other countries he wants to feature in Gatland’s XV, O’Driscoll chose Jonathan Davies at No13, Tomos Williams at scrum-half and veteran Alun Wyn Jones at lock.
Finishing out the team with two picks each from Ireland and Scotland, O’Driscoll reckoned Irish regulars Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan will feature in the tight five while his preferred Scots were Stuart Hogg at full-back and surprisingly Rory Sutherland at loosehead.
Brian O’Driscoll’s Off The Ball Lions XV: Stuart Hogg (Scotland); Anthony Watson (England), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Jonny May (England); Owen Farrell (England), Tomos Williams (Wales); Rory Sutherland (Scotland), Jamie George (England), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), James Ryan (Ireland), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Maro Itoje (England), Sam Underhill (England), Billy Vunipola (England).
Grab the popcorn, this has blockbuster potential ???
https://t.co/C2zP4jrvBI— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 18, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments