British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has named numerous big hitters in the team to face the Lions at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday, including lock Maro Itoje, flyhalf Owen Farrell and eighthman Taulupe Faletau.
It’s the first British and Irish Lions team to be named since the tourists arrived in South Africa for their highly-anticipated tour, culminating in three Tests against the Springboks starting later this month.
Scotland fullback Stuart Hogg will captain the team this weekend as tour skipper Conor Murray sits the game out.
Englishman Farrell will start at No 12, with Scottish flyhalf Finn Russell taking the No 10 jersey while his compatriot Itoje takes his regular No 4 jersey.
Wales’ Faletau is at the back of a strong-looking pack that features lock Courtney Lawes at blindside flank (No 6) and tighthead Kyle Sinckler, a late inclusion to the squad.
The British Lions cruised to a 28-10 victory over Japan in Edinburgh last weekend in their first warm-up game for the tour.
South African-born bulldozing wing Duhan van der Merwe was not included in the 23-man line-up. Louis Rees-Zammit, 20, slots in at right wing while Josh Adams, the 2019 Rugby World Cup top try-scorer, moves to left wing.
Teams:
British and Irish Lions
15 Stuart Hogg (captain), 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ali Price, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Courtney Lawes, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jamie George, 1 Wyn Jones
Substitutions: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Bundee Aki, 23 Elliot DalyÂ
Lions
TBA
