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British and Irish Lions: Who might have played their way into Warren Gatland's Test side?

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Published in Rugby
Saturday, 03 July 2021 12:45

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland says he is keeping an "open mind" about his team for the Test series after the tourists' fine warm-up win in Johannesburg.

The Lions beat the Sigma Lions 56-14 in their first game on South African soil and several players have already put their hands up for selection.

Gatland says he and his coaching team are "not really trying to predict" what their Test side is going to look like. But we are.

So whose stock is looking good with the first Test against the world champions coming up in three weeks?

Josh Adams

"I thought the guy on the left wing did OK today," Gatland joked after Wales winger Adams scored four tries in his side's win.

Adding to the one he scored against Japan in a game at Murrayfield before the Lions departed, the 26-year-old is already in a solid position to finish the tour as top try scorer.

It is a competitive field, though, with Louis Rees-Zammit also crossing against the Sigma Lions and Duhan van der Merwe, Liam Williams and Anthony Watson in the mix too.

Speaking after the match, Adams admitted "one or two" of his scores were "walk-ins" but he obviously caught Gatland's eye nevertheless.

"He knows where the try line is," the New Zealander said.

"You can't ignore what he's achieved as a player. To get four tries is pretty special."

Hamish Watson

Four tries were not enough to earn Adams man of the match though. That award went instead to Watson for his heroic defensive efforts.

The Scotland flanker also got in on the scoring action early in the first half, but it was in defence that he shone.

Watson topped the stats table for tackles with 16 and compatriot Stuart Hogg suggested the back row was a good example for others to follow.

"He is brilliant," added Hogg. "It's like somebody winds him up before the game and lets him go.

"He goes out there at a million miles an hour and makes about a million tackles."

Gatland added the amount of competition in the back row is "pleasing", suggesting Tom Curry, Josh Navidi and Sam Simmonds would start against the Sharks on Wednesday.

With Jack Conan, Taulupe Faletau and Courtney Lawes among those who can also play at the back of the scrum, it is arguably the Lions' most competitive area.

Stuart Hogg

Hogg himself was not so bad either, making a team-high 69m and 10 carries as he captained the side to victory.

The full-back has toured twice with the Lions before, but a Test cap has eluded him so far and he will be competing for a start with Williams, Watson and possibly Elliot Daly.

Hogg, 29, described captaining the Lions as a "terrific experience" and his performance proved he has what it takes to be one of the leaders of the side.

Elliot Daly

Daly is only possibly one of the contenders for full-back because it appears he may be considered as a centre by Gatland.

That is where he came on in the 59th minute against the Sigma Lions and the 28-year-old's impact was almost immediate.

Daly set up two tries with sharp offloads, first dodging around defenders to send scrum-half Gareth Davies over, before a long looping pass to feed Adams' fourth try.

Dan Biggar

You do not always have to be playing to improve your Test chances.

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar's expert control of the win over Japan earned him man of the match in that game.

Finn Russell took over the 10 jersey for the first game in South Africa and his partnership with Owen Farrell, who started at 12, was highly anticipated.

The pair did not quite live up to the billing, but Russell had his moments with some chips setting up scores for Rees-Zammit and Adams.

There is plenty for Gatland to think about as the head coach himself admitted: "The competition is huge."

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