It’s finally here, The British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand officially starts this Saturday morning when the Lions take on the Provincial NZ Barbarians. They have a few weeks of warm-up games before their first Test against the All Blacks in Auckland on the 24th of June. By the end of the tour, The Lions will have played every NZ Super Rugby team and the All Blacks three times.
The first game is crucial for setting the tone for the rest of the tour and The Lions should have no problem dispatching the smaller NZ equivalent to the iconic Barbarians. But this will be no walkover. The NZ Barbarians features a number of Super Rugby regulars as well as Lions Coach, Warren Gatland’s own son.
The Lions have picked all 3 of the touring Scottish players in a side that is by no means the B-team despite the absence of some key players. Lions Captain, Sam Warburton, will also be taking to the field.
RS Prediction: 30 – 12 to the Lions
Lions Starting XV: S Hogg; A Watson, J Joseph, B Te’o, T Seymour; J Sexton, G Laidlaw; J Marler, R Best, K Sinckler, AW Jones, I Henderson, R Moriarty, S Warburton, T Faletau.
NZ Provincial Barbarians Starting XV: L Laulala; S Vaka, I Finau, D Sweeney, S Reece, B Gatland, J Stratton, A Ross, S Anderson-Heather, O Jager, J Goodhue, K Mewett, J Tucker, L Boshier, M Dunshea.
Lions Starting XV: Leigh Halfpenny; Jack Nowell, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Elliot Daly; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Jack McGrath, Ken Owens (capt), Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, James Haskell, Justin Tipuric, CJ Stander
Blues Starting XV: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, George Moala, Sonny Bill Williams Rieko Ioane, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu; Ofa Tu’ungafasi, James Parsons (capt), Charlie Faumuina, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Scott Scrafton, Akira Ioane, Blake Gibson, Steven Luatua
Lions Starting XV: S Hogg; G North, J Davies; B Te’o, L Williams; O Farrell; C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong; AW Jones (capt), G Kruis; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, T Faletau
Crusaders Starting XV: I Dagg, S Tamanivalu, J Goodhue, D Havili, G Bridge, R Mo’unga, B Hall, J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, L Romano, S Whitelock (capt), H Bedwell-Curtis, M Todd, J Taufua
Highlanders Starting XV: Richard Buckman, Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekitoa, Teihorangi Walden, Tevita Li, Lima Sopoaga, Kayne Hammington, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Liam Coltman, Siate Tokolahi, Alex Ainley, Jackson Hemopo, Gareth Evans, Dillon Hunt, Luke Whitelock
Lions Starting XV: Jared Payne, Jack Nowell, Jonathan Joseph, Robbie Henshaw, Tommy Seymour; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Joe Marler, Rory Best, Kyle Sinckler; Courtney Lawes, Iain Henderson, James Haskell, Sam Warburton (C), CJ Stander.
Maori Starting XV: J Lowe; N Milner-Skudder, M Proctor, C Ngatai, R Ioane; D McKenzie, T Kerr-Barlow; K Hames, A Dixon (capt), B May, J Wheeler, T Franklin, A Ioane, E Dixon, L Messam.
Lions Starting XV: L Halfpenny, A Watson, J Davies, B Te’o, G North, Sexton, C Murray, M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, G Kruis, P O’Mahony (capt), S O’Brien, T Faletau
Chiefs Starting XV: S Stevenson; T Pulu, T Nanai-Williams, J Fa’auli, S Alaimalo; S Donald (capt), F Christie; S Fisiihoi, L Polwart, N Laulala, D Bird, M Allardice, M Brown, L Boshier, T Sanders.
Lions Starting XV: L Williams; J Nowell, J Payne, R Henshaw, E Daly; D Biggar, G Laidlaw; J Marler, R Best (capt), D Cole, I Henderson, C Lawes, J Haskell, J Tipuric, C Stander.
All Blacks Starting XV: B Smith; I Dagg, R Crotty, SB Williams, R Ioane; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt)
Lions Starting XV: L Williams; A Watson, J Davies, B Te’o, E Daly; O Farrell, C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong; AW Jones, G Kruis; P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, T Faletau
Hurricanes Starting XV: J Barrett, N Milner-Skudder, V Aso, N Laumape, J Savea, O Black, T Toiroa-Tahuriorangi, B May, R Ricitelli, J To’omaga-Allen, M Abbott, S Lousi, V Fifita, C Gibbins, B Shields (captain).
Lions Starting XV: J Nowell; T Seymour, J Joseph, R Henshaw, G North, D Biggar, G Laidlaw, J Marler, R Best(cap), D Cole, I Henderson, C Lawes, J Haskell, J Tipuric, CJ Stander.
Lions Starting XV: L Williams, A Watson, J Davies, O Farrell, E Daly, J Sexton, C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, AW Jones, S Warburton (c), S O’Brien, T Faletau.
Replacements: K Owens, J McGrath, K Sinckler, C Lawes, CJ Stander, R Webb, B Te’o, J Nowell.
Lions Starting XV: L Williams, A Watson, J Davies, O Farrell, E Daly, J Sexton, C Murray; M Vunipola, J George, T Furlong, M Itoje, AW Jones, S Warburton (c), S O’Brien, T Faletau.
Replacements: K Owens, J McGrath, K Sinckler, C Lawes, CJ Stander, R Webb, B Te’o, J Nowell.
New Zealand Starting XV: Jordie Barrett; Israel Dagg, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read.
Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden, Malakai Fekitoa.