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Nine 2021 Lions who've fallen down the Test pecking order

By Ian Cameron
Hamish Watson of The British & Irish Lions during the Castle Lager Lions Series match at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Picture date: Wednesday July 7, 2021. (Photo by Steve Haag/PA Images via Getty Images)

When a player is selected for the British & Irish Lions tour, it’s generally a given that they are a Test starter for their home nation.

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Sam Simmonds broke that mould in 2021 when selected by Warren Gatland despite being out of favour with Eddie Jones’ England. The Exeter Chief represents a small group of players that have proved exceptions to the rule down through the years.

Eighteen months on from the Lions’ 2-1 tour loss to the Springboks, we take a look at the not-insignificant cabal of players who have fallen down their respective national pecking orders in that time, despite being seen as among the best in the business just a year and a half ago.

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ALUN WYN JONES
There was a time not so very long ago when leaving Alun Wyn Jones out a starting Wales team would have been nigh on unthinkable. Following a mediocre showing in the opening round loss to Ireland, the 37-year-old Test cap record holder has now faced the ignominy of being dropped from the 23 altogether. You imagine the Welsh and Lions legend has his eye set on a spot on the Rugby World Cup plane, but it looks far from guaranteed.

JONNY HILL
One of the finds of the tour, Hill is yet to feature in Steve Borthwick’s matchday plans. A mixed-bag tour of Australia in 2022 maybe didn’t help his cause. The Sale Shark hasn’t featured for England since playing against New Zealand in the Autumn Nations Series draw.

Autumn Nations Series
Marcus Smith and Jonny Hill – PA

CHRIS HARRIS
The hard-running, hard-tackling Gloucester and Scotland centre was a little bit of a surprise selection from Warren Gatland but he proved his worth, starting at 13 in the second Test against the Springboks. In 2023 Huw Jones has successfully wrestled his Scotland jersey off him and he’s had to make do with a place on the replacements bench.

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HAMISH WATSON
The back row star of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations for Scotland is on the comeback trail after a spate of injuries. Watson has gone from the Lions’ Test replacement bench to being surplus to requirements for Scotland in the first two rounds of the 2023 Six Nations. Gregor Townsend has preferred the more physically substantial Luke Crosbie, Watson’s teammate at Edinburgh, of late. Still, it feels very odd not seeing Watson working his magic in the blue of Scotland having been one of the first names on the teamsheet so recently. He was released to play for Edinburgh this weekend.

MAKO VUNIPOLA
Vunipola has done well to fight his way back into the England reckoning after Eddie Jones dumped him following the Lions tour, in which he started in the second Test. He’s back in the reckoning but only featuring from the replacements bench, with Borthwick favouring Bristol’s in-form Ellis Genge.

GARETH DAVIES
The now 32-year-old didn’t feature during the Tests in SA and has fallen out of favour at Wales, where he hasn’t featured since the last year’s humiliating loss to Italy in Cardiff. The scrumhalf started for Scarlets this weekend in their win over Edinburgh.

World Rugby
Gareth Davies prior to the the put in at the scrum
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RORY SUTHERLAND
When Worcester collapsed Sutherland was one of the first to find a new gig, with Ulster in the URC. The Lions loosehead started the first Test against the Boks in 2021 but this weekend had to content himself with a spot on the replacements bench for Ulster. He part of Gregor Townsend’s Six Nations squad but he’s yet to feature on a match day 23.

JACK CONAN
Maybe his inclusion in this list is a little harsh given injury hiccups has played a role in his ceding the Ireland No.8 jersey to Caelen Doris. Conan was the standout back row on the Lions tour and is still an important part of Andy Farrell’s Ireland designs, becoming something of a super-sub in this year’s Guinness Six Nations.

ANTHONY WATSON
Returned from injury straight back into Steve Borthwick’s England Six Nations squad, Watson is another player on the list for whom injuries had played a significant role over the last 18 months. There was a time when Watson was a sure pick when fit, but the arrival of a new generation of England wingers threatens that.  Featured off the bench against Scotland and at 28, will feel he still has much to offer this England team if he can remain fit.

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Adrian 1 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

8 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 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.

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B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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