"We have continuously been strong at set piece and have been good defensively in the last two or three outings. But to beat the All Blacks you have to be courageous and play some rugby - you have to score tries and I think we have picked a team capable of doing that.”
Warren Gatland made his position very clear when he announced his squad at 8pm. That position is that form and that flair needed to be abundantly clear in those selected for the first Test... abundantly clear and not just potentially clear. Now, I don't know about you but I certainly gave a little nod at my computer when I read his selctions for the first time. I may not have agreed at all with the call-up decisions made but this time around I do agree with his selections.
The Lions head coach has always spoken about selecting on form and here he has done just that. As a collective Liam Williams, Elliot Daly and Anthony Watson have so much spark and firepower while maintaining excellent fundamentals for their respective positions. Without question they will give the All Blacks plenty to ponder on defensively and opportunities will be created to put the required points on the board from tries and not just from the tee.
Elsewhere the front row unit is rock solid with oodles of dynamism of their own. The second-row, with the deserving captain Peter O’Mahony (another article to follow about him later), will drive the work rate and the back row unit has that balance that every trio in any side strives for.
One of the most exciting things about this match day 23 is the bench because when you take a look down the names on it then it’s the definition of impact. A great strength of New Zealand’s is their third quarter because it's when they step it up into a gear that most teams can’t live with. However with the Lions you’ve got individuals starting that have outrageous work rates and then others ready to be unleashed of the bench with all of the adrenaline that comes with the first Test and the knowledge that they hold as seasoned internationals.
The call regarding Maro Itoje taking a place on the bench has generated a fair amount of discussion already. I can only assume that it's actualy based the ammunition that the Saracen can provide off the bench versus his counterpart. Without question England's lock will raise the intensity ten-fold when he arrives on the field while the Welshman will lay the foundations earlier on.
Another individual named on the bench has yet to make his starting England debut however Kyle Sinckler's place is justified and merited. The Harlequin has embraced Lions life with maturity and seized every single opportunity afforded to him, exactly like Ben Te'o. As I've said before the forward hasn't made a secret of his admiration for the Lions and yet he's managed to channel that emotions. Sure adoration for the jersey and the history could have overwhelmed him but instead he has thrived. So far Ben Te'o has converted the potential that Eddie Jones saw in him into practice and now it's about him using all his sporting experience to clash head on with a face that's very familiar to him - Sonny Bill Williams. Can the Lions' centre go that extra step against the best in the world? We'll see.
Another individual named on the bench has yet to make his starting England debut however Kyle Sinckler's place is justified and merited. The Harlequin has embraced Lions life with maturity and seized every single opportunity afforded to him, exactly like Ben Te'o. As I've said before the forward hasn't made a secret of his admiration for the Lions and yet he's managed to channel that emotions. Sure adoration for the jersey and the history could have overwhelmed him but instead he has thrived. So far Ben Te'o has converted the potential that Eddie Jones saw in him into practice and now it's about him using all his sporting experience to clash head on with a face that's very familiar to him - Sonny Bill Williams. Can the Lions' centre go that extra step against the best in the world? We'll see.
Of course there's the stable element that we've looked forward to for a while with regard to the half-backs. Thigh gate didn't prove to be as concerning as we'd expected it to be and thankfully they're set to combine on the greatest of stages. Conor Murray and Owen Farrell both must show world-class composure for the full 80 and particularly in the opening quarter. Sport rides on momentum and against the All Blacks at Eden Park a slow start with shaky game management would be a killer. New Zealand’s counter-attacking threat is so great that their respective kicking games must be outstanding. Once again that’s the blindingly obvious however it’s a fact of life when facing the back-to-back World Champions and is a fact that needs stating.
In the hours leading up to Wednesday's announcement we were all pondering whether or not we would see names selected based on reputation and not form. After viewing the selections made we’re now all digesting an tremendously exciting and strong Lions team on paper. The task for the 23 selected is to transfer that potential from paper onto the field.
Now is the time when it matters. There’s only one first Test, one chance to lay the marker down for this ‘impossible’ tour and the ‘impossible’ task of winning a Test series in New Zealand. There won’t be any second chances and this Lions squad have to nail every single fundamental element from moment one - discipline, the exceptional defence that we've seen already, a destructive set piece and clinical attacking prowess. Of course the small spanner in the works is that the best in world rugby will be doing their upmost to derail their every move.
With the two sides selected this first Test will be as gargantuan as we’ve all build it up to be for months. Eden Park awaits. The place that is arguably the most impenetrable rugby fortress in the world and the 23 Lions selected have the opportunity to rock it to its coreand prevail. Martin Johnson knows exactly what’s required to be a successful Lion and his words are the perfect conclusion following this squad announcement.
"People ask me what it takes to be a Lion and it's character. It [a Lions tour] can find you out… it can find you out as a player and as a person.
"In a world when people talk about science, strategy and tactics none of that is worth anything unless you have a team. You've got to be inspired on this trip to be successful, you have to raise each other's level so that the team becomes bigger than the sum of the parts.”
British & Irish Lions: 15 Liam Williams, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Ben Te'o, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Conor Murray, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Tadhg Furlong,4 Alun Wyn Jones,5 George Kruis, 6 Peter O'Mahony (C), 7 Sean O'Brien, 8 Taulupe Faletau. Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Sam Warburton, 21 Rhys Webb, 22 Jonathan Sexton, 23 Leigh Halfpenny
New Zealand: 15. Ben Smith, 14. Israel Dagg, 13. Ryan Crotty, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Beauden Barrett 9. Aaron Smith 1. Joe Moody 2. Codie Taylor 3. Owen Franks 4. Brodie Retallick 5. Samuel Whitelock 6. Jerome Kaino 7. Sam Cane 8. Kieran Read Replacements: 16. Nathan Harris 17. Wyatt Crockett 18. Charlie Faumuina 19. Scott Barrett 20. Ardie Savea 21. TJ Perenara 22. Aaron Cruden / Lima Sopoaga 23. Anton Lienert-Brown
