You can train all you want but there’s no better way to impress than by doing it in the heat of competition.
30 players met up for the second week of British & Irish Lions training camp and 27 of them were fit enough to fully take part in sessions at Carton House.
Lions assistant coach Andy Farrell praised the players present for coping with the difficulty and intensity of training but admitted everyone would have their eyes on this weekend’s action.
CJ Stander, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony – as well as Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams – will get their chance in the Guinness PRO12 final this weekend but three players certainly staked their claim for a Test place this evening.
Over at Franklin’s Gardens, George North and Courtney Lawes played the full 80 minutes for Northampton Saints as they came back from 22-6 down to win 23-22 to qualify for next season’s Champions Cup. It was an evening of high drama, on and OFF the pitch…
@JOEdotie @JOE_co_uk @SportsJOEdotie #target pic.twitter.com/SF73otSoKp
— jc (@joecool101) May 26, 2017
North featured more in a defensive role as Saints just about weathered the Stade storm before roaring back to score the match-winning try when reduced to just 13 men. Young English outhalf Harry Mallinder held his nerve with the crucial conversion to clinch it.
Man of the match – for the third consecutive game – was England lock Courtney Lawes.
The 28-year-old was ill in the lead-up to the game and was playing with a strapped calf muscle but he slogged himself through the full 80 as Saints got over the line in thrilling style.
He must now be a live contender for the Lions second row when they face the All Blacks in the Test Series. One would definitely place Lawes ahead of Iain Henderson in the current Test pecking order.
Another player hitting form at the right time is Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who kicked fine penalties for Toulon in the Top 14 semi final against La Rochelle. Toulon needed a drop goal in the closing stages to get the job done and reach their fifth final in six seasons.
Halfpenny may well get the red No.15 jersey ahead of Stuart Hogg as he has more defensive and aerial credits in the bank and kicked the Lions to a series win against Australia in 2013. The shame for Toulon is that Halfpenny is now set to miss next weekend’s final in order to travel with the Lions, something their fans hope is reversed.
#srrct ❤️🖤rien à dire…maintenant, tt est possible.
Nouvelle finale.Warren Gatland, laisse nous Halfpenny encore 8 jours,ce serait classe😉— Dominique Dechen (@DominiqueDechen) May 26, 2017
Were he to get the goal-kicking nod, that could influence Gatland when it comes to choosing between Johnny Sexton or Owen Farrell [or Dan Biggar] as outhalf.
