As always, the announcement of Lions squad has sparked debate across the rugby world.
A strong looking squad was announced by John Spencer, but many feel it could be stronger.
England, expectantly, have the most players with 16, followed by this year’s fifth placed side in the Six Nations, Wales with 12. Ireland who will be represented by 11 players and finally the incredibly unfortunate Scots only have two players on the tour.
A large number of talking points have come out of the announcement and they have given plenty of room for discussion.
Let’s take a look at the main ones:
The Right Captain?
After Sam Warburton gave up the captaincy of the Welsh national team, there was some doubt cast over what seemed like his inevitable selection as Lions captain. He was always a sure pick to go on the tour, but a number of other players had put themselves forward for the honour of being captain, namely Alun Wyn Jones, Rory Best and Dylan Hartley (we will get onto him soon). Many rugby writers, pundits and former players felt Warburton’s mindset wasn’t right to be captain but Gatland has put his faith back in the man who led the Lions to victory four years ago. He is arguably the best flanker available for selection and I personally think that the Lions staff have made the correct decision in picking him as captain. His experience and leadership abilities make the obvious choice. For those who feel someone else is better equipped to play ahead of him, remember, Gatland said if his form isn’t good he won’t play.
The Biggest Injustice
Scotland finished two places above Wales in the Six Nations. Wales have 10 more players than Scotland in the Lions squad. How does that work? The Scottish players selected, Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour, should 100% be going to New Zealand but only two players in a squad which beat two of the other three teams represented on the tour is mind boggling. Jonny Gray, Greig Laidlaw, Finn Russell and Sean Maitland are all more deserving than some of those picked in my opinion. The Welsh contingent should not be the second highest. Johnathan Davies and Leigh Halfpenny, for me, highlight the unbalanced selection process. Neither had a particuarly good Six Nations nor are they in good form at the minute. Where they only picked because they are Welsh? I could be wrong. They could be key components in winning the test series. We will have to wait and see.
Third Time Lucky? Not Quite
Quite remarkably, the captain of England has now not been picked the past three Lions tours; Steve Borthwick in 2009, Chris Robshaw in 2013 and now Dylan Hartley in 2017. There were rumours that Hartley would not be selected despite being a strong contender for the captaincy in many people’s eyes. A number of factors may have contributed to his admission, which has somewhat overshadowed the whole squad announcement. His poor disciplinary record and his performance in the loss to Ireland didn’t help and maybe Gatland feels Best, Owens and George are better suited to what he wants from his hooker. I personally feel the right choice was made. Rory Best can struggle at the lineout but his leadership will be key. Ken Owens was in great form during the Six Nations and was duly rewarded. What must be hardest for Hartley to swallow is that his backup, a man who has never started an international test has been picked ahead of him. Jamie George is a brilliant player. His scrummaging and lineouts are near impeccable and I feel he has a good chance of starting in the three tests.
The Biggest Omission
The big name omission is obviously Dylan Hartley but I think the player who is most unfortunate in missing out is Joe Launchbury. He was one of the players of the tournament at the Six Nations, with two Man of the Match performances, but he has been excluded. The second row is the most competitive position on the whole tour and Launchbury has fallen victim to that. All the locks picked are very capable of getting the job done but Launchbury has been incredibly hard done by with his omission.
The Biggest Surprise
This award could go to Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, perhaps even Ross Moriarty but I believeJared Payne was completely forgotten about in the build up to the announcement. It was a pleasant surprise to hear his name read out as he is a great selection. He is a great defensive organiser and his ability to adapt to the 13 or 15 shirt makes him a great cover player, much like Owen Farrell. He could easily find himself pulling on a jersey come the first test.