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Nine 2021 Lions who've fallen down the Test pecking order
By Ian Cameron
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.
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.
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.
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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.
