Ireland’s David Wallace edged out Martyn Williams for the key position of openside flanker when British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan on Thursday named his team for the first Test against South Africa.
There were no real surprises and few even contentious selections in the team for Saturday’s clash in Durban, with Williams named among the replacements after a shoulder injury limited his involvement in the provincial games.
Welshman Alun Wyn Jones got the nod as the second lock, as his athleticism complements the more solid qualities of captain Paul O’Connell, while Gethin Jenkins and Phil Vickery are the props sandwiching Lee Mears.
The starting Test team have not played together in any of the six tour games to date but McGeechan said he was prepared to accept that for the payoff of giving everyone in the squad enough of a chance to show what they could do.
Lions:
Lee Byrne (WAL), Tommy Bowe (IRL), Brian O’Driscoll (IRL), Jamie Roberts (WAL), Ugo Moyne (ENG), Stephen Jones (WAL), Mike Phillips (WAL), Jamie Heaslip (IRL), David Wallace (IRL), Tom Croft (ENG), Paul O’Connell (IRL, captain), Alun-Wyn Jones (WAL), Phil Vickery (ENG), Lee Mears (ENG), Gethin Jenkins (WAL)
Replacements: Matthew Rees (WAL), Adam Jones (WAL), Donncha O’Callaghan (IRL), Martyn Williams (WAL), Harry Ellis (ENG), Ronan O’Gara (IRL), Rob Kearney (IRL)
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We can take these pretenders!!!
Surprised at their choice at 10.
There you go, Smit has handled Jenkins before, and will do so again this weekend. There really isn’t a decent hooker in the Lion’s squad is there?
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 2) : would you have picked o’gara?
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 2) : Keeps the Welsh 9-10-12 axis intact.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 5) : True.
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Would have gone with Hook bar the head smash….but yes I think O’ Gara is better at directing a game. Jones is good in patches.
Smit and Beast have both scrummed well against their opponenets on the EOYT, so there shouldn’t be a problem there. Kicking for poles is what worries me. Unless Geech has been hiding something, or PDV has actually coached the Boks then I think that the Boks will beat this team.
With 4 Vrystaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaters in the team how could the Bols lose?
What we also failed to mention is that we have HOME GROUND ADVANTAGE!!!
The Lions are can likes to be bliksemed by Bakkies, Beast and Smiff!!!
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 2) : me too. Thought that Ronan McDonald would get a nod, this Jones is bit plain. Other than that no real surprises.
what’s up with little Williams? is he injured?
@rekinek (Comment 9) : No he is not injured, he just sucks
Which is thrilling for me to see because he is an arrogant little ……… 
interesting team, probably only one surprise being williams on the bench
@Dancing Bear (Comment 10) : so they finally noticed
he seems to be arrogant on the field but when you listen to interviews he seems ok.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him for 2 test after the new wings won’t work.