BOX FOR IT!

Gatland jokes punch-up may decide his first Test selection

Stormers 3 British & Irish Lions 49

ADAM HATHAWAY

LIONS boss Warren Gatland watched his side put seven tries past the Stormers and then joked his next selection meeting could result in a punch-up.

The Kiwi and his assistant coaches will sit down to sift through options for next weekend’s first Test against South Africa over the next 48 hours, buzzing from this win.

There were positives all over the pitch in Cape Town for Gatland and his staff to get their heads around.

Walking medical miracle Alun Wyn Jones got 26 minutes off the bench and did not shirk a thing testing out his shoulder – and Gatland confirmed he is officially tour captain again.

And Harlequins fly-half Marcus

Smith nailed a magnificent seven kicks as he went through his full bag of tricks.

England hooker Luke CowanDickie and Scotland scrum-half Ali Price both put their hands up, and Adam Beard, the Welsh lock, proved again he should have been on tour in the first place.

Gatland said: “It is going to be a tough job picking a Test team – we have got so many choices and guys are putting their hands up.

“There is going to be some very serious debate over the next couple of days.

“I was talking to the other coaches and telling them to bring their 23 along – we might have to put boxing gloves on if we have many differences!

“Hopefully, we will pick a side that can do a job for us.

“There may be one or two surprises. Sometimes it is about having a gut feeling about a player or a certain combination.”

Gatland’s hooker headache was pounding after Cowan-Dickie’s display. The Exeter man is up against 2017 heroes Jamie George and Ken Owens for the hooking berths.

Cowan-Dickie had a 100 percent success rate in 10 lineouts, scored a try and gave the pack the edge needed next week.

Smith (left) only arrived on tour last Sunday, as cover for Finn Russell, but looked to the manor born as he ran the show. If Gatland does need him next weekend, the 22-year-old would not lose any sleep over facing the Boks.

Gatland added: “The longer the game went on, the better he looked. He had lovely touches, kicked well and defended well. He will be part of the discussion.”

After a scrappy opening quarter, which ended up with the Stormers 3-0 up, the Lions clicked with three tries before the break from Beard, Cowan-Dickie and lock Jonny Hill.

Tadhg Furlong’s burst helped make the first, Cowan-Dickie spun out of a maul to score from 15 metres, and Price was involved twice in the third with skipper Stuart Hogg setting up Hill.

Smith was on fire in the second half, involved in Jack Conan’s score and his jink and run from the Lions’ 22m line set up Louis ReesZammit to run in from halfway.

In between, Tadhg Beirne and Sam Simmonds made it six tries

out of seven for the pack.

STORMERS: Pen: Swiel.

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS: Tries: Beard, Cowan-Dickie, Conan, Fagerson, Rees-Zammit, Simmonds. Cons: Smith (7)