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No England player in starting XV as Lions name team to play Japan on Saturday

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Warren Gatland has chosen his team for the opening match of the 2021 Lions tour, naming six Irish, five Welsh and four Scots in an Alun Wyn Jones-skippered XV that will start next Saturday’s pre-departure fixture versus Japan at Murrayfield. A four-strong England representation is restricted to bench duty.

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The Lions initially assembled last week for their South African tour with just 25 of their squad of 37 available for week one due to club commitments and those players now take up 21 of the places in the matchday 23 that will take on the Japanese before they fly to the southern hemisphere for their match against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg on July 3.

The only exception in the week-one-players-only Lions team is the inclusion of Saracens pair Owen Farrell and Jamie George, who provide bench cover this Saturday in Edinburgh despite not being with the Lions last week. Gatland now has 33 of his 37 squad assembled in Jersey with the Exeter quartet of Sam Simmonds, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill and Stuart Hogg the players he has been left waiting on due to their involvement in next Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final versus Harlequins at Twickenham.

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His five-strong Saracens contingent of Farrell, Elliot Daly, Mako Vunipola, George and Maro Itoje all linked up with the squad in Jersey in recent days as did Finn Russell of Racing 92, Kyle Sinckler of Bristol and Tom Curry of Sale following the completion of their respective club campaigns.

Speaking about his Lions team, Gatland said: “We’re anticipating a tough game against Japan – a side that likes to play at a high-tempo and shift the ball. We saw throughout the World Cup they have attacking threats across the park and a solid defence and set-piece.

“I’m pleased with the progress we have made during our training camp in Jersey so far, but we have a long way to go. You can see that the squad are starting to get to grips with our game strategies but, as always with a Lions tour, this takes time to bed in. We are in a good place though and I can tell there is a lot more to come from this group.

“Everyone in the squad will get a start before the start of the Test series, so each member of the squad can put their hand up for Test selection. We are absolutely delighted to be playing in front of 16,500 supporters in Edinburgh. I’m sure the crowd will give the players an enormous lift before we depart for South Africa on Sunday.”

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Saturday’s match at Murrayfield is the first time the Lions will play on home soil since the 2005 draw with Argentina in Cardiff before they headed to New Zealand for their tour there.

THE LIONS (vs Japan, Saturday – 3pm)
15. Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales) #833
14. Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby, Wales)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #824
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby, Ireland)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland)
10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) #821
9. Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland) #790
1. Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland)
2. Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales) #829
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland)
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster Rugby, Ireland) #808
5. Alun Wyn Jones – Captain (Ospreys, Wales) #761
6.Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland)
7. Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland)
8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland)

Replacements:
16. Jamie George (Saracens, England) #819
17. Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales)
18. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #818
19. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) #826
20. Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales) #779
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland)
22. Owen Farrell (Saracens, England) #780
23. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) #816

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Easy_Duzz-it 28 minutes ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The world never caught up the All Blacks just went backwards . After 2015 they had a plan to build the team around 2 players . Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett , Cane was hailed as the next Mccaw and Barrett the next carter . Unfortunately Cane sustained too many injures and Barrett despite being a great ball runner didn't have a high enough conversion rate or the game management skills to control the team and the game . Then to make matters worst , the selections were so bad year after year the forward pack became shockingly weak .

New Zealand had so much talent wasted betwen 2016 - 2023 . Laumape , elliot dixon , ben tamefuna , pita gus , ben lam , vaea fifita and so many other in form players that never got a look or the time to develop into great All Blacks .


Then you have the dual playmaker system that never worked , but they kept using it . why ? cause some men cant admit when they're wrong . thats the All Blacks between 2016-2023 . wrong coaches with the wrong vision , going in the wrong direction . now it appears the world caught up . but like I said the world never caught up . then you add the obvious flawed referee calls that happen to go against us more often then for us now . the worst of which that never gets called is when the opposition use rush defence but have players offside . this has been going for years , but who cares ? .


anyway its almost 10 and i need to get some shut eye .

Go the might All Blacks !!!!

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