“There are sub-plots all over.”
We are just a week out from the British & Irish Lions’ First Test against New Zealand, at Eden Park, and speculation is mounting about the team Warren Gatland will select.
To our mind, Gatland and his coaching staff have about 11 of the positions locked in. This weekend’s warm-up against the Maori All Blacks may yet provide the final answers for the Kiwi before [on Thursday] he names his matchday 23.
Ronan O’Gara is convinced he knows the pack Gatland will select, as well as four of the backline, but midfield and fullback still give him pause for thought. On The Hard Yards rugby podcast [from 21:30], O’Gara revealed how highly the Lions coaches consider one Ireland player who many currently see as a Test outsider.
“Right now,” O’Gara said, “you could pick from seven or eight players for positions 10, 12 and 13, which I don’t necessarily think is a good thing.
“The definites would be Conor Murray, Owen Farrell, George North and Liam Williams is a banker for the other wing.”
The former Ireland and Lions outhalf is far from convinced about Wales’ Leigh Halfpenny’s claims for the Test 15 jersey and suggested Gatland and his coaching staff highly rate Jared Payne. O’Gara said:
“I think they are going to go with Farrell kicking and think they might play Payne at fullback. Yeah.
“He hasn’t done enough in attack and his body has been hurting him a bit at the minute – it looks like he hasn’t shaken that off – but the amount of time the players in Irish camp have for Jared Payne is unreal.
“His name came up on numerous occasions in the United States, from [Ireland] players and coaches.
“Someone I know was at an event in London and the feedback they were getting from the Lions coaches about Payne was all positive. I think he could be an outsider for 15.”
Indeed, some reporters following the tour, and a handful of Kiwi writers, believe Payne is a live option and is well up on the Lions kick-chase and defensive line-speed game-plan.
Former Ireland international Kevin McLaughlin is convinced Halfpenny will not only start at fullback but be tasked with kicking penalties and [with any luck] conversions.
O’Gara ruled out one English fullback option and tried to get his head around just why an out of form Halfpenny would be relied upon. He commented:
“Anthony Watson, I don’t think. There was talk of him playing at 15.
“Kev may be right though – why did they bring Halfpenny out of the blue on the Lions tour when his form for Toulon has been pretty average and his form for Wales has been pretty average? He is obviously a machine for kicking goals.”
Halfpenny did not look too hot in his start against Auckland Blues so the Maori game is a final audition for him. Should he falter, Tauranga-born Payne could well be lining out at fullback in Eden Park against his Kiwi compatriots.
RONAN O’GARA’S TEST LIONS
Backs
Jared Payne
George North
Liam Williams
Owen Farrell
Conor Murray
Forwards
Mako Vunipola
Jamie George
Tadhg Furlong
Maro Itoje
Sean O’Brien
Toby Faletau
