After months of speculation, Warren Gatland’s squad was announced on Tuesday. The most hotly contested decision was the captaincy and Sam Warburton receives that honour. Despite having been dropped during this year’s RBS Six Nations, the flanker has been given the armband because of his excellent leadership skills. Surprisingly, Chris Robshaw does not make the touring party despite having had a phenomenal impact for England as captain. The squad is full of natural leaders in Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Tom Croft just to name a few. However, who are the lions to watch out for this summer?
Alex Cuthbert (Wales, 18 caps)
The gigantic winger has already proven his Test match
pedigree with 9 tries in his first 18 tests for Wales. The hard ground in Australia will suit
the Cardiff Blues try-scoring machine. The tour this summer will be an
unbelievable experience for the 23 year old; this may be the opportunity to prove
to the World that he can perform on one of the biggest stages in rugby union.
Manu Tuilagi (England, 21 caps)
The Leicester battering-ram has already made a name for
himself at age of 21, his ability to break the gain-line will provide plenty of
go forward momentum for the Lions and offer his outside men chances to score if
they time their supporting lines well. His success this summer depends on where
is played in Gatland’s squad. The Lions will not get much ball wide if he slots
in at inside-centre, however, if he plays at outside-centre, his normal
position he will provide a more potent threat. Tuilagi showed his immaturity in
the 2011 Rugby World Cup when he jumped off a ferry; this tour will be a big
test of his professionalism.
Owen Farrell (England, 16 caps)
Instrumental in England’s infamous 38-21 victory over the
All Blacks at Twickenham last year, Farrell has started to add a more creative
side to his game. His passing is improving, however, in the Heineken Cup
semi-final against Toulon, he showed that his wide floated passes need work. On
one occasion if had produced the right wide pass, he could have put in Kelly
Brown for a vital try against a side packed with international superstars. Ice
runs in his veins when it comes to place-kicking, the Saracens playmaker has the
temperament needed to land crucial efforts at goal when called upon. He will face a tough task to earn and
keep the No.10 shirt from Jonny Sexton; however, he should have the opportunity
to show his worth at 10 or 12 in the matches against the Australian Super Rugby
sides.
Richie Gray (Scotland, 31 caps)
After a less than convincing season with Sale Sharks, Gray
has much to prove this summer. His move to Castres has angered fans at the
Salford City Stadium, but it may be for the best if the Sharks are to continue
to languish at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership table. The 23 year old is a real impact player
and a fantastic line-out option as he stands at 6 foot 10”, he is not an easy
man to miss in the set-piece. The blonde goliath needs to assert his dominance
with ball in hand while maintaining his high standards in the line-out and the
scrum. The second row options at Gatland’s disposal are immensely talented and
experienced, Gray will have to graft in the early stages of the tour as Paul
O’Connell, Alun–Wyn Jones, Geoff Parling and Ian Evans will be competing for
starting places.
Justin Tipuric (Wales, 15 caps)
Many pundits have argued that the 23 year old should start
ahead of Sam Warburton at open-side as he took the skipper’s place during the
Six Nations, however, the flanker is equally effective as a blind-side flanker.
The Ospreys back-row is phenomenal at the breakdown as he forces turnovers and
makes a nuisance of himself, as any flanker should. Fellow countryman Dan
Lydiate and England’s Tom Croft will be battling for the No. 6 shirt, so
Tipuric has to hit the ground running in Australia and impress Gatland in
training.
Squad for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia:
Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg
(Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales),
Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian
O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Owen
Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike
Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).
Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy
(Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England),
Mako Vunipola (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom
Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales), Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones
(Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Tom Croft
(England), Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales),
Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales).
