SA-born Stander gets call up for British Lions tour

FLANK CJ Stander became only the third South Africanborn player to be included in a British and Irish Lions touring squad in the professional era after being named in the 41man party to tour New Zealand yesterday.

Wales’s Sam Warburton was named as the Lions skipper for a second time‚ after leading the team in Australia in 2013. The Lions won that series 2-1.

There are 16 players from England‚ 12 from Wales‚ 11 from Ireland and only two from Scotland.

Stander plays for Ireland and joins a small group of players raised outside of the four home unions to make the Lions squad.

Former England World Cup winner Mike Catt and England prop Matt Stevens were the other South African-born Lions of the modern era.

Catt was a replacement on the 1997 tour to South Africa and was named in the 2001 squad for Australia but missed the tour through injury. Stevens toured New Zealand in 2005 and Australia in 2013.

Stander‚ who attended Oakdale High School‚ was a schoolboy and junior star‚ but left South Africa when his test aspirations appeared to stall after Heyneke Meyer was made Bok coach in 2012.

Stander joined Irish province Munster in 2012 and was an instant hit.

He has been a revelation since making his test debut for Ireland last year after qualifying through residency in October 2015.

Stander was a junior discus champion and captained the SA U20 at the 2010 Junior World Championships, where they finished third.

He was deemed too small to make it in South Africa as a test flank‚ but since his move to Ireland the 1.85m-tall back rower has bulked up to a massive 120kg where his ball carrying has been impressive.

Lions coach Warren Gatland will be looking to Stander to give his side front foot ball as they face one of the most daunting touring schedules in history.

The Lions will play three tests against the All Blacks and face all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises as well as the NZ Maori (an unofficial fourth test).

Warburton revealed he had received the call from Gatland while at a supermarket: “I found out last Thursday‚” he said.

“I was in a supermarket car park – my wife was getting bread and milk and I didn’t want to go in because the girl on the checkout loves rugby – and I hung up on Gats first time round.

“I thought it was one of the [Cardiff] Blues messing around.”

The current All Blacks are considered the greatest test team of any era and they have the stats to back it up.

Two of the three tests will be played at Eden Park in Auckland‚ where the All Blacks last lost a test in 1994.

Since that 23-20 defeat against France‚ they have played 37 tests at the venue‚ winning 36 and drawing once – against the Boks in 1994.

But since winning the 2011 World Cup on home soil‚ which ended a 24-year wait for the title‚ the All Blacks have only lost four of 68 tests – none at home.

Their most recent defeat was against Ireland in Chicago in November.

In that time they have had a streak of 22 unbeaten tests between June 2013 and October 2014‚ and another 17-match winning streak between August 2015 and November last year.

History does not favour the Lions in New Zealand.

In 38 tests played in New Zealand‚ the Lions have only won six‚ with the All Blacks winning 29 with three draws.