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RugbyPass 'Readers' Choice' Lions First Test XV agrees on 10 of Gatland's picks
By Ian Cameron
The RugbyPass 'Readers' Choice' First Test XV agreed on ten of head coach Warren Gatland's XV picks for this weekend's titanic battle with the Springboks in Cape Town.
Gatland's selection is been touted as being based on form, whereas the readers' picks, chosen using the RugbyPass selector over the last seven days, if anything, seem like a more conservative appraisal, with household names favoured over bolters on some of the tougher calls.
Temporary tour captain Conor Murray was selected at scrumhalf (59 per cent of the vote), one better than his bench spot on the real fifteen. He beat actual nine selection, Ali Price, who garnered 35 per cent of the vote.
Josh Adams, maybe Gatland's biggest shock omission, gets the nod on the left wing with 41 per cent of the vote, beating Duhan Van Der Merwe on 22 per cent.
2017 series star Jamie George, who didn't make Gatland's 23, is picked at hooker with 42 per cent, beating off Exeter Chiefs' Luke Cowan-Dickie to the number two spot by just 4 per cent (38 per cent).
The readers have gone leftfield on Hamish Watson's selection at number six, despite the Edinburgh man being a regular selection at openside. Watson received 18 per cent of a vote on a hotly contested position, beating actual selection Courtney Lawes' 5 per cent.
Welsh fan favourite Taulupe Faletau was also favoured at No.8 to Leinster's Jack Conan. The Welshman secured a decent 22 per cent of the vote, significantly more than Conan on just 4 per cent of the vote, which comes despite an outstanding tour to date, with many fans voting for Tom Curry in that slot too.
The rest of the fifteen mimics Gatland's team, suggesting Gatland's decision making is largely in chime with RugbyPass' readership, or at least the readers who responded to the competition.
RUGBYPASS READERS CHOICE LIONS XV
15. Stuart Hogg (53%)
14. Anthony Watson (28%)
13. Elliot Daly (33%)
12. Robbie Henshaw (36%)
11. Josh Adams (41%) – 22% Duhan van der Merwe
10. Dan Biggar (78%)
9. Conor Murray (59%) – 35% Ali Price
1. Wyn Jones (60%)
2. Jamie George (42%) – 38% Cowan-Dickie
3. Tadhg Furlong (88%)
4. Maro Itoje (46%)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (28%)
6. Hamish Watson (18%) - 5% Courtney Lawes
7. Tom Curry (25%)
8. Taulupe Faletau (22%) - 4% Jack Conan
Winners of the competition will be contacted in due course
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Latest Comments
I guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
Go to commentsWhatever let's see if this load of waffle is still valid in 2 years time. ABs will rise we have a lot of new talent coming through. The NPC was the highest standard for years. The game is changing to suit the fast pace we like to play. We get to play the Springboks more, including the franchises, which will make us better! Overall I am optimistic. I will add having watched the England game multiple times we made most of the play. England are an awesome physical team, but you can expect the All Blacks to get better and better at executing the chances. It could easily have been 5 tries to one instead of 3 to 1.
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