Just when you thought the drama couldn’t ratchet up any further in this Wallabies vs Lions series, it does a full Daniel Day Lewis on you.
The first leak of the day was that Ben McCalman had been drafted onto the Wallabies bench, leading many to believe that Deans would be sticking to his current bench split , leaving no space for Wallaby legend George Smith.
Not so. The Daily Telegraph revealed this afternoon that in fact the greatest openside to ever have walked the planet will now be STARTING for the Wallabies on Saturday night with Hooper on the bench and Gill out of the 23.
If that weren’t enough, meantime on the other side of town Warren Gatland dropped a similar sized legend bomb, announcing that The Prince of Centres, Brian O’Driscoll would not in fact be captaining the Lions in his final match, but was instead DROPPED ALTOGETHER from the Lions squad.
In his place Jamie Roberts is back at inside centre, Davies goes to number 13 and Tuilagi takes the bench spot.
It’s already raising a lot of eyebrows
Incredible range of opinions re Selection… Gatland will do his own explaining but "Ballsy" re Bod is an understatement
— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) July 3, 2013
In terms of appeasing the Rugby Gods (and perhaps ensuring the total Welshification of the side) Gatland has made Alun Wyn Jones captain. A coincidence considering all the hullaballoo over James Horwill’s double exoneration? I think not.
And I’m not joking about Welshification. By also bringing in Hibbard, Faletau (Heaslip similarly Game of Throned like O’Driscoll) and Mike Jones, 10 out of the starting 15 are now Welsh. If in doubt eh Warren?
Is this the biggest stack of one country’s players in a team?
@MattRowley @benoconnor27 Equal to a 1950 record 1st Test v Aus. There were 12 Englishmen in a team in 1888 apparently.
— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) July 3, 2013
[one_half last=”no”]
WALLABIES
1. Benn Robinson.
2. Stephen Moore
3. Ben Alexander
4. James Horwill ©
5. Kane Douglas
6. Ben Mowen
7. George Smith
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. James O’Connor
11. Joe Tomane
12. Christian Lealiifano
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Israel Folau
15. Kurtley Beale
Reserves
16. Saia Faingaa
17. James Slippper
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Rob Simmons
20. Ben McCalman
21. Michael Hooper
22. Nick Phipps
23. Jesse Mogg
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
LIONS
1.Alex Corbisiero
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Geoff Parling
5. Alun Wyn Jones (c)
6. Dan Lydiate
7. Sean O’Brien,
8. Toby Faletau
9. Mike Phillips
10. Jonny Sexton
11. George North
12. Jamie Roberts
13 Jonathan Davies
14 Tommy Bowe
15. Leigh Halfpenny
Replacements:
16.Tom Youngs
17. Dan Cole
18. Mako Vunipola
19. Richie Gray
20. Justin Tipuric
21. Conor Murray
22. Owen Farrell
23.Manu Tuilagi
[/one_half]
What do you think – who now has the advantage with these selection changes?
