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Wales and Ireland make up just 4 picks in Will Greenwood's 2021 Lions XV
By Ian Cameron
England players dominate Will Greenwood's latest Lions team to tour South Africa in 2021 - if they were to play tomorrow.
The Sky Sport's pundit does however find room for a relatively even spread of Scots, Irish and Welsh players.
WATCH: Hogg: 'Finn will play for Scotland soon but there might have to be some dark conversations but we'll get there'.
His selection includes eight Englishmen, three Scots, two Welsh and two Irish players - in a form theoretical fifteen for the 2021 Lions tour.
Maybe the most controversial selection is that of Welsh centre Hadleigh Parkes at 12. Last week Greenwood tipped Nick Tompkins to make the team, but the Saracens' centre have apparently fallen out of the running, to be replaced by the durable Parkes, with Manu Tuilagi outside him.
In the pack there is no room for Welsh skipper Alun Wyn Jones, with England's Maro Itoje and Ireland's James Ryan lining out together in one of the most eagerly anticipated British and Irish Lions engine room partnerships for some years.
Glasgow's Ali Price and Saracens' Owen Farrell make up the halfback pairing, with Exeter Chief Stuart Hogg, Leicester's Jonny May and Saracen Elliot Daly forming a fast-paced back three combination.
The front row sees in form Rory Sutherland join England's Jamie George and Kyle Sinckler. Greenwood plumped for Sale Shark Tom Curry at blindside, Osprey's Justin Tipuric at openside and Munster's CJ Stander at No.8.
WILL GREENWOOD'S 2021 LIONS XV:
Stuart Hogg
Jonny May
Manu Tuilagi
Hadleigh Parkes
Elliot Daly
Owen Farrell
Ali Price
Rory Sutherland
Jamie George
Kyle Sinckler
Maro Itoje
James Ryan
Tom Curry
Justin Tipuric
CJ Stander
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Latest Comments
Vaai is finally having his breakout year getting comfortable and showing great form at lock, and there are form players and experience all across the backrow, why on earth would you drop him to 6. Ridiculous
Go to commentsSo far, the All Blacks have won 8 matches out of 11 this year. That is a near 73% win rate. AB fans and, I assume, the team itself are not content with that and have everything to play for with the remaining 3 tests this year.
Their historical average is something like 77% these days and, although some years will always be better than others it is not likely to drop that dramatically to 70% any time soon. There is too much historical inertia on the stats. It is like saying Ireland’s form of the last 10 years or so is likely to reverse a historical average of 48% wins soon. It just isn’t.
Moreover, when you say they are ‘doomed’ to a 70% flatline are you not just assuming that Ireland will beat them again? How did that work out for you last time?
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