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Halfpenny, Daly and the other contenders to replace injured Hogg in Lions Test side
Stuart Hogg’s tour-ending facial injury has opened up the race for the British and Irish Lions’ Test full-back jersey.
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Player of the Championship for the past two Six Nations, Hogg was tipped by many as a definite starter for the Lions’ All Blacks opener on June 24.
However, an unfortunate collision with Conor Murray’s elbow during the victory over the Crusaders on Saturday brought about the end of his involvement, with confirmation coming on Tuesday that the Scotland international had suffered a facial fracture.
Warren Gatland has opted not to call up a replacement, having named a squad that is already rich in experience at full-back.
Here we take a look at those in the running to don the No.15 jersey when the Tests roll around.
LEIGH HALFPENNY
Test caps: 74
Starts at full-back: 50
Halfpenny is the most experienced of our contenders and the most likely to be given the nod come Auckland.
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The Toulon full-back started all three Lions Tests under Gatland against Australia in 2013 and is well known to the boss in his day job as Wales coach.
Gutted to be saying goodbye to @StuartWHOGG_ he will be massively missed by the squad! Wishing him a speedy recovery ?? #AllForOne pic.twitter.com/Ur7sW4XKbq
— Leigh Halfpenny (@LeighHalfpenny1) June 13, 2017
JARED PAYNE
Test caps: 20
Starts at full-back: 3
Named at full-back for the defeat to the Highlanders on Tuesday, Payne also wore the 15 jersey in Ireland’s memorable victory over England at the end of the 2017 Six Nations.
Payne is New Zealand-born, a factor that could play in his favour when Gatland makes his decision.
ELLIOT DALY
Test caps: 13
Starts at full-back: 0
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Daly is one of the most versatile players in the squad – able to feature at centre or on the wings, as well as at full-back – and has a monstrous kick in his arsenal.
England coach Eddie Jones believes Daly will end up at full-back long term and, while the Wasps man is untried in the position at Test level, his international boss has compared him to World Cup winner Jason Robinson.
LIAM WILLIAMS
Test caps: 43
Starts at full-back: 17
Another of the frontrunners in this particular race, interim Wales coach Rob Howley resisted calls to start Williams in place of Halfpenny at 15 during the Six Nations.
The new Saracens signing found himself in the sin bin just 10 minutes after making his Lions debut against the Blues but played the full 80 minutes of the hard-fought victory over the Crusaders, albeit again on the wing.
ANTHONY WATSON
Test caps: 26
Starts at full-back: 0
Like England colleague Daly, Watson has been tipped as a future international full-back and is a regular in the position for club side Bath.
He has consistently been preferred on the wings for the national team but impressed after coming on for Hogg 20 minutes into the Crusaders match.
JACK NOWELL
Test caps: 23
Starts at full-back: 0
Nowell has also spent a lot of time at full-back during his rugby development but is more commonly deployed out wide.
Despite making the switch back to the position to cover for the injured Lachlan Turner late in Exeter Chiefs’ title-winning campaign, Nowell is an outsider for the Test start.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments