Warren Gatland faces tricky decisions before Thursday’s naming of a squad facing only eight matches in South Africa
The squad announcement for the British & Irish Lions is usually rugby’s equivalent of a general election, preceded by a frenzy of speculation, leaks and vitriolic exchanges. So a social media blackout the weekend before might be no bad thing.
This year – or rather this quadrennial – given the ravages of a global pandemic, the Lions do not know, literally, whether they are coming or going. Refreshingly, that seems to have dampened much of the febrility of the pre-pick posturing, even before the lights were dimmed on social media. Not a leak, either, to be felt down the back of the neck. It’s as if no one can be bothered.
Probables
Hooker Jamie George (Eng), Ken Owens (Wal)
Prop Wyn Jones (Wal), Cian Healy (Ire), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Kyle Sinckler (Eng)
Lock Maro Itoje (Eng) Alun Wyn Jones (Wal) Tadhg Beirne (Ire) James Ryan (Ire)
Back row CJ Stander (Ire), Tom Curry (Eng), Toby Faletau (Wal), Jack Conan (Ire)
Scrum-half Conor Murray (Ire)
Fly-half Dan Biggar (Wal), Finn Russell (Sco)
Centre Owen Farrell (Eng), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Jonathan Davies (Wal)
Wing Jonny May (Eng), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wal)
Full-back Stuart Hogg (Sco), Liam Williams (Wal)