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Wales skipper Jones issues plea to British and Irish Lions tour organisers

By PA
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones believes that this year’s planned British and Irish Lions tour should go ahead “if it can”. The Lions are due to visit South Africa in July and August, highlighted by a three-Test series against the world champions.

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But the coronavirus pandemic has created considerable uncertainty over whether the eight-match trip will take place. 

Possible options, meanwhile, under consideration by Lions chiefs are playing the games behind closed doors, delaying the tour until next year or hosting games in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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Chris Ashton’s first media conference as a Worcester player

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Chris Ashton’s first media conference as a Worcester player

Jones and his fellow skippers – England’s Owen Farrell, Ireland’s Johnny Sexton and Scotland’s Stuart Hogg – have all been involved in talks about tour plans. The 35-year-old Welshman has played in nine Lions Tests across three tours.

He also captained them in a 2013 Test series-clinching victory over Australia when tour skipper Sam Warburton was injured. “It needs to go ahead this year,” said Jones about the Lions tour during Wednesday’s Guinness Six Nations virtual launch.

“The jury is out on where it will happen. We all know the jeopardy that it’s in. All being well, everyone will be safe and looked after if it does go ahead, for those guys selected. It would be a travesty if the fans weren’t able to go and see it. Having been involved in a few, it’s a very special tour and the fans make it that way. From a captain’s point of view, we (Jones, Farrell, Sexton and Hogg) are all in agreement that, if it can, it should go ahead this year.”

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who toured South Africa as a player with the 1997 Lions, hopes a solution can be found. “You can’t underestimate the value the Lions have to our sport and what it means to our players and our supporters,” Townsend told BBC Sport. “So I just cross my fingers a solution is found and we can all get behind that team, whether it is this year or next year.”

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J
JW 25 minutes ago
Lions tour Aussie takes: The Suaalii decision and the Finn Russell factor

Good reads again John. I feel some moments at still within the team to improve, and hopefully some individuals to shine through. After Super Rugby where we were shown you can’t drop your guard at kick off several times in this series have the Lions caught their opposition out with quick throws and restarts, letting the ball go out in this game was a shocker (though the kick was honesty good enough to find the touch had they been ready). Tate tried to strip the try scored just before the half, where he could easily have just dove over the line with him and that pretty much would have been them going into the half with a 10 point lead or so. And in the last play they just didn’t work hard enough, especially one player, I forget who, when back into the ruck area given the Lions too much space wide.


I feel they also didn’t seem to show the same killer instinct once they were in front, playing it safe on a couple of breaks/momentum carries.


I also don’t really understand why Donaldson on the bench. I would much rather have someone you want on the pitch like Pietsch available in a 6/2 split with Gordon or Wright more than able to cover 10 imo. Tate was wonderful on the wing though. And of course lots more positives also present.


I really enjoyed how they were running onto the ball in close in around the ruck. Wilson was playing a different role I thought, he was more the one out man design for quick ball and he presented it as good as you can get all night. That said, he’s not first choice 8 is he, who is that again? Is Wright still injured? I worry that Joe is keeping him their and its dictating too much of the plan just because he has been given the captaincy role.


Will be interesting to see who he thinks might be work a shot in the first team this week, plenty of options. I watched the first quarter of last weeks midweek game and Tupou certainly wouldn’t be one on that list, might be worth a punt though. Think they have to try and work some plays for Bell too, hes got too much class just to be down on form, give him something to work with and I’m sure he’d be a standout as well.


Also seen enough to know Hunter isn’t suddenly going to turn into a class center, I would definitely stick with Joseph but maybe theres a window to put him onto the wing, despite what I said above, now? I think you also do him a disservice in his defending (like many are), he made the player go outside him. It’s the hardest backline spot, I’d be inclined to use him like a league back row and carry it from 12 more often, if that suits Len better.

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