THIRD TIME LUCKY
Hogg missed out on last two Lions tours but he’ll start Test on Saturday
STUART HOGG will complete his eightyear Lions odyssey on Saturday by emerging from an isolation ordeal to start the first Test against South Africa, in a surprising side led by Alun Wyn Jones.
Scotland’s captain missed out on a place in the series against Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017 — the latter as a result of a freak facial injury which forced him to return home early.
When he was dropped by Exeter at the end of last season and then forced to quarantine for seven days in Johannesburg after a Covid outbreak among Warren Gatland’s squad, it appeared he might miss out again but he will be named at full-back today.
Lions head coach Gatland has brought forward the announcement of his line-up to face the world champions and he will confirm that Jones has capped a remarkable recovery from a dislocated shoulder to take his place as lock and captain.
He is also expected to confirm that Ali Price and Dan Biggar will form a starting half-back alliance, Luke Cowan-Dickie has been preferred at hooker and Jack Conan has been chosen ahead of Taulupe Faletau at No 8.
There has been much debate and intrigue about the midfield axis and it is understood that Robbie Henshaw and Elliot Daly will join forces again, as they did last weekend against the Stormers. And with Anthony Watson and South Africa-born Duhan van der Merwe set to line up on the flanks, top try-scorer Josh Adams will be omitted from the matchday 23 entirely, along with Faletau, Jamie George, Mako Vunipola and Liam Williams.
Conor Murray and Owen Farrell are expected to be named as the two reserve backs among a sixtwo split on the bench. Both would have been seen as likely starters before the tour but these are not even the biggest selection shocks. Gatland has shown in the past that he is not afraid to be ruthless and make bold decisions — and the team he names today is destined to continue that tradition.
For Hogg, 29, a career peak now looms large. He said: ‘It would definitely be right up there. I don’t want this to be a sob story because I’ve missed out on the two previous tours, but it’s something I have really worked hard towards for a long, long time. These are the games that everyone wants to be involved in. It would mean the absolute world to me.’
Jones’s astonishing recovery from an injury suffered during the pre-tour fixture against Japan at Murrayfield has been a huge boost to the locked-down Lions squad. By playing 26 minutes against the Stormers last Saturday, he proved that he is ready to withstand the physical ferocity which will come the way of the tourists in the first Test.
Hogg was asked about the impact of having their talisman back on board and he said: ‘It’s been absolutely brilliant. I’ve got a lot of respect and admiration for Alun Wyn. We heard snippets that he was going to be back fit and potentially be involved but I didn’t believe it until he walked through the door. He just has this big aura around him that I absolutely love. It instils a huge amount of confidence to have a guy like that back in the squad.’
There was another boost for the Lions when it was confirmed last night that — as first reported by Sportsmail several weeks ago — all three Tests will be played in Cape Town so Gatland’s men will not be subjected to playing the Boks at altitude in Gauteng. LIONS (probable): Hogg; A Watson, Daly, Henshaw, Van der Merwe; Biggar, Price; W Jones, Cowan-Dickie, Furlong, Itoje, AW Jones (capt), Lawes, Curry, Conan.
Replacements: Owens, Sutherland, Sinckler, Beirne, Henderson, H Watson, Murray, Farrell.