The 20-year Lions Test itch Scotland want scratched next Thursday
We will know for sure next Thursday how huge an impact Scotland players have had on this 2021 Lions tour to South Africa. That is the day when Warren Gatland is due to name his first Test team to play the Springboks on July 24 in Cape Town and with Scotland not having had a Lions Test team starter since Tom Smith in 2001, there is a 20-year itch waiting to be scratched.
We all sadly know about the peripheral role Scotland have had with the Lions during the professional era. After Smith's high profile role versus Australia, it's as if the Scots have become an afterthought when it comes to Test team selection.
Gordon Bulloch was given a blink-and-you-missed cameo off the 2005 bench in the dead rubber final Test versus the All Blacks, Ross Ford likewise in the 2009 dead rubber final Test versus the Springboks, while Richie Gray was the token Scottish selection when he appeared off the bench in the 2013 series-deciding Test versus the Wallabies.
There was no hope of Test selection in 2017 after just two Scots made the original squad and Stuart Hogg was invalided out of the tour following a friendly fire cheekbone-breaking collision with Conor Murray in Christchurch in the tour's third warm-up game.
However, 2021 appears to be the year when Scotland have finally come of age in the modern-day professional era of the Lions. The eight-strong representation in the Lions squad unveiled on May 6 was the biggest contingent the Scots have had in an initial touring party since nine were named for the 1989 tour to Australia which was captained by Finlay Calder.
They have encouragingly been busy as well since then. For the matches versus Sigma Lions and the Sharks, there were four Scots in each starting XV, while they have five starters in this Saturday's clash with the Stormers and two more selections on the bench - with the injured Finn Russell the only Scot absent. It's the fourth start in six matches for Duhan van der Merwe, the third start for Rory Sutherland, Hamish Watson and Ali Price, and the second start for Hogg, the matchday skipper who missed a week of the tour through self-isolation. Meanwhile, Saturday's replacements Chris Harris and Zander Fagerson have respectively started three and one matches with the sidelined Russell also having had one start prior to his achilles tear.
The challenge now is to turn all this hectic activity into Test team involvement and Gregor Townsend, the Scotland boss who is working as backs/attack coach for Warren Gatland, has been pleased with how his Scottish contingent have featured so far on the Lions tour.
"I believed they have played very well," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with the Stormers in what is the Lions' final match before the Test series begins. "They have been consistent with their performances. I am here coaching the whole group but I have been delighted with how well the Scots guys have integrated, how they have thrived in this environment and taken their opportunities.
"So many players have taken opportunities that it is going to be a very tough selection and I am sure at the end of it when we get to that 15 and that 23 we will be delighted with who we select and we will know if we pick up injuries or have to change things throughout the Test series we will still have a really strong team, so it's a credit to all the players in the squad."
Latest Comments
I have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
Go to comments