Lions squad announcement LIVE: Jonny May and Kyle Sinckler miss out as Warren Gatland reveals selection
Follow all the latest updates after Warren Gatland revealed his 37-man squad for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa this summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow all the latest news live as the British and Irish Lions’ 37-man squad is announced today. Head coach Warren Gatland has selected 21 forwards and 16 backs and the players were not been told beforehand, finding out along with the rest of the world.
There are plenty of big talking points, like the captaincy, which has been handed to Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones after leading his country to the Six Nations title in the spring. Even then though, Jones may not be guaranteed a starting berth in what is naturally a highly competitive squad pooling the resources of the four nations.
Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton has been left out of coach Gatland’s 37-man squad, which tours South Africa from 3 July until 7 August. Owen Farrell, Dan Biggar and Finn Russell will be in contention for the fly-half positions. Follow all the latest reaction from the Lions’ squad announcement below.
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Captain Jones
“He’d be the perfect man to follow into battle. He’ll have the full respect of every player in that dressing room,” says Sam Warburton, former teammate of Jones, and his predecessor, of course.
(Not) Alun Wyn Jones continues
It’s all a little bizarre, this, like something from a relatively poorly produced 80s sci-fi show as a projection of the Lions captain continues to answer questions. Alun Wyn Jones’ hologram has a little of the uncanny valley about it. Would it have been too much to get him along to Central London? I think even Zoom is preferable to this.
“It’s a leveller for all players. We are all going to be waiting to find out who has got the nod.
“A huge thank you to my family for the support, particularly in tough times, and now, it’s most definitely the good times.”
And then, via a ‘beam me up, Scotty’ animation, the new Lions captain disappears. I don’t think we’ll be seeing that again next time around.
Lions Captain Alun Wyn Jones
A virtual reality image of Alun Wyn Jones is being displayed alongside Lee McKenzie, with Covid-19 meaning the captain must be elsewhere.
“I’m very proud and very privileged. I had a call from Gatland on Sunday evening. I actually missed the call, so I had to call him back!
“Initially the draw is to get in the squad. I’ve got a huge amount of pride to be able to add this to the CV.
“It’s strange, after the way the last tour finished. Four years in the space of a rugby career goes by in the blink of an eye. The significance isn’t lost on me.”
Squad expanded to 37!
“There are going to be some players who are really disappointed. We had a four-hour selection meeting yesterday and looked at all our options. We’ve gone with 37 [players]. It was going to be 36,” reveals Warren Gatland.
Well that is a bit of a bombshell. Throw all of the predicted squads out of the window.
Warren Gatland
“I feel so privileged and honoured to be involved. I was lucky enough to play against the Lions in 1993. To be involved as a Lions coach is incredibly rewarding, exciting and something you look forward to in terms of going on tour.”
“The bringing together of the players and staff from four nations is something that is unique. The challenge of playing away from home against the world champions, you are trying to put a team together in such a sort space of time.”
“It’s stressful [putting together a squad]. This is the most challenging squad I have ever been involved in picking. At the end of the day, selection is just a matter of opinion.”
Captain announcement late arriving
Now on the bus timetable of a schedule, a 12.09 arrival time was indicated for the announcement of the captain, but almost inevitably it appears it has hit traffic and may be running late.
Indeed, before we find out who will be leading the playing party, we must first refamiliarise ourselves with the man at the helm from a coaching point of view. Warren Gatland is profiled with plenty of archival footage from his previous two tours in charge, before he pulls up a see-through pew to answer some questions from Lee McKenzie from a safe social distance.
Bryan Habana
“It’s going to be an extra spicy one, I think.”
“I’m hoping the Springboks get a little bit of luck going into this tour, but they are going to be very well prepared.”
The South African view
Now for a slightly different view, with Bryan Habana next to be invited in from the Zoom waiting room to give his recollections of the 2009 tour from a South African perspective.
“It’s a once in a career opportunity,” says Habana, though he namechecks Frans Steyn, who could make a second Springboks squad to meet the Lions in the summer. “It is one of the most unique experiences. The memories that are left, the bonds that are formed, the legacy that they leave.”
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