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Three Lions players who could grab a Test place against the Stormers

By PA
Ali Price /PA

The British and Irish Lions play their final match before the Test series begins when they clash with the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

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A number of places are up for grabs against South Africa and here, the PA news agency looks at three players with points to prove.

STUART HOGG
Raring to go after an “horrendous” week spent in self-isolation at the team hotel in Johannesburg, Hogg has a first Test appearance in his three Lions tours firmly in his sights. The Scotland captain is in a three-way shoot-out for the full-back duties alongside Liam Williams and Anthony Watson and although considered a slightly riskier option than his rivals, his display against the Sigma Lions was composed as well as inventive. A big performance could propel him to the front of the queue, especially with Williams recovering from concussion and Watson nursing ankle and hamstring problems.

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What does Alun Wyn Jones returning to the Lions mean for Conor Murray

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What does Alun Wyn Jones returning to the Lions mean for Conor Murray

ALUN WYN JONES
Warren Gatland will give Jones 20 minutes against the Stormers in the final stage of one of the most remarkable comebacks from injury seen in the game. Three weeks ago the Lions captain dislocated his shoulder against Japan, now he is ready to step off the bench at Cape Town Stadium knowing that if the joint remains intact, he is likely to start against the world champions. All eyes will be on his progress as the tourists hope their forward talisman and the sport’s most-capped player proves he is ready to lead them into the series.

ALI PRICE
Unquestionably the form scrum-half of the tour, Price will view the Stormers match as a final audition to face the Springboks. Conor Murray, Price’s chief rival as Gareth Davies has never got going, is in a precarious position owing to his disappointing outing against South Africa ‘A’ and the return of Jones as tour captain. Murray’s Lions pedigree may yet swing it for him, but Price has been far sharper and more dangerous. Crucially for the Scotsman, he has also improved his kicking game and strengthened his defence.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

Have to imagine it was a one off sorta thing were they were there (saying playing against the best private schools) because that is the level they could play at. I think I got carried away and misintrepted what you were saying, or maybe it was just that I thought it was something that should be brought in.


Of course now school is seen as so much more important, and sports as much more important to schooling, that those rural/public gets get these scholarships/free entry to play at private schools.


This might only be relevant in the tradition private rugby schools, so not worth implementing, but the same drain has been seen in NZ to the point where the public schools are not just impacted by the lost of their best talent to private schools, there is a whole flow on effect of losing players to other sports their school can' still compete at the highest levels in, and staff quality etc. So now and of that traditional sort of rivalry is near lost as I understand it.


The idea to force the top level competition into having equal public school participation would be someway to 'force' that neglect into reverse. The problem with such a simple idea is of course that if good rugby talent decides to stay put in order to get easier exposure, they suffer academically on principle. I wonder if a kid who say got selected for a school rep 1st/2nd team before being scouted by a private school, or even just say had two or three years there, could choose to rep their old school for some of their rugby still?


Like say a new Cup style comp throughout the season, kid's playing for the private school in their own local/private school grade comp or whatever, but when its Cup games they switch back? Better represent, areas, get more 2nd players switching back for top level 1st comp at their old school etc? Just even in order to have cool stories where Ella or Barrett brothers all switch back to show their old school is actually the best of the best?

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