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The 2017 British and Irish Lions tour gets under way on Saturday with a clash against the New Zealand Barbarians.
That fixture is the first of six as Warren Gatland’s men gear up for their opening Test against the All Blacks on June 24.
Gatland has named a 41-man squad as he looks to repeat the 2013 victory over Australia.
Here we take a closer look at the backs.
Backs
Dan Biggar
Ospreys & Wales
Age: 27
Position: Fly-half
Test Caps: 56
Test Tries: 3
Lions Tours: N/A
Ospreys fly-half Biggar has been Wales first-choice number 10 since 2013 and is instantly recognisable by his unique pre-kick routine. Biggar will face stern competition for a Test starting spot, with Jonathan Sexton considered the frontrunner and Owen Farrell also in the squad.
Elliot Daly
Wasps & England
Age: 24
Position: Utility back
Test Caps: 13
Test Tries: 3
Lions Tours: N/A
Daly proved to be one of the breakout players of this year’s Six Nations, scoring two tries as England retained the title. Daly’s versatility makes him a real asset to Gatland’s squad – he can play at centre, full-back or on the wings.
Jonathan Davies
Scarlets & Wales
Age: 29
Position: Centre
Test Caps: 67
Test Tries: 13
Lions Tours: 2013
Davies has been a mainstay for Gatland’s Wales team, racking up 64 caps since making his debut in 2009 and playing all three Lions Tests in Australia four years ago.
Owen Farrell
Saracens & England
Age: 25
Position: Fly-half/Centre
Test Caps: 53
Test Tries: 5
Lions Tours: 2013
Selected as a fly-half, but Farrell’s performances at centre for England mean he is surely in pole position for the Lions’ 12 shirt. He seems a dead cert to start, wherever that may be.
Leigh Halfpenny
Toulon & Wales
Age: 28
Position: Full-back
Test Caps: 74
Test Tries: 12
Lions Tours: 2009, 2013
Toulon full-back Halfpenny may be left hoping the Wales connection earns him a place in Gatland’s first-choice XV, with Six Nations Player of the Championship Stuart Hogg his main competition for the number 15 jersey.
Make sure you save the dates for the 2017 Tour! https://t.co/ruY18iHnJe #allforone pic.twitter.com/lGXkY4H0Zp
— British&Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 26, 2017
Robbie Henshaw
Leinster & Ireland
Age: 23
Position: Centre
Test Caps: 29
Test Tries: 2
Lions Tours: N/A
Gatland caused a stir when he dropped Brian O’Driscoll for the decisive third Test in the 2-1 victory over Australia last time around. Henshaw is this year’s Irish representative among the centres and will hope to force his way into the Test side.
Stuart Hogg
Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
Age: 24
Position: Full-back
Test Caps: 53
Test Tries: 16
Lions Tours: 2013
Hogg is one of only three Scots in the entire squad but, after being named Six Nations Player of the Championship for the second year running, the full-back looks likely to be part of Gatland’s Test team. His spark could be crucial to unlocking the All Blacks’ defence.
Jonathan Joseph
Bath & England
Age: 26
Position: Centre
Test Caps: 33
Test Tries: 16
Lions Tours: N/A
Joseph looked set to miss out on selection when, on the morning of the announcement, it was reported that experienced Wales centre Jamie Roberts would instead be included. He is among the most prolific try-scorers in the squad.
Greig Laidlaw
Gloucester & Scotland
Age: 31
Position: Scrum-half
Test Caps: 58
Test Tries: 4
Lions Tours: N/A
Laidlaw was called into the squad as a replacement for Ben Youngs, who will stay at home to support brother Tom, whose wife has terminal cancer. Scotland captain Laidlaw will join Clermont Auvergne next season and his kicking game is an added bonus for Gatland.
Conor Murray
Munster & Ireland
Age: 28
Position: Scrum-half
Test Caps: 59
Test Tries: 10
Lions Tours: 2013
Murray has struggled with a neck injury sustained against Wales in March in the build-up, but, if fit, he leads the race for the number-nine jersey. The opportunity to pair the Munster man with Ireland team-mate Sexton will be difficult for Gatland to resist.
George North
Northampton Saints & Wales
Age: 25
Position: Wing
Test Caps: 72
Test Tries: 32
Lions Tours: 2013
The Northampton Saints wing has not been in the best form of late and came in for plenty of flak during a disappointing Six Nations with Wales. However, he was a Lion in 2013 and Gatland knows him well, so that could play in his favour when the Test team is selected.
Jack Nowell
Exeter Chiefs & England
Age: 24
Position: Wing
Test Caps: 23
Test Tries: 11
Lions Tours: N/A
Nowell is Exeter’s first Lion and is among the players never to have faced the All Blacks at senior level. He is also a Lego fanatic and will be taking some sets on tour to keep him occupied, but he says fellow enthusiast North will have to get his own.
Training is done and dusted for the day!
The next time we take to the pitch we’ll be in New Zealand…#AllForOne pic.twitter.com/0MSPjnvdN5
— British&Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) May 25, 2017
Jared Payne
Ulster & Ireland
Age: 31
Position: Full-back
Test Caps: 20
Test Tries: 4
Lions Tours: N/A
The New Zealand-born full-back has been playing for Ireland since 2014, having arrived at Ulster three years earlier. Gatland will hope his experience of Super Rugby and the provincial game can be of use in the tour matches.
Jonathan Sexton
Leinster & Ireland
Age: 31
Position: Fly-half
Test Caps: 69
Test Tries: 10
Lions Tours: 2013
Gatland has talked up the competition for selection at fly-half and said Biggar is very much in the frame, along with Sexton and Farrell. But it is the Irish 10 who looks most likely to get the nod, particularly if international colleague Murray is chosen at scrum-half.
Tommy Seymour
Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
Age: 28
Position: Wing
Test Caps: 36
Test Tries: 16
Lions Tours: N/A
Seymour completes the trio of Scottish backs called up by Gatland but could face a battle to force his way into the Test XV, with Daly, North, Nowell, Anthony Watson, Halfpenny and Liam Williams for competition.
Ben Te’o
Worcester Warriors & England
Age: 30
Position: Centre
Test Caps: 8
Test Tries: 2
Lions Tours: N/A
The centre – another Kiwi-born player – is included despite only racking up eight England caps to date and starting just one of five Six Nations fixtures for Eddie Jones’ men. As one of the Australian coach’s “finishers”, Te’o proved his worth from the bench on more than one occasion.
Anthony Watson
Bath & England
Age: 23
Position: Wing
Test Caps: 26
Test Tries: 13
Lions Tours: N/A
A try in every other Test demonstrates the threat posed by the Bath flyer, and Gatland will hope to see him replicate his England form with the Lions.
Rhys Webb
Ospreys & Wales
Age: 28
Position: Scrum-half
Test Caps: 28
Test Tries: 7
Lions Tours: N/A
Murray’s biggest competition for a starting berth following the withdrawal of Youngs, Webb’s prospects could hinge on who starts at fly-half.
Liam Williams
Scarlets & Wales
Age: 26
Position: Wing/Full-back
Test Caps: 43
Test Tries: 8
Lions Tours: N/A
Williams was one of Wales’ brightest sparks during this year’s Six Nations and will join up with European champions Saracens following the conclusion of the Lions tour. Effective at both wing and full-back.
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Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to comments