KEY HEAD TO HEADS
INSIDE CENTRE Ben Te’o v Sonny Bill Williams
Even before doubts emerged over Owen Farrell’s fitness, Warren Gatland looked set to hand the Lions No 12 jersey to rugby-league convert Te’o. The 17-stone Auckland-born Worcester Warrior is expected to be tasked with the monumental job of keeping Sonny Bill Williams in check.
Sonny Bill, 31, showed in the Blues’ win over the Lions that he has lost none of his silky grace around the field or his brute strength in contact as he made a string of telling contributions.
Te’o, a powerful carrier who also possesses good hands, is nowhere near as experienced in his new code as Williams but his ability to carry over the gain line and release runners around him impressed during England’s Six Nations campaign.
FLY-HALF Johnny Sexton v Beauden Barrett
With Owen Farrell struggling for fitness, the Lions No 10 jersey looks set to be handed to Ireland’s Johnny Sexton. On his day, Sexton remains one of the world’s finest flyhalves, with the ability to bring runners in out wide while controlling the game with his cultured right boot. His partnership with fellow Irishman Conor Murray has been key and Lions fans will be hoping his poor form early on the tour is well and truly behind him.
Opposite him, Kiwi playmaker Beauden Barrett has seamlessly taken on Dan Carter’s mantle. A wonderfully gifted runner with an electric turn of pace, Barrett provides a constant threat to opposition defences while also possessing a deadly eye for space to fire passes for New Zealand’s dangerous strike runners to create havoc.
HOOKER Jamie George v Codie Taylor
The pivotal No 2 position is set to be taken by two relative international rookies with Jamie George seemingly set to see off the challenge of his more experienced rivals Ken Owens and Rory Best. And the prospect of the Lions deploying the young Saracen from the start would provide a dynamism and ball carrying three the tourists desperately need.
The All Blacks regular hooker, Dane Coles, is fighting a long-standing battle with post-concussion symptoms, so Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor is expected to be given hooking responsibilities. Like George, the 26-yearold has pace to burn for a front-row forward while his set piece work is of the highest calibre.
LOCK George Kruis v Sam Whitelock
After struggling to be fit for the tour following the serious knee injury which saw him miss a large chunk of last season, Kruis has emerged as one of the Lions’ most influential forwards. With an extraordinary capacity for work and huge physical presence, the technically excellent Saracens lock’s ability to make tackle after tackle effectively make him a fourth back-row forward.
Whitelock, like Kruis, has no obvious weaknesses, while his partnership with Brodie Retalick over the years has already firmly established the pair as one of the finest second-row combinations in the history of the game. Kruis arguably got the better of his man when the Lions beat the Crusaders, but Whitelock is rarely seen off twice. It should be quite a match-up.
OPENSIDE Sean O’Brien v Sam Cane
Tour captain Sam Warburton is struggling for form and fitness and the Lions No 7 shirt could go to Ireland’s bulldozing openside O’Brien. Strong over the ball and possessing the uncanny knack of snaffling ball from under the opposition’s nose, O’Brien’s greatest asset is his low centre of gravity and ability to power through tackles.
Cane has established himself as New Zealand’s latest high-class openside following in the world-class footsteps of Richie McCaw, Josh Kronfeld and Michael Jones. Technically nearperfect and physically robust, Cane’s workload is immense, while he has the rugby intelligence to make sure he is in the right place at the right time. The Lions back row will have their work cut out to keep him check.