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Why McGeechan thinks Gatland has got it wrong with Jones on bench
Ex-Lions boss Ian McGeechan has claimed Warren Gatland has got his thinking wrong about selecting Alun Wyn Jones on the bench for this Saturday’s final preparation match versus the Stormers in Cape Town. Jones, the original tour captain, had been ruled out of the trip when he dislocated his shoulder versus Japan on June 26.
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However, a miracle recovery resulted in his midweek recall to the Lions tour and after he flew into Cape Town on Thursday morning, he was immediately chosen on the bench to take on the Stormers ahead of the three-game Test series versus the Springboks.
McGeechan, though, believes this was the wrong call from Gatland, who was his assistant when he led the Lions on their last tour to South Africa in 2009 when the Test series was lost 2-1 after the tourists started poorly in the opening Test match.
Writing in his latest Telegraph newsletter on the tour, McGeechan claimed: “I have to admit that I don’t understand why Alun Wyn Jones is starting on the bench on Saturday.
“Given the inevitable worries over the fitness of a veteran who has not played since June 26, and bearing in mind that there must be doubts about whether his injured shoulder will stand up to the physical brutality that will be meted out by the Springboks next week, I would definitely have started him against the Stormers.
Miracle man Jones was thought to be unavailable to face the Stormers but Gatland did a U-turn 12 hours after his initial prognosis #LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #LionsSA2021
https://t.co/F96i30Detq— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 15, 2021
“The context is next week’s first Test. It’s always been my contention that if Alun Wyn is to play in the series, he must be given a full leadership role all week and that he must start. Otherwise, his impact as a leader is neutered and you don’t get the full benefit of his presence. That is as much the case against the Stormers as it would be against the Springboks.
“On a more practical level, if he starts then you can bring him off if/when he begins to tire or if the injury turns out to impair his performance. Starting him would give a true sense of where he is at physically, which is important for Warren Gatland to know before choosing the team to start the first Test.
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“Alun Wyn should also start next week for exactly the same reasons, but also because it will allow him to take a full leadership role all week, and to take that into those absolutely crucial first 40 minutes against the Springboks. His galvanising personality, shrewd on-field tactical appreciation and experience of playing South Africa will be crucial in those early exchanges when the South African onslaught will be at its fiercest. That is when the Lions will need their captain the most, and when his presence will be of the greatest use.”
'I managed one phone call in three-and-a-half months'
Ian McGeechan on technology, analysis, 75p expenses, why more Scots haven't been picked for @lionsofficial tours and how he knew Gatland was the right fit, as interviewed by @heagneyl ???https://t.co/Q7hrZTI9TG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 8, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
late 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
4 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 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.
24 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.
24 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?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
24 Go to comments