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'Clear favourite for the role': Alun Wyn Jones set to be named Lions tour captain

By PA
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Alun Wyn Jones is the frontrunner to be unveiled as British and Irish Lions captain to take on South Africa when Warren Gatland names his squad on Thursday lunchtime. Jones is expected to follow his success as Wales’ triumphant Guinness Six Nations skipper by becoming the latest second row to lead the Lions against the Springboks, following in the footsteps of Paul O’Connell, Martin Johnson, Bill Beaumont and Willie John McBride.

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The game’s most capped player with 157 Test appearances is a clear favourite for the role with England’s Maro Itoje, also a lock, his closest rival. Owen Farrell, Stuart Hogg and Ken Owens are fringe candidates. Jones was Gatland’s last captain when the Kiwi served as Wales coach until stepping down after the 2019 World Cup and is the outstanding Lions candidate even if his Test place is not guaranteed.

While Itoje is assured of a place in the Lions’ engine room for the series against the world champions, the Saracens star has no international captaincy experience, making him a riskier option. Jones received plaudits for the way he steered Wales to victory in the recent Six Nations, coupling his return to form with canny leadership and excellent communication with officials.

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Ex-Wallabies boss Michael Cheika on the merits of trans-Tasman rugby

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Ex-Wallabies boss Michael Cheika on the merits of trans-Tasman rugby

The chief rivals for the role will be included among the 36 names – 20 forwards and 16 backs – read out at an announcement that is being streamed live online. It is when players will discover for the first time if they have been selected.

One of the biggest calls facing Gatland is whether to include Manu Tuilagi, whose comeback from an achilles injury in time for the final phase of Sale’s Gallagher Premiership title push is imminent. The powerful England centre has not played since September, ruling him out of the autumn and Six Nations and making his inclusion a risk, but Gatland will be aware of his unique ability to break the gainline and may decide he is worth the gamble.

The loss of George North to a knee injury has thinned Gatland’s midfield options and Tuilagi would potentially be a more explosive alternative. Ireland captain Johnny Sexton could be one of the biggest casualties due to his ongoing issues with concussion that have limited his game time since the Six Nations.

His absence would open up a vacancy at fly-half, possibly for Finn Russell of Scotland with Wales’ Dan Biggar expected to tour and Farrell likely to travel as a centre. Marcus Smith has been shredding defences for Harlequins this season and the uncapped 22-year-old is among an extended group of over 50 players to have been notified that they are under consideration.

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It would be a seismic call for Smith to be included among the 36, however, given he has yet to make his England debut. Harlequins’ mid-season resurgence has propelled Danny Care into contention at scrum-half three years after the 34-year-old veteran of 84 England caps fell out of favour under Eddie Jones.

Care has formed the Premiership’s most creative half-back partnership alongside Smith and he could profit from Ben Youngs ruling himself out of consideration. England’s disappointing fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations means they could challenge the record low of eight supplied in 2009 for their smallest Lions contingent with Billy Vunipola, Elliot Daly and Jonny May possible casualties.

But a player consistently overlooked by England since 2018 is Sam Simmonds, the explosive Exeter No8 who has a strong chance of travelling to South Africa as a bolter despite operating in a ferociously competitive position.

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Jon 3 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 6 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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Adrian 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 11 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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