The New Zealand coach Steve Hansen makes three changes to the side who crushed Samoa 78-0 for the first Test against the British & Irish LionsSteve Hansen has shown his hand, then, and it includes three changes to the side who beat Samoa 78-0 last week. At least one of them was easy to see coming. Kieran Read is back at No8 – as everyone knew he would be. But the other two have caught a few by surprise. Ryan Crotty is in at outside centre, ahead of Anton Lienert-Brown. And in the biggest twist, the 20-year-old Rieko Ioane starts on the left wing. Julian Savea, who has scored 46 tries in 53 Tests, the last of them only last...
Warren Gatland and his staff have had their selection meeting and come up with a cussed-looking team with a no-nonsense physical edge for Saturday’s first TestIt is so long since the All Blacks lost a Test at Eden Park that Maro Itoje was not even born the last time it happened. In July 1994 Wet Wet Wet were at No1 in the UK singles charts with Love Is All Around and rugby union was still, officially, an amateur game. Should the British & Irish Lions win in Auckland on Saturday it really will be a special achievement.For Lions fans in search of omens 23 years on, it could scarcely be any wetter across New Zealand’s north island than it is...
There is no longer a gap between the hemispheres but one between New Zealand and the rest – a shift that raises issue of the sustainability for the LionsAfter the skirmishing comes the hand-to-hand combat. In an era when the expected is often thwarted, it is risky to consider the series between New Zealand and the Lions a foregone conclusion.The All Blacks are the favourites because of their form this decade and the struggles the Lions have had there in the past, just two Test victories since winning the series in 1971. Related: Lions strangled us and will test the All Blacks, says Chiefs coach Related: New Zealand’s captain Kieran Read likely to be fit for first Test with Lions...
England backs and forwards are pushing hard for Test spots but Warren Gatland will know not to get too carried away despite commanding victory over an under-strength Chiefs sideIt remains to be seen how much can be read into Elliot Daly’s withdrawal immediately after his burst down the left led to Jack Nowell’s second try – particularly as he later came back on for Jared Payne – but there can be no doubting George North is under pressure for his place in Saturday’s Test side. Daly, Nowell and Liam Williams all enjoyed excellent performances, benefiting from the tireless work of their forwards, but it is Daly, with the added advantage of his powerful left boot, that appears closest to dislodging...
Itoje has proved a vital element in the Lions’ ‘pressing game’ and is key to trying to frustrate Beauden Barrett, so should start in the first Test against All BlacksThe British & Irish Lions sealed victory against the Maori All Blacks with a try that was spawned by their relentless defence which resembles the pressing game favoured by many of the top football clubs.Damian McKenzie – the Maori fly-half who is one of the most threatening runners in Super Rugby, where he operates mostly as a full‑back – received the ball in his 22 and was quickly closed down by the second-rows George Kruis and Maro Itoje 12 minutes into the second half, even though he was standing deep. Related:...