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Sam Warburton selects just 2 Englishmen in his British and Irish Lions XV

07 Dec 2020

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton raised some eyebrows today when he revealed a Lions XVs selection that featured just two English players.

Despite winning both the Guinness Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup, Warburton didn’t see fit to reward them in this team selection, instead choosing an Irish heavy selection to face the Springboks in South Africa in 2021.

Warburton, who skippered the 2017 tour of New Zealand, revealed his selection on Twitter, writing: “What a game England. Check out my Lion XV. What do you think?”

More players will go to Japan warns Kruis:

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More players will go to Japan warns Kruis:

What a match @EnglandRugby ?Check out my @lionsofficial XV ? What do you think?

Create your own by downloading the Lions app https://t.co/mRNSwcT5N1! Share using #UniteThePride and @vodafoneuk #ad pic.twitter.com/9ocDdyfdxw
— Sam Warburton (@samwarburton_) December 7, 2020

To be fair to Warburton, although he didn’t specify it in his Tweet, his selection was in the context of their current form from the weekend’s Autumn Nations Cup finals, where England failed to fire, barely pulling themselves over the line against a third choice French outfit.

SAM WARBURTON’S LIONS XV
1. Cian Healy
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Andrew Porter
4. Maro Itoje
5. James Ryan
6. Justin Tipuric
7. Peter O’Mahoney
8. Taulupe Faletau
9. Conor Murray
10. Jonny Sexton
11. Keith Earls
12. Bundee Aki
13. Robbie Henshaw
14. Duhan van der Merwe
15. Jacob Stockdale

The Welshman’s final rugby match was the Lions’ test draw against the All Blacks in June 2017. Following the series in New Zealand, he underwent neck surgery on an ongoing injury followed by proactive knee surgery earlier in 2018. He attempted to return to full fitness but was unable to reach the heights he desired and so made the heartbreaking decision to retire at just 29.

England head coach Eddie Jones has specified that he wants 20 English players to make the tour, an endeavor he believes will stand to the players ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. There’ll be fat chance of that if Gatland picks a team anything like Warburton’s.

The 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour is nearly sold out, book your ticket-inclusive packages before it’s too late with the comfort of our Covid guarantee and be part of the ultimate rugby experience.

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Comments on RugbyPass

Hammer Head 26 minutes ago

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Me? Hawuema?

15 Go to comments

Hellhound 31 minutes ago

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That is very technical yes. You are allowed to dive for a try, but the reason people dive into the goal area is to make it harder for a tackler to stop them from scoring a try, even in the corners. So if that diving tackle is illegal and deemed as trying to avoid the tacklers, then all diving tries basically is illegal. WR rules is getting screwed up, too technical. They aren't making the game better, but worse. Mostly because they are trying to stop the Boks innovation and come up with stupid different little things. They fail again and again and again. We need a whole new board at WR. People who really understand the game, not those who tries to please only certain countries and allowing them to disrespect rugby in all its forms like the French. Test rugby is supposed to be the ultimate pinnacle of any players career, but not to the French. The NH complain and WR jump to accomodate. SH complain and absolutely nothing happens. Most money invested goes to the NH and very little down South. Instead of improving the sport like what Rassie is doing, they try and destroy it. With all new innovative plays and tactics, it makes people sit up and talk about the sport and causing it to grow. WR is failing the sport. They all need to go

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Flankly 39 minutes ago

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At the rate that the Wallabies are improving you'd have to say a Lions tour next year might not look like 2-0 after two tests.

Schmidt is building a competitive team as we head towards the RWC.

Great to see.

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Flankly 52 minutes ago

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Not sure how much of this would have been written if the team that scraped a win was the Wallabies, rather than the Lions.

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DP 57 minutes ago

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Any news on the Boks and Rassie specifically? Wonder what innovative ideas they’re working on that fall well outside of the spirit of the game… this BIl series has been as rubbish as initially anticipated and expected.

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BS 1 hour ago

Many Springboks fans are saying same thing about the Lions

Good ragebait article. Bad actual article

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Flankly 1 hour ago

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Always say that a player is the best.

Good bait, if not insightful.

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Wayneo 1 hour ago

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Wayneo 2 hours ago

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🤣😂

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JH 2 hours ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

I don’t have to convince anyone. They looked at it on TMO during the game and made a decision

Ironically, where I think the Aussies might have cause for complaint is Jac going off his feet. To be precise Genge flying in off his feet and landing on Jac putting him on his knees. So both off their feet

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DP 2 hours ago

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DP 2 hours ago

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alfiebart@btinternet.com 2 hours ago

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Super Sid 2 hours ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

You've commented enough times to convince yourself but no one else is buying it - clean out on the neck/head, penalty and no try.

Go the ABs.

19 Go to comments

Mitch 3 hours ago

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3 Go to comments

JH 3 hours ago

'Gutted' Joe Schmidt makes feelings clear over match-deciding call

They are lower than hips albeit not by much. But Jac clears as low as he possibly can. Now that you can’t judo roll / croc roll he has only one way to try and ruck the jackaler off the ball. Which is what he does.

If a jackaler is that low there is going to then be contact with head and/or neck.

So then either that is a legal clear out, with head / neck contact accepted, or you are going to have to either ban jackaling or ban trying to ruck a jackaler off the ball. Which is your preference?

19 Go to comments

Tom 3 hours ago

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“Whinging Poms"

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POHM 3 hours ago

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Ffffzzer is what you represent

306 Go to comments

POHM 3 hours ago

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And.you looked.sooo good.beating.Italy.C, what.they scored.3 tries in 1 test agayou guys at home, I don’t believe they have scored 3 tries in nz in total.