JOE IN KO BLOW
RUGBY UNION Gatland slammed for Launchbury snub FULL SQUAD
WARREN GATLAND was last night blasted for leaving England forward Joe Launchbury out of this summer’s Lions tour of New Zealand.
Welshman Sam Warburton will captain the Lions for the second time in the three-Test tour, starting with a warm-up match on June 3.
But the big talking point was Kiwi coach Gatland’s decision to leave out Wasps captain Launchbury (above) in favour of England team-mate Courtney Lawes for the final second-row place.
Gutted
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: “The one we have got to feel sorry and a little bit mystified about, to be honest, is how Joe Launchbury is not on that plane.
“Two man-of-the-matches in the Six Nations, up for Player of the Six Nations, as well as being nominated England Player of the Season by his team-mates – and still he doesn’t get on the plane.
“As well as that, he’s captain of the team sitting at the top of the Aviva Premiership, so it’s very hard to understand what more he could have done.
“I’m gutted for him. I’d have thought he was one that was nailed on.” Gatland has made no secret ® that he wants his toughest players, both mentally and physically, for the hardest tour in rugby.
He has picked 16 Englishmen, 12 from Wales, 11 from Ireland and two Scots in his 41-strong squad, which includes surprises in Ireland centre Jared Payne and Wales backrow Ross Moriarty.
Gatland said: “There was a long discussion about second-rows and the depth and the quality we’ve got in those positions.
“We weren’t going to leave out Alun Wyn Jones or Maro Itoje and Iain Henderson has done an exceptional job for Ireland. I understand about Joe and the disappointment that is obviously going to be there, but it was a tough call for us.”
Gatland said picking the centres, where Jonathan Joseph won a late reprieve, and at hooker, where England captain Dylan Hartley lost out to Jamie George, was equally tight.
“Dylan has done a great job for England since he has captained the team.
“There’s no doubt about that or his leadership qualities, but at the end of the day we felt we couldn’t leave Jamie out,” he said. 98:BJ1 ;Xe 9`^^Xi NXc\j <cc`fk ;Xcp <e^cXe[ AfeXk_Xe ;Xm`\j NXc\j Fn\e =Xii\cc <e^cXe[ C\`^_ ?Xc]g\eep NXc\j IfYY`\ ?\ej_Xn @i\cXe[ JklXik ?f^^ JZfkcXe[ AfeXk_Xe Afj\g_ <e^cXe[ :fefi DliiXp @i\cXe[ >\fi^\ Efik_ NXc\j AXZb Efn\cc <e^cXe[ AXi\[ GXpe\ @i\cXe[ AfeXk_Xe J\okfe @i\cXe[ Kfddp J\pdfli JZfkcXe[ Xcc /%*,Xd Ale\ *1 m Gifm`eZ`Xc Le`fe OM N_Xe^Xi\` Ale\ .1 m 9cl\j 8lZbcXe[ Ale\ ('1 m :iljX[\ij :_i`jkZ_liZ_ Ale\ (*1 m ?`^_cXe[\ij ;le\[`e Ale\ (.1 m DXfi` 8cc 9cXZbj IfkfilX Ale\ )'1 m :_`\]j ?Xd`ckfe =@IJK K<JK Ale\ )+1 m E\n Q\XcXe[ 8lZbcXe[ Ale\ ).1 m ?lii`ZXe\j N\cc`e^kfe J<:FE; K<JK Alcp (1 m E\n Q\XcXe[ N\cc`e^kfe K?@I; K<JK Alcp /1 m E\n Q\XcXe[ 8lZbcXe[ 9\e KË\f <e^cXe[ 8ek_fep NXkjfe <e^cXe[ I_pj N\YY NXc\j C`Xd N`cc`Xdj NXc\j 9\e Pfle^j <e^cXe[ =FIN8I;J1 Ifip 9\jk @i\cXe[ ;Xe :fc\ <e^cXe[ KXlclg\ =Xc\kXl NXc\j KX[_^ =licfe^ @i\cXe[ AXd`\ >\fi^\ <e^cXe[ @X`e ?\e[\ijfe @i\cXe[ DXif @kfa\ <e^cXe[ 8cle Npe Afe\j NXc\j >\fi^\ Bil`j <e^cXe[ :flike\p CXn\j <e^cXe[ Af\ DXic\i <e^cXe[ AXZb DZ>iXk_ @i\cXe[ Ifjj Dfi`Xikp NXc\j J\Xe FË9i`\e @i\cXe[ G\k\i FËDX_fep @i\cXe[ B\e Fn\ej NXc\j Bpc\ J`eZbc\i <e^cXe[ :A JkXe[\i @i\cXe[ Aljk`e K`gli`Z NXc\j DXbf Mle`gfcX <e^cXe[ 9`ccp Mle`gfcX <e^cXe[ JXd NXiYlikfe NXc\j# ZXgk