Lions ready to roar
IMPOSING: POWERFUL BRITISH LIONS SQUAD TO TOUR SA Experienced Wyn Jones chosen to lead the team as Irish flyhalf Sexton misses out.
Veteran Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones will lead the 2021 British and Irish Lions in South Africa but there was no place for several big names including Johnny Sexton and Billy Vunipola in the 37-man squad announced yesterday.
The 35-year-old Jones, long a leading contender for the role, guided Wales to this season’s Six Nations title.
The lock has won a world record 157 Test caps and this will be his fourth Lions tour. He has played in the combined side’s last nine internationals in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Jones saw off competition from the likes of England’s Maro Itoje and Scotland’s Stuart Hogg to be chosen as skipper by head coach Warren Gatland for a July-August tour that culminates with three Tests against the world champion Springboks, who last played an international at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“To be selected in the squad is initially what you want to be hearing, and to have the armband as well is a privilege, with the names that have gone before and what those players have achieved,” Jones told lionsrugby.com.
Asked how he found out he had been selected as captain by Gatland, a former Wales coach, Jones said: “I had a call from Gats on Sunday evening, actually a missed call. I thought ‘better give him a call back’.”
Gatland added: “I did panic for a few hours before he rang me back. It was a great conversation.
“It’s a great honour to be tour captain but you’ve got to play well as well.”
Meanwhile, Ireland captain Sexton was one of several high-profile omissions, together with James Ryan, Billy Vunipola, Josh Navidi and Jonathan Davies, Jonny May and Kyle Sinckler.
Flyhalf Sexton, who turns 36 in July, has suffered concussion problems since the Six Nations and his exclusion leaves England’s Owen Farrell, Wales’ Dan Biggar and Scotland’s Finn Russell to scrap over the No 10 jersey.
European Player-of-the-Year Sam Simmonds was named among the back rowers despite last playing for England in 2018.
Flanker Hamish Watson, who was named Player-of-the-Championship after the recent Six Nations, is one of eight Scotland players in the squad which also features eight from Ireland, 10 from Wales and 11 from England.
Turning to Rassie Erasmus’s world champions, Gatland said: “They’re going to be incredibly tough. We know how physical they can be. Hopefully (we can) get that balance right between the tough work but also playing some great rugby.”