Lions Team News:England's Phil Vickery was named British and Irish Lions captain in a side that shows four Ireland players in the starting XV, plus Gordon D'Arcy on the bench, ahead of tomorrow's encounter against the Western Province in Cape Town.
The Lions management have endured a tough week in terms of injury with the in-form Stephen Ferris and the unlucky Leigh Halfpenny ruled out for the remainder of the Tour. That said coach Ian McGeechan managed to put a brave face on it.
"The coaching staff is very pleased with the way the squad reacted to some bad injury news this week,” said McGeechan. “The players took the news on the chin, trained well, focused on the next match and the performance against the Sharks was excellent."
"The squad is very close as a group of players but now there is now a competitive edge developing as we approach the Test series. That is how it should be. I reminded the players when I told them the team to play Western Province that we were not selecting the Test side until next Tuesday following the Southern Kings match."
McGeechan suggested Vickery was an obvious choice to captain the Lions as he is one of the natural leaders within the squad.
"The team for Western Province will be captained by Phil Vickery who is one of the many leaders in the squad,” added the Scot. “It is just reward for a thoroughly professional player who will play in his tenth Lions match. Vicks is a former captain of England and he played three Lions tests against Australian in 2001."
McGeechan made the deliberate move of not naming any player in the starting XV who featured in the tough encounter against the Sharks midweek as his rotation policy and desire to see all players continues in the lead up to the first Test.
"No starting players are backing up from the Sharks match as we continue our desire to see all players involved in at least two full matches prior to Test selection,” said McGeechan, who has named Rob Kearney at fullback. The in-form Tommy Bowe returns to the wing, Munster’s Keith Earls starts at centre while his provincial team-mate Donncha O’Callaghan will team up with Scotland’s Nathan Hines in the secondrow.
“Martyn Williams comes into the starting XV following his recovery from a shoulder knock and Riki Flutey gets his first starting role after proving his fitness off the bench against the Sharks," added McGeechan.
Wales captain Ryan Jones is not among the 22 after medical tests, conducted after his call-up to replace the inured Stephen Ferris, revealed concerns over two knocks to the head sustained while playing with Wales during the recent tour of North America.
A replacement has yet to be announced.
British and Irish Lions (v Western Province)
Rob Kearney (Leinster/Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys/Ireland), Keith Earls (Munster/Ireland), Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England), Ugo Monye (Harlequins/England), Stephen Jones (Scarlets/Wales), Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers/England), Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England), Nathan Hines (Perpignan/Scotland), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster/Ireland), Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England) captain, Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales), Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks/England)
Replacements:Ross Ford (Edinburgh/Scotland), Euan Murray (Northampton/Scotland), Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers/England), Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland), James Hook (Ospreys/Wales), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster/Ireland)
