There is only so much you can read into Warren Gatland’s first Lions team selection, particularly as the head coach doesn’t have a full squad to pick from, yet there is a clear nod to potential Test combinations, several of which include Irish players.
ou won’t find many people who would disagree that of the seven Irish men included in the Lions squad, Tadhg Furlong is the only absolute nailed-on Test starter in South Africa. That Furlong is named on the bench for Saturday’s clash with Japan and his six Irish team-mates are all starting, certainly bodes well in their quest to make an early impression on Gatland and his coaching staff.
Opening games of a Lions tour generally go one of two ways – you either climb to the top of the pecking order or slip down towards the bottom.
Although Japan are seriously lacking in game-time since the 2019 World Cup, they will pose a threat to the Lions, so from that end, the notion of getting a handy early game under players’ belts will be quickly dispelled.
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Having worked with them four years ago on the previous tour to New Zealand, Gatland knows exactly what Iain Henderson, Conor Murray and Robbie Henshaw are about, but for Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan and Bundee Aki, this weekend’s game at Murrayfield will provide a huge opportunity to lay down a marker.
Given that the Lions will only have had two weeks together, there will be a sense of disjointedness, but Gatland has selected combinations that should be able to get the best out of one another.
The pairing of Aki and Henshaw in midfield typifies that more than any other area. The Ireland duo have an excellent relationship on and off the pitch, which dates back to their Connacht days, when they inspired the Westerners to the PRO12 title in 2016.
According to Wales out-half, Dan Biggar, Aki set the tone from the word go in training last week when he put in a ferocious tackle on one of his new team-mates. That kind of aggression is exactly why Gatland picked the Connacht midfielder and that he gets a chance to impress alongside Henshaw, should seriously enhance his Test match credentials.
Gatland heaped high praise on Henshaw, branding him “world-class” and “the outstanding midfielder in the Six Nations.” The Leinster centre arrives at this tour in a very different place to that of four years ago, and for all that he looks nailed on to start against the Springboks, Henshaw will relish the chance to hit the ground running with Aki next to him.
Much of the make-up of the Lions half-backs and midfield will depend on where Gatland sees Owen Farrell fitting in. When the squad met up for the first time, Gatland asked the players to vote for the leadership group, with Farrell emerging with the most votes.
Should he revert back to his more natural No 10 position, a strong performance from Aki against Japan will put him in pole position to take on the Boks.
Murray would look forward to renewing his partnership with Farrell, but unlike the England captain, Biggar is coming off the back of a strong season with Wales and Northampton.
The competition for places at scrum-half is fierce, particularly from Wales’ Gareth Davies, but Murray gets the nod for Japan, which will allow him to remind Gatland why he is the best ‘nine’ in this part of the world.
With Maro Itoje only joining the squad this week, Henderson will partner Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones in the second-row. The Ulster skipper also started alongside the Welsh man for the opening game of the previous tour, so the pair are very familiar with how one another works.
The experience of the engine room goes some way to balancing the fact that an all-rookie back-row will start against Japan. But again, Gatland has opted for a familiar combination within that, as Beirne and Conan link up with Scotland’s Hamish Watson.
Gatland made it clear that he sees Beirne as a back-row for the tour, which although not that surprising, is nevertheless interesting considering the Munster man has played most of his rugby at lock since his return to Ireland.
With Wales’ Taulupe Faletau held in reserve this weekend and with Sam Simmonds still unavailable as he prepares for the Premiership final with Exeter, Conan has a real chance to steal a march on his rivals.
Furlong will be chomping at the bit but of all the Irish players on show at Murrayfield, the Leinster tighthead has the least to worry about.
For the other six Irish starters, opportunity knocks and with fewer midweek games to make their mark on tour, building momentum early on will be key to earning a place in the Test team.
Fixtures
FRIDAY
U-20 Six Nations: England v Scotland, Cardiff Arms Park, 2.0; Italy v France, Cardiff Arms Park, 5.0; Wales v Ireland, Cardiff Arms Park, 8.0, RTÉ2
Top 14 final: Toulouse v La Rochelle, Stade de France, 7.45, Premier Sports 1
SATURDAY
Lions v Japan, BT Murrayfield, 3.0, CH4.
English Premiership Final: Exeter v Harlequins, Twickenham, 5.30, BT Sport 1