Tour Manager Gerald Davies today announced his first British and Irish Lions XV to face the Royal XV in Rustenburg on Saturday, with Mike Blair handed the starting scrum-half berth in a team including tour captain Paul O’Connell. The other Scots are left out (Euan Murray is being rested). Blair’s half back partner will be Ronan O’ Gara. Several of the players such as Blair, and probably Shane Williams, will be looking to show they are back on form in a back division with a distinctly Welsh flavour.
15. Lee Byrne (Ospreys/Wales)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ospreys/Ireland)
13. Keith Earls (Munster/Ireland)
12. Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
11. Shane Williams (Ospreys/Wales)
10. Ronan O’Gara (Munster/Ireland)
9. Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland)
8. Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
7. Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
6. Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England)
5. Paul O’Connell (Munster/Ireland) captain
4. Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England)
3. Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
2. Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales)
1. Andrew Sheridan (Sales Sharks/England)
Replacements:
16. Lee Mears (Bath/England)
17. Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England)
18. Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys/Wales)
19. Stephen Ferris (Ulster/Ireland)
20. Mike Phillips (Ospreys/Wales)
21. Stephen Jones (Scarlets/Wales)
22. Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England)
2 responses
Tommy Bowe Welsh? That’ll surprise him.
Oops – I have corrected that. Interestingly enough though, I pasted that straight from the official Lions Press Release…