
Football
Share
Published 10:17 21 Jul 2021 BST
Explore more on these topics:
Conor Murray, right, and Alun Wyn Jones of The British & Irish Lions during squad training at Hermanus High School in Western Cape, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Sportsfile)[/caption]
The Irish starters are Robbie Henshaw, Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan, who gets the No.8 jersey ahead of Sam Simmonds and Toby Faletau.
Ahead of the First Test, Lions assistant coach Neil Jenkins, who played on the successful 1997 tour to South Africa, was asked what was required to beat the world champion Springboks. He commented:
"I think it's across the board. From set-piece to the aerial game, your kicking game, playing in the right areas, your defence, your attack, taking the opportunities when they come as there won't be many for both sides. You need to be on the money full stop.
"I don't think there's one area specifically. We look at all areas, as do they. We'll certainly expect a big kicking game from the stuff I look after. Playing them with Wales in the World Cup semi-final, there was 70-odd kicks in that game. It could be close to that amount on Saturday. I'm not saying it will be, but it certainly could be a big aerial battle and we've got to come out on top."
15. Stuart Hogg 14. Anthony Watson 13. Elliot Daly 12. Robbie Henshaw 11. Duhan van der Merwe 10. Dan Biggar 9. Ali Price 1. Wyn Jones 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Alun Wyn Jones (c) 5. Maro Itoje 6. Courtney Lawes 7. Tom Curry 8. Jack Conan REPLACEMENTS: Ken Owens, Rory Sutherland, Kyle Sinckler, Tadhg Beirne, Hamish Watson, Conor Murray, Owen Farrell, Liam Williams.The First Test takes place in Cape Town from 5pm this Saturday.
Football

How the final Premier League table would look if every refereeing error was erased
Things would have looked very different. Every major refereeing decision leading up to the final few weeks of the Premier League season have been analysed, to establish how things may have played out differently, had PGMO officials always made the correct calls, in an impressive new report from the Athletic. The 2025/26 season ultimately ended […]
Football
1 day ago
Here’s why French fans riot – even when their team wins
It’s now an infamous tradition Following Paris Saint-Germain’s win in the Champions League final against Arsenal on Saturday, at least 780 people across France were arrested with more than 450 in custody, as football fans clashed with police. A person was found dead after an accident on Paris’s ring road, which rioters tried to block […]
Football
2 days ago
WATCH: Comical moment footballer is run over by his own medical team
Football