Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has been named as skipper of the British and Irish Lions for the second match of their South African tour when they face the Golden Lions at Ellis Park tomorrow.
The starting team contains five players who’ll be wearing the famous red jersey for the first time, while a further six men on the replacements bench have yet to represent the Lions.
Only three players who started against the Royal XV in Rustenburg on Saturday — a match won 37-25 by the tourists — get another start against the provincial team from Johannesburg.
They are winger Tommy Bowe, inside center Jamie Roberts and David Wallace, who moves from No.8 to the flank.
Six of the bench-sitters on Saturday, however, have been elevated to the starting XV.
MIX IT UP
“We were always going to mix it up in the first three matches so that everyone gets a full outing,” said Lions coach Ian McGeechan yesterday when the team was announced.
“The first three matches of this tour were set aside so that we could have a look at everyone,” he said.
McGeechan said the team had a “very solid core” with men such as O’Driscoll, Stephen Jones, Wallace, Phil Vickery and Gethin Jenkins all filling key roles in the side.
“They are all very experienced internationals and previous Lions tourists,” McGeechan said.
“David Wallace now has the opportunity to play at openside flanker following his selection at No 8 against the Royal XV,” he said.
“Stephen Jones who was a replacement in the last match, but did not get a run, links up with his Welsh teammate and scrumhalf Mike Phillips giving the team an experienced halfback combination,” McGeechan said.
WORK
He added that the team had done a lot work on several key areas since Saturday’s match in Rustenburg.
“We’re just one game into the tour, but have to keep developing our game. Hopefully we’ll take a few more steps in the right direction on Wednesday,” McGeechan said.
Welsh center Leigh Halfpenny has recovered from a thigh injury and will join the squad in South Africa today.
Meanwhile, the Golden Lions team, also named yesterday, shows no major changes to the side that featured during this year’s Super 14 competition.
The most significant absentee is Springbok center Jaque Fourie, who was expected to be named in the Springbok squad yesterday evening.
The Golden Lions have a new coach in Hans Coetzee, who’ll be in charge for the first time tomorrow, following the axing last week of Eugene Eloff.
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