Adam on his Test XV and the day he put ‘bossy’ Dan in his place...
WELSH rugby legend Adam Jones won 95 caps for Wales and played five Tests for the Lions on tours to South Africa and Australia.
He is also developing as a highlyrated young coach, playing a key part in Harlequins becoming new champions of England, and has joined Wales Online to give you his expert verdict on Warren Gatland’s Lions.
Here he picks the XV he feels should play in the first Test against the world champion Springboks...
AN outline of a team to face South Africa is probably starting to form in Warren Gatland’s mind, but there is still time for players to impress. One blinding performance can open doors... form matters.
There again, a coach isn’t going to forget everything a player has done in the past.
It’s about looking at the whole picture. There are so many potential close calls that I don’t envy Gats having to separate players in selection. Who would I pick?
It’s a heck of a difficult job, but here’s my best shot at a Test XV right now...
15. Liam Williams
I remember him coming onto the scene and playing for the Scarlets against the Ospreys, this kid with long, wavy hair.
No-one in our side knew much about him.
But he was in our faces from the first whistle, didn’t care about reputations and got stuck into everything that moved.
He’s one of the most competitive players I’ve seen and he gets the most out of his body. He carries hard, flies into tackles and contests every high ball.
From when I first saw him, as a skinny kid with the Scarlets, he’s gone on to do amazing things.
He’s different from how he appears on the pitch, too. Whereas he can be aggressive on the field, even from the time he came into the Wales squad he was unbelievably respectful, a great person.
But he’s also a top rugby player and that’s why I’d have him in my side, albeit with a nod to Stuart Hogg, who’s a quality option in his own right.
14. Anthony Watson
He’s been there, seen it, done it and got the tries to show for it.
A class operator who’s respected across the game.
13. Robbie Henshaw
My guess is Gatland will go with the Irishman.
Henshaw had a fine game against Japan, steaming into tackles and carrying with venom.
There’s a bit of a concern that he’s had a hamstring problem.
But if he’s fit and well, I’d put him in my team.
12. Owen Farrell
I like a big ball-carrier at 12, and while Faz is many things, he isn’t one of those.
But I’d still pick him.
He’s a leader, he has a kicking game, he offers a second pair of hands outside the fly-half to break down defences and he’s the ultimate competitor.
In short, he’s a player who offers much more than he’s widely given credit for.
11. Josh Adams
Not only is he in the form of his career, he is a player Gats seems to like.
And why not? Adams scores tries, is good in the air, competes over the ball, chases hard. He’s a team player who showed at the World Cup he could deliver at the very highest level.
So I’m going for him and Watson as my wings.
But I will say the competition is hot. Duhan van der Merwe is big and strong, a tackle-breaker who will trouble defences, while Louis Rees-Zammit has Bryan Habana pace. They are good options, but right now it’s the other two for me.
10. Daniel Biggar
Northampton are a different side when he plays.
Like Liam Williams, Daniel is someone I have a lot of time for off the pitch. He’s a great kid who is helpful to others and a good guy to have around.
He’s also a very good rugby player.
At the age of 18 he was running the show on the field in an Ospreys set-up that contained 22 internationals.
He wasn’t afraid to boss any of us around on the pitch and once even tried to give us boys in the front row some scrummaging advice, telling us to deliver quicker ball.
My response? Let’s just say it
fell into the post-watershed category.
But he’s taken his game on repeatedly over the years and this is his time: he’s my 10.
9. Conor Murray
The tour captain is a quality player who is going to start.
1. Rory Sutherland
This is a tight call.
Wyn Jones had a great Six Nations and Mako Vunipola is a great ball carrier with lots of experience.
There again, the picture for Mako is clouded by how well South Africa coped with
England in the World Cup final.
Bearing that in mind, I’m going with Rory Sutherland.
He’s a good set-piece performer who scrums at a very low height.
The lower you can work against someone like Frans Malherbe, South Africa’s likely tighthead, to prevent him from achieving a dominant pushing position, the better.
It’s all about stopping Malherbe from dictating the height of a scrum.
Tom Smith did the same to his opponents on the 1997 Lions tour.
Sutherland may be able to follow suit for the class of 2021.
2. Ken Owens
Again, an agonisingly close decision.
Gatland could field any one of Ken Owens, Jamie George or Luke CowanDickie and know that none of them would let him down.
George is good around the field and an accurate lineout thrower, an all-round excellent hooker, but I keep going back to the World Cup final and wonder if that’ll be a factor in who Gatland picks.
I also have a lot of time for Cowan-Dickie.
But Ken Owens brings a lot with his solidity, experience and physicality.
It’s him, then – just.
3. Tadhg Furlong
He’s my starter with Kyle Sinckler off the bench.
Two class tightheads there.
4. Maro Itoje
A phenomenal player.
He influences matches through his work-rate and his athleticism.
Harlequins played Saracens at the back end of last season.
I struggle to remember many lineout performances as good as the one he dished up that day. Around the field he was outstanding, too, with the intensity he brought. There was no crowd there and he was very vocal, galvanising those around him.
People say to me: ‘Does he do much, this kid?’
They may argue he’s not the best ball player and isn’t the most skilful.
But watch him closely. He’s unbelievably athletic and ferociously competitive.
He’s world class.
5. Courtney Lawes
I’m an Iain Henderson fan. But Lawes just sneaks it for me with his lineout work.
South Africa have a big pack and the Lions need to be able to counter them at the set-piece.
Lawes is 6ft 7in and athletic. He also hits punishingly hard in defence.
When he’s facing you, you know there are two or three massive tackles coming your way in every game.
If Handre Pollard, say, is going to get a 50-50 ball and Lawes is flying at him, there’s a fair chance he’ll take his eye off the ball for a split second.
In a game of small margins, that could be important.
6. Tadhg Beirne
One of the players of the Six Nations, he’s a master at turning possession over and a quality lineout forward.
South Africa are going to test the Lions at the lineout, so the tourists will need Beirne as an extra option.
7. Tom Curry
Hamish Watson could not have done much more than he did against Sigma Lions.
But I still view Curry as a special player, one who could be almost Richie McCaw-esque for England in the years ahead.
He’s a leader with a good head on his shoulders; he hits hard in the tackle; he’s excellent over the ball. I also saw on Wednesday night handling that I hadn’t seen from him before.
I can’t look beyond the Sale man.
8. Taulupe Faletau (inset)
Sam Simmonds is about much more than hype. He is good. Very good.
I saw him in the Gallagher Premiership final against Harlequins recently. Smashed back at one point by two of our players, he pumped his legs to score. That was only one try of the many he’s scored for Exeter Chiefs. But Faletau has to be my starter. He’s been good for Bath and outstanding for Wales.
He’s a Test match animal who knows what it takes at the very top. When push comes to shove in big games, he delivers.