WELCOME GIFT
Laidlaw backs move to bring in flying Finn
GreiG LAiDLAW has defended Warren Gatland’s decision to draft ‘gifted’ Scotland hero Finn russell — as well as team-mate Allan Dell — into the British and irish Lions squad.
Gatland came under fire for appearing to prioritise geographic proximity over meritocratic selection by adding the two Scots, plus four Welshmen, to his touring party.
Wales quartet Cory Hill, Kristian Dacey, Gareth Davies and Tomas Francis have made the short trip from Auckland to link up with the Lions, with the Scotland duo jetting in from Australia after Gregor Townsend’s side claimed a historic victory in Sydney on Saturday.
All six additions have been named on the Lions’ bench for tomorrow’s clash against the
Chiefs in Hamilton, to keep the front-line stars fresh for Saturday’s first Test against New Zealand. Head coach Gatland has been accused of devaluing the Lions shirt in deeming England’s tourists in Argentina and Ireland’s in Japan to require too much travel time to join his squad — but Laidlaw moved to downplay those frustrations. ‘They are all Test match players,’ Laidlaw said of the Lions’ six new additions. ‘Warren’s made it no secret this was his plan all along. ‘It’s something he did on the Australia tour in 2013. He thought it would be successful then and it did work. Now he’s gone down the same track. ‘So, ultimately, it’s to look after the Test squad, which is so important at this stage of the series. It’s about looking after everyone to make sure we get the best performance in the Test matches.’ Gatland’s Lions mentor Sir Ian McGeechan admitted the 2017 head coach’s call-ups plan was ‘difficult to justify’, although
Sportsmail columnists Andy Nicol and Sir Clive Woodward both defended the move. Laidlaw was not flustered by the developments, however, reiterating that the Lions had lined up mid-tour additions as early as September. Fly-half Russell, who has been linked with a move to Vern Cotter’s Montpellier, led Scotland to a fine 24-19 win in Australia before joining up with the Lions. And his Scotland team-mate Laidlaw believes he can now boost Gatland’s Lions ranks. ‘Finn is a quality operator, he’s gifted, he’s a good offloader, he reads the game, he’s excitable,’ said Laidlaw. Townsend believes playing for the Lions can only improve Russell and Dell as players. ‘They both go with our blessing and we look forward to seeing them continuing their excellent form, enjoying the Lions experience and coming back better players,’ said the Scotland head coach.