“I’m looking forward to seeing what Greig can do alongside Johnny Sexton who both are experienced half-backs”.
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Hansen insisted “when we tour we have total control over when we leave the country” in an early mind-games dig at the Lions – but the tourists were disinterested in engaging in any phoney war as they acclimatised to their new surroundings.
Lions: Stuart Hogg, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te’o, Tommy Seymour, Jonathan Sexton, Greig Laidlaw, Toby Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt), Ross Moriarty, Iain Henderson, Alun Wyn Jones, Kyle Sinckler, Rory Best, Joe Marler.
New Zealand-born Ireland centre Jared Payne has also been included on the bench, giving him the chance to play for the Lions on the ground on which he regularly played for Northland province.
“It is important you win (games outside the tests) and you do get a good feeling in the camp when you win games, but realistically these next three-four weeks are going to be big learning weeks for us”, captain Sam Warburton told reporters at his arrival media conference in Auckland.
“We have named a side that showcases a strong combination of experience and youth and we are really looking forward to Saturday”.
British and Irish Lions rugby team watch as a maori warrior leads a haka on their arrival at Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, May 31, 2017.
“What happens with national sides is not so relevant here now”, said Laidlaw. “I will need a good few games before I start hitting my straps but we all know that every game is a massive audition for the test matches”.
“And Eddie can say what he likes, because he’s not sat in the hot seat is he?”
“The last Lions Series in 2005 was hugely successful, attracting more than 20,000 worldwide visitors staying more than 431,000 nights in total”.
“We haven’t spoken too much about the game but he’s excited about the opportunity”. Go figure. These weird sporting arrangements are an accident of a history that left them behind long ago – both the Lions tour and the united Irish rugby team pre-exist Ireland’s independence from Britain. “Given the limited preparation time we have and other challenges we’ve faced, it would be ludicrous of us to fight fire with fire”.
McMillan had to try to include a player from all of the 14 top-tier semi-professional teams and at least one from the 12 amateur sides as part of selection criteria.
“In the past the All Blacks have tended to concentrate on themselves, they haven’t anxious too much about who they’re playing against”.
Known as the pinnacle of the sport, fans can expect a whole lot of passion inspired by the prestigious Lions jersey, which makes for compelling and intense viewing.
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NZTA have created a chart for State Highways across New Zealand to show the busiest travel times, which are based on previous years travel patterns.
