LAST UPDATE | 19 Jul 2021
ALUN WYN JONES’ incredible recovery from injury may be the dominant story in the build-up to the game, but Rory Best feels the British & Irish Lions tour captain should be held in reserve by Warren Gatland for Saturday’s opening test against South Africa in Cape Town.
After damaging his shoulder in a warm-up encounter against Japan on 26 June, the Welsh lock was initially withdrawn from Tour duty with Ireland’s Conor Murray taking over as skipper.
However, fast forward to last Saturday’s meeting with the Stormers and a now fully-fit Wyn Jones – having returned to the fold just three days earlier – played the final 27 minutes of a resounding 49-3 victory for Gatland’s side.
This has opened up a debate as to whether the Ospreys veteran should be handed a starting berth against the Springboks, given the unquestionable leadership qualities he will bring to the table.
Yet from the point of view of former Ulster and Ireland hooker Best, Gatland would be wise to stick with the in-form players on the tour. For him, this means selecting the second-row combination of Maro Itoje and his former team-mate Iain Henderson.
“It’s a bit of a strange one because for me, if you’re picking on form, it’s Itoje and Henderson. I don’t believe that he’s brought Alun Wyn Jones out to not involve him in any of the tests. Whether it’s this weekend or whether it’s one of the next two, I’m not sure,” Best remarked today.
“I would probably put him on the bench, because I think to have him around is big. On what he’s done, he would be the next best guy to have in there. He’s still a very, very good player. He’s a very fit guy.
“He isn’t somebody that needs games to find form, but I just think, you’re going into a game like this, you pick your best players and there are enough leaders around the place to fill the gaps.”
Another big call made by Gatland in the days leading up to this weekend’s test was the decision to add Marcus Smith to the squad as injury cover for Finn Russell. The 22-year-old Harlequins out-half only recently made his debut at senior level for England, but evidently had done enough to make the cut ahead of Irish counterpart Jonathan Sexton.
While acknowledging Smith is an exciting prospect for the future, Best believes his successor as international captain should have been the next man in line to board a plane to South Africa.
“My own opinion on it would be the Lions isn’t about bleeding players, it’s about picking the best players. Johnny for me was the next best out-half. You had four out-halves last year when you were picking the squad and one was going to be unlucky not to be on it. It wouldn’t have been the out-half that I left out. I wouldn’t have left Johnny out, but that’s the way it was.
“You’re going to divide opinion with whatever one you didn’t take or potentially whichever two you didn’t take. I don’t think anyone would question Marcus Smith’s ability and he played really well on Saturday. That’s not up for debate, but it’s just whether he was the next best out-half. For me, he wasn’t. He showed some class on Saturday, there’s no doubt about it.
“I’ve heard a lot of people saying ‘Yeah, in four years’ time he’s potentially going to be the test out-half,’ but we’re not building for four years’ time. We’re building for Saturday and then the following Saturdays.”
A part of the Lions squad for their 2013 and 2017 tours to Australia and New Zealand respectively – he played nine midweek games in total across both trips, but ultimately missed out on Test selection – Best will understandably be keeping a close eye on the progress of the eight Irish players in the current set-up over the next few weeks.
There are three from this contingent that he expects to see named in the starting 15 at the Cape Town Stadium, with a couple of others also pushing hard for inclusion.
“I would be saying that Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne and Conor Murray would be pretty much nailed on for me. Hendy [Iain Henderson] would have been until Alun Wyn Jones reappeared and you’re just not sure what way Gatland is going to go with that.
“I feel that one of Bundee [Aki] or Robbie [Henshaw] will start,” the four-time Six Nations winner added.
“I’m just not 100% sure which. I think that Robbie, until the [hamstring] injury, was the guy definitely with the way he played against Japan.
“Just to have taken this long to come back and with the way the other centres have played [it might be difficult], but I think he did enough on Saturday. I would be starting Robbie as well.”
Rory Best has teamed up with Specsavers this Farm Safety Week, to highlight the impact that excessive noise exposure can have on your hearing.
He would say that I suppose .
Love Rory, he’s a gent and a legend but if they’re picking on form it would be Beard and Itoje. Hendy has been good but Beard has been a revelation
@GrassHopper: Taking all the games and opposition, Henderson has been better than Beard, although Beard has been playing well above expectations. I think if AWJ is playing then he starts and have Henderson come off the bench rather than the other way round.
@Kingshu: I’ve a horrible feeling that Henderson may be unlucky and miss out in selection for the 1st Test.
Before the miraculous return of AWJ and the recent excellent form of Beard – particularly in countering mauls, I had Henderson starting with Itoje.
I can now see the probability AWJ starting with Itoje, in 2nd row & Beirne at 6 – with potentially Beard and/or Lawes on the bench.
Gatland is a tool. Irrelevant of the result really hope its his last one
I think the Lions in the current format is wrong. Bringing in players like Smith and Kelleher who are not replacing players rules out there of the tour makes a mockery of the fact being selected for the Lions. In the past replacements were sent for if players were injured and not able to play on tour anymore.
And as for AWJ, would not surprise me in the slightest if he starts on Saturday and Beard on the bench, such is Gatland’s infatuation with anything that is Welsh
@John Peeters: To be fair AWJ is a legend of the game who has experience and leadership qualities Beard doesn’t. It’s not as if he’d be selecting some fifth rate second rower from the valleys.
@John Peeters: @John Peeters: You may have heard of covid and quarantine requirements. It’s a big pandemic affecting the world and having a serious impact on travel etc. Smith was selected as Russell is injured (if not yet sent home). Kelleher was selected as, after the recent episode of covid in Lions camp when about 8-9 players had to be removed at the last minute due to positive test or close contact, they realised the cover in the front row was too low and considered the risk of going to uncontested scrums. It is not as easy as previous tours to bring players in at short notice, hence they brought them in early as a precautionary measure. But John from the Journal thinks is mockery of being selected for the Lions so maybe Garland should reconsider.
@Conor King: then the tour shouldn’t have gone ahead. This is a tour all about money plain and simple. South Africa is struggling to contain the pandemic. To your point about Smith and Kelleher, you would probably say something it was right to bring the famous 6 across in 2017 to NZ from Oz, even though there were no players going home.
The Lions
@John Peeters: I didn’t agree with the “geography 6” as I think they were referred to.
The idea that the Lions is a golden handshake needs mothballing. No Reward for services done was underlined by the exclusion of BOD for that 3rd test yet this dynamic thought process seems to have been forgotten.
I hope that the Best at that time get the nod. SA are going to high kick with four chasers smashing whoever exposes his ribs to catch the ball. I’d pick 15 forwards to start and fill the bench with backs to score all the tries once SA have been properly beaten up.
It worked for Tyrone a few times in the GAA so why not try it in rugby?
@Mick O’Shea: You should go in to management Mick. Of what, I can’t be sure. But there’s logic in there somewhere.
@Quoka: You’ve just selected yourself. Can you hook? And I don’t just mean foot up and wait for the feed, I mean putting it back into the 9s hands almost instantaneously with a directed left footed heel?
Just hope AWJ is nowhere near the team. 2 of Beard, Hendo and Itoje will do