'I'd be lying to say I was just happy to be here': Lions Test hopeful Price bares his claws
Ali Price admits the British and Irish Lions’ Scottish contingent are desperate to be involved against Japan at Murrayfield. The clash on June 26 serves as the curtain-raiser to the tour to South Africa with Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg the only players from the eight-strong platoon of Scots unavailable for selection.
Russell lines up for Racing 92 against La Rochelle in the semi-finals of the Top 14 on Friday night, while Hogg will battle with Sale in the Gallagher Premiership playoffs the following day as Exeter near the climax of their title defence.
The remaining six of Scotland’s highest squad representation since 1989 – including Price – are present at the Lions’ training camp in Jersey and all of them are eager to play in just the tourists’ third fixture on these shores. “It is massive for all the Scottish players to try and get ourselves involved in the 23 for that Japan game,” said Glasgow scrum-half Price.
“Our friends and family will be able to come and watch, albeit from the stands and there will be no meet and greet after the game, but the fact they will be there, for most of the Scottish lads bar Stuart and Finn… it’s an opportunity to get the first game under your belt for the Lions, so it’s a big carrot for these first two weeks.”
An additional incentive to be involved in the Lions’ first meeting with Japan – which could yet be given full Test status – is that it might be the tourists’ only match in front of fans. Approval has been given for a crowd of 16,500 to attend Murrayfield while in South Africa, all games will be staged behind closed doors due to a rising number of coronavirus cases and a vaccination programme that is still in its infancy.
"When I was in the Six Nations camp later, he came to two sessions and was shaking everyone’s hand and I just avoided him"
– Extraordinary revelation from the Lions' youngest pick since 1959#LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/F8a0avei4p
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 15, 2021
“I’m really looking forward to it. I saw a few games in the Premiership when they had 3-4,000 back and it does make a difference to the energy of the place,” Price said. “Watching the football in the Euros, having fans back, it creates a buzz and as players, you can feed off that. There’s nothing better.”
Price is competing with Conor Murray and Gareth Davies for the Lions scrum-half duties in the series against the Springboks, which opens in Cape Town on July 24. All three are present among the main bulk of the touring party who have gathered in jersey and with no clear hierarchy in the position, Price is targeting a Test place.
“No one is here to make up the numbers and I would be lying to say I was just happy to be here. Everyone is happy, but we want to be involved as much as we can,” Price said. “Those three games at the end of the tour is what we are all gunning for. When the games start coming and squads get secluded, it is about taking your opportunities when you get them.”
A number of players and staff who had not already had both doses of their coronavirus vaccines received their second jabs on Tuesday. Another group will be seen next Tuesday with the day in the week chosen in the event of any side effects arising – Wednesdays are designated as rest days for the squad, thereby minimising any interruptions to training. The intent is to have the whole touring party fully inoculated before they arrive in South Africa.
The Ireland boss has had his say on speculation he will be working in South Africa next month #LionsRugby
https://t.co/uixeQzo6yE— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 15, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
26 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments