Debates still ahead on Lions Test team

WELLINGTON: British and Irish Lions test positions were still up for grabs in their clash against the Waikato Chiefs tomorrow with the composition of the back three and loose forwards still an area of contention, according to coach Warren Gatland.

The match in Hamilton is the last before the first test against the All Blacks, and many pundits believe most of the side who destroyed the Maori All Blacks 32-10 on Saturday will run out at Eden Park on Saturday.

No players who started the Maori game will face the Chiefs.

Gatland, however, said that there were still test discussions to be had on Wednesday, with the versatile Liam Williams given the opportunity at fullback to push for inclusion in the test squad, while tour captain Sam Warburton is under pressure from Sean O’Brien for the openside flanker role.

“We won’t sit down and pick the (test) team until Wednesday and I think that’s only fair on the players that are taking the field on Tuesday,” Gatland told reporters in Hamilton.

“There’s no doubt there’s some pressure on him (Warburton) because certain players and certain combinations have gone well.

“The will be some discussions and debates to be had about the final make-up of the back-row for Saturday.”

The machinations of the first test aside, the match holds strong feelings for Gatland, who played a then record 140 times for provincial side Waikato and scored a try in their 38-10 victory over the Lions on the 1993 tour.

Last year he returned with Wales to play the Chiefs and watched as a Stephen Donald-inspired home side tore Gatland’s second stringers apart to post a 40-7 victory.

That match helped Gatland’s thinking for the Lions tour and his decision to call in four Wales and two Scotland players has given him the flexibility to run two separate teams for the rest of their trip in New Zealand.

All six players are on the bench on Tuesday.

Despite that decision, Gatland has refused to accept he had split the touring party into a ‘midweek’ and ‘test’ team.

“There is no way we have divided into two,” he said.

“I looked back at 2013 (in Australia) and between the first and third tests we made nine different selections.

“So for the players who might not be in the first test have to stay alive because they might get a chance in the second or third tests.”

That possibility was also in the mind of Chiefs coach Dave Rennie who said he expected the Lions would be desperate to push their cases for test consideration against his team.

“They’ve got a number of guys who will be keen to play a bit of test footy on this tour and maybe it’s a chance to scrap for some spots on the bench,” he said.

“I’d imagine their test 15 will be nailed and probably stay in Auckland, so I think they’ve got a lot to play for.”

Flyhalf Owen Farrell is expected to be fit for the first test after suffering a quadriceps injury last week, and having been in doubt for the game at Eden Park.

Gatland, however, said the England player would be available for selection.

“I was always confident about Owen being fit for the weekend,” Gatland told reporters after he named his side for the Chiefs game. “I was never unconfident about that.”

Farrell’s England team-mate Jonathan Joseph could also be involved against the All Black, with the 26-year-old centre left out of the squad to face the Chiefs.

Gatland added that despite the performance of the side who thumped the Maori in Rotorua there were still some areas open for selection, including the composition of his back three with Wales utility Liam Williams named at fullback for the Chiefs game.

Leigh Halfpenny, who is likely to start the test at fullback, was under a minor injury cloud after he took a heavy high tackle from Tawera Kerr-Barlow in the Maori game.

“A number of those players in the back three are pretty versatile,” Gatland said. “It’s an opportunity for Liam to go and impress there.

“Anthony Watson did a good job coming on there against the Crusaders and has looked dangerous. We’re giving players a chance there from a counter attack perspective.”

Warburton’s position also looks to be under scrutiny for the test after an ankle injury stymied his return to the field on tour, while O’Brien has been impressive in the big matches. “There’s no doubt there’s some pressure on him because certain players and certain combinations have gone well,” Gatland said.

“There will be some discussions and debates to be had about the final make-up of the back-row.”