British and Irish Lions 2017: The five Super Rugby sides looking to derail the Lions for the All Blacks
For the first time ever, the Lions will face all five Super Rugby sides during their tour of New Zealand
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The second match of the tour sees the Lions face the first of the five Super Rugby sides that make up the New Zealand conference. The match against the Auckland Blues is also a game that Warren Gatland has already earmarked as the hardest one for his squad, not because of the threat the Blues pose to the result but because of the physicality they bring to the encounter and the damage they may do on his side.
The Blues are currently the lowest-ranked side in the New Zealand conference, but that should be taken with a pinch of salt as they have still won half of their games this season and remain inside the top 10 of the 14-team league.
They also have a number of All Blacks available for selection if head coach Tana Umaga, the man who captained the national team to three Tests victories against the Lions in 2005, chooses to play them in the midweek encounter. The likes of Charlie Faumuina, Jerome Kaino and fit-again Sonny Bill Williams will get their chance to inflict early damage on the Lions, although there is some solace in that the fly-half, Piers Francis, is unavailable as he has flown out to Argentina to join the England squad for the first time.
Canterbury Crusaders
The Super Rugby pacesetters have won every match they have played this season and look to be the most obvious threat to the Lions ahead of the three clashes with the All Blacks. Christchurch is never the easiest stadium to venture to, given the unpredictable weather and intense atmosphere down on the South Island, and head coach Scott Robertson has blended a pack based around power, strength and experience with a backline that zips around the park and likes to express itself through running rugby.
A number of All Blacks could feature in the side that meet the Lions in match No 3, with plenty of those featuring in the pack with the likes of Joe Moody, Wyatt Crockett and Sam Whitelock available for selection. However, they will be without the All Blacks skipper, Kieran Read, as the No 8 continues to recover from a broken a thumbs he suffered while playing for the side earlier in the season.
Otago Highlanders
Led by former Highlander Tony Brown, Otago will be another strong team that the Lions could come a cropper against if they take the 2015 Super Rugby champions lightly. The Highlanders have beaten all of the Australian, South African, Argentinian and Japanese sides they have faced this season, but have come unstuck in a few of their all-New Zealand clashes.
The two Smiths, scrum-half Aaron and full-back Ben, make the side tick and with the powerful wing Waisake Naholo in the ranks, the Lions back line could be in for a torrid time when they travel to Dunedin, the most southern point of New Zealand that they will travel to.
Fans should also keep a close eye on centre Malakai Fekitoa, someone who could prove to be very decisive in the three Tests against the All Blacks.
Waikato Chiefs
The Chiefs can boast an impressive 17 internationals among their squad and will be the final team that the Lions face before they embark on the first Test against the All Blacks. Warren Gatland will go up against his old side and can ill-afford to take his eye off the ball to focus on the next match, given some of the talented individuals that the Chiefs have at their disposal.
The added bonus though is that New Zealand are unlikely to want to risk their international players so close to the Test series, so the likes of Anton Lienert-Brown and Brodie Retallick may not be on display in Hamilton.
However, there are still plenty of useful options for the Chiefs to work with, with Japan captain Michael Leitch available in the back-row and 2011 Rugby World Cup hero Stephen Donald still on the books at the wise old age of 33.
Wellington Hurricanes
This could prove to be the moment that the Lions come unstuck as the final match against a Super Rugby side falls between the first and second Tests with the All Blacks. Four years ago, Warren Gatland rotated his side heavily, naming full-back Stuart Hogg at fly-half, and the Brumbies were able to turn over the Lions as a result.
If the New Zealander elects to do the same again, then it’s very possible the Hurricanes will enjoy the same success. They will, however, lose a number of All Black internationals for the game, with Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett among those likely to be absent. Look out for the younger brother of the World Rugby Player of the Year, Jordie Barrett, who could well use this series to make a name for himself.
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