Jones to lead exciting Lions squad to South Africa
Wales’ most-capped international Alun Wyn Jones will lead an
exciting and refreshed British & Irish Lions squad on their upcoming tour
of South Africa as they look to go three consecutive Southern Hemisphere tours
undefeated.
There is a broad split of players from each nation with eleven English players, ten Welsh players, eight Irish and eight Scottish players being selected by Warren Gatland.
There are eighteen new caps amongst the 37 players that have been selected for the Lions squad with some notable omissions like English star Billy Vunipola, Irish legend Jonny Sexton as well as James Ryan, CJ Stander and Jonathan Davis.
Despite these absentees, Gatland has made some bold but exciting selections with the likes of young Louis Rees-Zammit and South African-born Duhan van der Merwe amongst the tourists that will land in the country at the end of June.
In 2009 when the Lions last toured South Africa, the hosts won the test series 2-1 after winning the first two test matches in Durban and Pretoria before losing the final test in Johannesburg.
Coach Gatland will lead the Lions into his fourth tour and second of South Africa and has set out some simple tasks for the players who he has selected.
“Firstly we hope that the players thoroughly enjoy the tour because it is going to be a challenge,” Gatland said. “We want them to represent the home nations in the best way they possibly can.”
Narrowing down the selection group to the 37 that will get on the plane has not been an easy task for Gatland and his coaching staff and it takes a lot of work behind the scenes.
“There are a number of criteria that have to be taken into consideration when picking your squad.
“You are looking at form in the Six Nations, you are looking at players that have performed for you in the past. Players that have performed well and won trophies at club level and then looking at some young players that you think you can develop on the tour as well.
“There is so much to consider when trying to get that balance right between curating a squad that is going to be incredibly competitive and also play some good rugby and improve as the tour goes on,” the coach added.
Taking on the Springboks at home, despite the lack of international rugby over the past 18 months for South Africa, is always a tough task and Gatland understands this better than most.
“It’s not going to be easy and it’s probably going to be about using experience from past tours.
“In 2009 we had played quite well in the lead-up games and then in the first test the physicality they brough was something that we weren’t quite ready for.
“We made some changes for the second test and the third and thought we had done a good job there and restored the pride in the jersey.
“We were disappointed though because we thought that we could have won or at least drawn that series,” Gatland explained.
British and Irish Lions 37-man squad for the 2021 tour of South Arica:
Backs (16)
Josh Adams (WAL), Bundee Aki (IRL), Dan Biggar (WAL), Elliot Daly (ENG), Gareth Davies (WAL), Owen Farrell (ENG), Chris Harris (SCO), Robbie Henshaw (IRL), Stuart Hogg (SCO), Conor Murray (IRL), Ali Price (SCO), Louis Rees-Zammit (WAL), Finn Russell (SCO), Duhan van der Merwe (SCO), Anthony Watson (ENG), Liam Williams (WAL)
Forwards (21)
Tadhg Beirne (IRL), Jack Conan (IRL), Luke Cowan-Dickie (ENG), Tom Curry (ENG), Zander Fagerson (SCO), Taulupe Faletau (WAL), Tadhg Furlong (IRL), Jamie George (ENG), Iain Henderson (IRL), Jonny Hill (ENG), Maro Itoje (ENG), Alun Wyn Jones (WAL, capt), Wyn Jones (WAL), Courtney Lawes (ENG), Ken Owens (WAL), Andrew Porter (IRL), Sam Simmonds (ENG), Rory Sutherland (SCO), Justin Tipuric (WAL), Mako Vunipola (ENG), Hamish Watson (SCO)
