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British and Irish Lions weighing up three potential opponents for warm-up fixture

Mike Phillips (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
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Coach Warren Gatland has revealed the British and Irish Lions are weighing up three potential opponents for a warm-up game before 2021’s tour to South Africa.

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Gatland is currently in his first season of a four-year stint with Super Rugby’s Chiefs but he will take time off in 2021 to lead the Lions on an historic third tour.

Following the Chiefs’ win over the Sunwolves in Tokyo on Saturday, Gatland told Kyodo News that the Lions were weighing up their options for warm-up opposition and considering the likes of the Barbarians, the Maori All Blacks and the Japan national side.

“The Lions are planning a warm-up game somewhere in the UK in either London, Wales or Edinburgh,” Gatland revealed.

“There are two or three parties we are talking to, the Barbarians, New Zealand Maori and Japan. So yes, Japan is potentially an option.”

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Japan took the world by storm when they bested both Ireland and Scotland at the 2019 World Cup and progressed through to the quarter-finals. Their feats at the global tournament have seen national unions clamouring to line up a match with rugby’s new darlings.

In 2020, Japan have Test matches scheduled against Wales, England (twice), New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland and the Barbarians.

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In contrast, the Brave Blossoms played just four Tests against tier-one opposition in 2016, the year after the last World Cup.

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The Barbarians and the Maori All Blacks both have rich histories with the Lions.

The Maori All Blacks last played the Lions when the composite side travelled to New Zealand in 2017 with the visitors comfortably dispatching the locals, 32-10.

12 years earlier, the New Zealand Maori recorded an historic 19-13 victory over the Lions.

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The two sides have met nine times in total.

The Barbarians, meanwhile, have regularly featured in the Lions’ tours as warm-up opposition, with their last match coming in 2013 before the Lions travelled to Australia.

The likes of Nick Evans, Joe Rokocoko, Schalk Brits, Sergio Parisse and Jim Hamilton all featured for the Barbarians in a 59-8 thrashing.

WATCH: RugbyPass went behind the scenes with one of the most iconic rugby clubs in the world as they prepared for a clash with Wales at the Principality stadium.

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Phantom 1 hour ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

Fact: the gap between the North and the South has narrowed considerably - that I get. However, determining that only selecting only Home grown players or playing in the home country is is the optimal strategy is a bit of a toss up and highly reliant on the economies of the home union. I do understand that England and to a lesser degree Ireland selects home based only. The top 14 is a massive threat to their domestic product. France would probably not be affected (the money is at home). Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Italy and you could even argue Scotland have only benefitted from this. Their players either go overseas to learn at higher levels (Fiji, Samoa, Argentina) or players coming into their leagues to strengthen the home product and their National teams (Scotland, Italy, Japan).

South Africa used to limit its selection to the home based players, but the reality of a weak currency vs what players could earn oversees meant that you lost access to your best players at some stage of their careers, with very few exceptions. Kolbe left SA as he was considered too small for International Rugby (yes coaches/selectors view), but ironically in France he forced selectors to notice his endeavors and select him. He is only reaching 50 caps now despite being north of 30 - granted rotation and the odd injury also played a role, but for the most part it is having debuted or becoming a regular so late.



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