Scots trio to play in tour opener

British and Irish Lions team to face New Zealand Provincial Barbarians today: S Hogg (Scotland), A Watson, J Joseph, B Te’o (all England), T Seymour (Scotland), J Sexton (Ireland), G Laidlaw (Scotland), J Marler (England), R Best (Ireland), K Sinckler (England), A Jones (Wales), I Henderson (Ireland), R Moriarty, S Warburton, T Faletau (all Wales). Replacements: J George, M Vunipola (both England), T Furlong (Ireland), G Kruis (England), J Tipuric, R Webb (both Wales), O Farrell (England), J Payne (Ireland). foreign unions like Australia and South Africa. It’s the club owners that are insisting future Lions tours – they played 18 games in 1983 and 13 became the norm after test series were reduced to three games – should be truncated.

Yet the balance is that the Lions move the needle in public interest more than any other element in rugby – New Zealand’s All Blacks included – and the game’s not so healthy that it can afford to sabotage itself.

Yet if the Lions are not competitive – and they have had precious little time to mould themselves into a unit given the demands of the end of the club rugby season – then the brand’s future comes into question again.

Gatland has been a saviour for the Lions but there’s more than a few indications that – like Woodward in 2005 – he could be past his sell-by date.

“Warrenball” as played by Wales for the last decade has been effective but there are ever increasing signs that a more ambitious style with less emphasis on power is gaining traction.

England, Ireland and Scotland have embraced a more open game in the last two or three years. Wales under Gatland, evidenced by this most recent Six Nations, have somewhat been left behind.

Rather than the Welsh model, if the Lions are looking to upset New Zealand