Four Scots with the British Lions Against Japan

For the British Lions‘ tour opener against Japan on June 26, New Zealand rugby union coach and coach Warren Gatland announced his roster this week. Four Scots are holders.

Warren Gatland Announces Four Scottish Players in British Lions Squad to Face Japan

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According to his roster unveiled Tuesday by the coach, Warren Gatland has picked four Scottish players in the British Lions team to face Japan at Murrayfield on Saturday, the first preparation match for this year’s tour of South Africa.

Winger Duhan van der Merwe, mainstays Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson and flanker Hamish Watson will start, while Scottish scrum-half Ali Price will be on the bench.

The last Scotsman to start a Lions test was mainstay Tom Smith in Australia 20 years ago. Welsh second-row Alun Wyn Jones of Wales will captain the team on Saturday.

The Lions prepared at a training camp in Jersey, although they are still without four Exeter players who will face the Harlequins in the Premiership final on Saturday.

“I’m happy with the progress we’ve made, but we still have a long way to go,” said Gatland.

“You can see that the team is starting to get comfortable with our play strategies, but, as always with a Lions Tour, it takes time to adjust.”

Lions to Play First Game in Scotland

The Lions will play three matches in South Africa on July 24 and 31 and August 7. The Springboks haven’t played a game since defeating England in the 2019 World Cup final and will warm up for the series with testing against Georgia.

But while waiting for this tour which will take them from Sunday to South Africa, the Lions will play the first game in their history in Scotland.

In front of the public, a maximum of 16 500 spectators having been allowed to attend the match against a quarter-finalist team of the last World Cup in 2019.

As expected, Welsh second row Alun Wyn Jones, who appears in the Ideal XV of the last Tournament, will be the captain of the British and Irish Lions team.

The Irish are in force, six in number, in the starting XV. The pair of centres composed of Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki, that of the last match of the XV of Clover in the Six Nations Tournament won 32-18 against England, was notably established.

Four other players elected by the public in the ideal XV of the last Six Nations Tournament appear in the starting XV: Henshaw, in the great tradition of Irish centres, the Scottish winger Duhan van der Merwe, the stirring and virulent third line wing Scottish Hamish Watson, and Welsh hooker Ken Owens.

However, several players are absent, including two Scots: the opener Finn Russell who played last weekend in the semi-final of the Top 14 with Racing 92 on Friday, and the back Stuart Hogg who plays in Exeter and must still play the Premiership final.

After this match against Japan, the British and Irish Lions will play eight games in South Africa, including three test matches.

Lions Team Against Japan

Liam Williams (WAL) – Josh Adams (WAL), Robbie Henshaw (IRL), Bundee Aki (IRL), Duhan van der Merwe (SCO) – Dan Biggar (WAL),  Conor Murray (IRL) – Hamish Watson (SCO), Jack Conan (IRL), Tadhg Beirne (IRL) – Alun Wyn Jones (WAL), Iain Henderson (IRL) – Zander Fagerson (SCO), Ken Owens (WAL), Rory Sutherland (SCO). Alternates: Jamie George (ENG), Wyn Jones (WAL), Tadhg Furlong (IRL), Courtney Lawes (ENG), Taulupe Faletau (WAL), Ali Price (SCO), Owen Farrell (ENG), Anthony Watson (ENG). Coach: Warren Gatland (NZL)