Captain O'Connell
After concerns yesterday over Sam Warburton's knee, Gatland and the Lions coaches have decided to rest the Welsh flanker and appoint Irishman and previous tour captain, Paul O'Connell, as captain against the Barbarians on Saturday. Gatland stated that Warburton could have played with some anti-inflammatories but decided that it was not worth the risk.
After the Baa-baas' 12-40 loss to England last weekend, the Lions will hope that Dai Young's team will have improved by their Saturday head to head in Hong Kong. The British and Irish players will want a real testing match in order for them to evaluate where they are as a team and in order to prepare themselves for the tougher tests against Australia.
The Lions have not only had to worry about Warburton's fitness, they are also having to face the excruciating challenge of coping with the intense humidity that Hong Kong has to offer. No doubt however, the Baa-baas will also be having to deal with the same problem.
Gatland named his XV to take to the field come Saturday today and, arguably as expected, the team is made out of many Welsh Six Nation champions. Jonathan 'Fox' Davies, Jamie Roberts and seven other Welshmen were named in the starting team with Alun Wyn Jones and wing George North on the bench. Stuart Hogg, Richie Gray and Maitland will be the three representatives from Scotland.Only two of England's nine Lions have been selected to start - Owen Farrell & Mako Vunipola, with Paul O'Connell being the only Irish player in the first XV with fellow Irishmen Sexton, Healy, Heaslip and Murray on the bench.
Gatland's all Welsh back row sees Brian O'Driscoll and English powerhouse Tuilagi nowhere to be seen. Farrell starting as fly half in the place of Sexton has also come as a surprise to many who predicted that Sexton would start almost all games after the season he has had for Ireland and Leinster.
Judging by twitter posts and pictures the Lions as a squad have all bonded very quickly and Saturday's captain, O'Connell, comment reiterates this belief - "We are a very tight group already". It is one thing to have the best rugby players from the home nations all together but without the players coming together as team mates and friends, they would have no chance of winning the series.
British and Irish Lions team to face the Barbarians in Hong Kong:
S Hogg (Scotland); A Cuthbert (Wales), J Davies (Wales), J Roberts (Wales), S Maitland (Scotland); O Farrell (England), M Phillips (Wales); M Vunipola (England), R Hibbard (Wales), A Jones (Wales), R Gray (Scotland), P O'Connell (Ireland, capt), D Lydiate (Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: T Youngs (England), C Healy (Ireland), M Stevens (England), A W Jones (Wales), J Heaslip (Ireland), C Murray (Ireland), J Sexton (Ireland), G North (Wales).
After the Baa-baas' 12-40 loss to England last weekend, the Lions will hope that Dai Young's team will have improved by their Saturday head to head in Hong Kong. The British and Irish players will want a real testing match in order for them to evaluate where they are as a team and in order to prepare themselves for the tougher tests against Australia.
The Lions have not only had to worry about Warburton's fitness, they are also having to face the excruciating challenge of coping with the intense humidity that Hong Kong has to offer. No doubt however, the Baa-baas will also be having to deal with the same problem.
Gatland named his XV to take to the field come Saturday today and, arguably as expected, the team is made out of many Welsh Six Nation champions. Jonathan 'Fox' Davies, Jamie Roberts and seven other Welshmen were named in the starting team with Alun Wyn Jones and wing George North on the bench. Stuart Hogg, Richie Gray and Maitland will be the three representatives from Scotland.Only two of England's nine Lions have been selected to start - Owen Farrell & Mako Vunipola, with Paul O'Connell being the only Irish player in the first XV with fellow Irishmen Sexton, Healy, Heaslip and Murray on the bench.
Gatland's all Welsh back row sees Brian O'Driscoll and English powerhouse Tuilagi nowhere to be seen. Farrell starting as fly half in the place of Sexton has also come as a surprise to many who predicted that Sexton would start almost all games after the season he has had for Ireland and Leinster.
Judging by twitter posts and pictures the Lions as a squad have all bonded very quickly and Saturday's captain, O'Connell, comment reiterates this belief - "We are a very tight group already". It is one thing to have the best rugby players from the home nations all together but without the players coming together as team mates and friends, they would have no chance of winning the series.
British and Irish Lions team to face the Barbarians in Hong Kong:
S Hogg (Scotland); A Cuthbert (Wales), J Davies (Wales), J Roberts (Wales), S Maitland (Scotland); O Farrell (England), M Phillips (Wales); M Vunipola (England), R Hibbard (Wales), A Jones (Wales), R Gray (Scotland), P O'Connell (Ireland, capt), D Lydiate (Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), T Faletau (Wales).
Replacements: T Youngs (England), C Healy (Ireland), M Stevens (England), A W Jones (Wales), J Heaslip (Ireland), C Murray (Ireland), J Sexton (Ireland), G North (Wales).
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