McGeechan and our writers name their XVs a year from the squad pick
Warren Gatland will select his squad for the first Test against South Africa in a year’s time. Here, our experts pick their XVs
S Hogg; A Watson, J Davies, M Tuilagi, L Williams; O Farrell, G Davies; R Sutherland, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje (capt), J Ryan, J Ritchie, T Curry, B Vunipola.
When I look back at those wonderful tours to South Africa in 1997 and 2009, the thing that really stands out for me is the number of leaders I had in those squads and in the Test team. They were everywhere. In 1997 we had Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Keith Wood, Jason Leonard, Tim Rodber, Jerry Guscott, Neil Jenkins, Gregor Townsend, the list goes on. In 2009 Paul O’Connell, Phil Vickery, Alun Wyn Jones, Stephen Jones, Jamie Roberts, Brian O’Driscoll.
You need leaders across the field; players who will stand up and be counted. My starting XV reflects that. Stuart Hogg at full-back, Jonathan Davies, Owen Farrell, James Ryan, Jamie George. And Maro Itoje as captain. I think the Lions could really build a head of steam under him. He is a winner and a natural leader.
Three Scots in my starting XV might raise eyebrows – Warren Gatland took only two to New Zealand, as I did to South Africa in 2009 – but you could not argue against any of them. Scotland were in great form this year. And this exercise is ultimately about form now. Plenty can, and will, change over the next 12 months, I am sure. I do not think I ever correctly predicted, at the beginning of any of my tours, the starting Test XV. It is one reason why the challenge of the Lions is so unique. But I believe this team would pack a punch in South Africa.
Gavin Mairs
S Hogg; L Williams, H Slade, M Tuilagi, J May; O Farrell, G Davies; R Sutherland, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, AW Jones (capt), T Curry, D Leavy, T Faletau.
This is a side stacked with leaders, a potent blend of four nations and dripping with pace, power and the footballing nous to play a high-tempo game that will be necessary to take the confrontational contest away from South Africa. A lot will depend on Alun Wyn Jones maintaining his form and, if he can, there is no better man to epitomise the Lions’ spirit and resilience than the Wales lock. It is a tough call not to include Jonathan Davies, but I think 2021 could be the year Henry Slade stamps his authority on the Test stage and his long-range kicking adds another dimension. The selection of Dan Leavy is based on his 2018 form following his injury, and he has it all to do to earn his starting place, with Justin Tipuric the early front-runner based on this year’s form.
Daniel Schofield
S Hogg; L Williams, H Slade, M Tuilagi, J May; O Farrell, G Davies; J Marler, J George, K Sinckler, M Itoje (capt), AW Jones, T Curry, J Tipuric, C Doris.
Starting at fly-half, I have let my head rule my heart in going for Owen Farrell over Finn Russell with Gareth Davies at scrum-half. Fitness withstanding, Manu Tuilagi has to be the main ball carrier and it makes sense to complete the midfield combination with Henry Slade, who offers an added kicking option. In the back three, I have made high-ball ability a priority in selection. Scrummaging is pretty much the sole criteria for the front row, which happens to be all-English although Rory Sutherland could come in at loosehead. If Wales’s greatest dragon, Alun Wyn Jones, is still breathing fire in 12 months’ time then he should partner Maro Itoje at lock. In the back row you could make a legitimate case for starting 20-odd combinations. My selection of Tom Curry, Justin Tipuric and Caelan Doris is all about pace and power. Doris is the bolter here, a No8 who has exploded on to the scene with Leinster this season and can assume his place at the back of the scrum if he maintains his present trajectory.
Mick Cleary
S Hogg; A Watson, J Davies, M Tuilagi, J May; O Farrell, G Davies; R Sutherland, J George, K Sinckler, M Itoje (capt), J Ryan, C Lawes, T Curry, B Vunipola.
It is hard enough to pick a Lions XV at the start of a tour let alone 12 months before the plane has even lifted off from the Heathrow tarmac. Or it used to be when tours were a proper length, giving every player in the squad a chance to show that they deserved a Test start on merit and not on pre-tour reputation. This tour has (shamefully) been stripped back to eight games over five weeks, a bare bones schedule if ever there was one. Warren Gatland will make all the right noises about meritocracy, but the head coach will have to have his starting XV heavily pencilled before the tour even kicks off. Leadership will be key in keeping all the troops happy and in that regard a double act of Maro Itoje and Alun Wyn Jones will provide the right blend of competitive sharpness allied to a deep understanding of the Lions’ one-for-all ethos. Jones, of course, would never accept secondary status and if the old warhorse’s past is anything to go by then he will be challenging James Ryan all the way. There is pace as well as power across the back line, trickery too from Stuart Hogg at the rear. The forward pack has a bruising, as well as athletic, air about it. It is a XV to win the day.
Kate Rowan
S Hogg; L Williams, J Davies, M Tuilagi, J May; O Farrell (capt), C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, AW Jones, P O’Mahony, T Curry, B Vunipola.
Owen Farrell did not get the credit he deserved for leading England to a World Cup final and th the honour of captaining the Lions would be a fitting recognition. That means th the Englishman starts at 10, while Co Conor Murray should be at scrum-h scrum-half if he recaptures his form. Jonatha Jonathan Davies and Manu Tuilagi make a powerful centre pairing while a back three of Stuart Hogg, Jonny May an and Liam Williams could deal with w whatever the Boks kick at them. The p pack is full of leaders, including Peter O’Mahony, Maro Itoje and Alun Wyn Jones. The front row of Mako Vuni Vunipola, Jamie George and Tadhg Furlo Furlong are reunited from the 2017 tour tour, while Tom Curry’s youthful dyn dynamism and Billy Vunipola’s ballast com complete the back row.
Ch Charlie Morgan
S SH Hogg; A Watson, G Ringrose, M Tuilagi, J May; O Farrell, C Murray; J Marler, J George, K Sinckler, M Itoje (capt), J Ryan, J Navidi, T Curry, T Faletau.
Jonathan Davies, Billy Vunipola and Liam Williams will be Test contenders but long-term injuries counted against them for this selection. Among those who do make it, Joe Marler sneaks ahead of compatriot Mako Vunipola. James Ryan is preferred to Alun Wyn Jones with Garry Ringrose pipping Henry Slade. Conor Murray could be ousted by Tomos Williams. In the back row, Sam Underhill is mightily unlucky. Josh Navidi’s toughness complements the athleticism of Tom Curry and Taulupe Faletau nicely, though. Then again, either Dan Leavy or Ellis Jenkins might blow up Warren Gatland’s pecking order.
Ben Coles
S Hogg; A Watson, M Tuilagi, R Henshaw, L Williams; O Farrell, G Davies; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje (capt), J Ryan, J Navidi, T Curry, B Vunipola.
Icould see Warren Gatland opting for Owen Farrell as captain, but given the tradition of the Lions, it should really be a lock. Back when he made his breakthrough in 2016 it seemed as though Maro Itoje would be England captain by now. For whatever reason that has not happened, but he would be an excellent choice to lead the Lions. Despite the strong finishers in the squad, Josh Adams and Jonny May, I have gone with three full-backs to combat the aerial threat of Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard’s kicking. Josh Navidi’s work-rate earns him a slot at blindside. Robbie Henshaw, at 6ft 3in, is ready-made to take on South Africa’s midfield and this tour could be the defining moment of his career. S Hogg; A Watson, J Davies, M Tuilagi, E Daly; O Farrell, G Davies; R Sutherland, J George, K Sinckler, M Itoje (capt), A W Jones, T Curry, S Underhill, C Doris.
Based on recent form and fitness, you would have Rory Sutherland and Kyle Sinckler/Tadhg Furlong propping up the scrum either side of Jamie George, with Maro Itoje and James Ryan in the second row unless Alun Wyn Jones rolls back the years. I like the Tom Curry-Sam Underhill combination at six and seven with maybe a heavy hitter, such as Caelan Doris, behind them. Clearly, if Billy Vunipola is back to his best, he would probably slot in. Behind the scrum, the big decision is whether Owen Farrell starts at 10 or 12. That has a huge knock-on effect. You could have Jonathan Sexton-Farrell-Manu Tuilagi or Farrell-Tuilagi-Jonathan Davies/ Henry Slade. In the back three, Anthony Watson is the only one I feel strongly about. He was brilliant in New Zealand last time, brilliant at the World Cup, and would start if the Lions tour was tomorrow.