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Former British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton raised a few eyebrows today when he revealed a selection from the Lions XV that included just two English players. Rugby enthusiasts can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

Despite winning both the Guinness Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup, Warburton did not see fit to reward them in this team selection, instead choosing an Irish team to face the Springboks in South Africa in 2021.

Warburton, who headlined the 2017 tour of New Zealand, revealed his selection on Twitter, writing: “What a game England. Look at my Lion XV. What you think?”

In fairness to Warburton, although he did not specify it in his Tweet, his selection was made in the context of his current form of the weekend’s Fall Nations Cup final, where England did not shoot, barely leaving the line against a third party. French costume choice.

XV LIONS OF SAM WARBURTON

1. Cyan Healy

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie

3. Andrew Porter

4. Maro Itoje

5. James Ryan

6. Justin Tipuric

7. Peter O’Mahoney

8. Taulupe Faletau

9. Conor Murray

10. Jonny Sexton

11. Keith Earls

12. Bundee Aki

13. Robbie Henshaw

14. Duhan van der Merwe

15. Jacob Stockdale

The Welshman’s last rugby match was the Lions’ test draw against the All Blacks in June 2017. After the series in New Zealand, he underwent neck surgery due to an ongoing injury followed by surgery for a proactive knee in early 2018. Tried to get back in top shape. But he was unable to reach the heights he desired and so he made the heartbreaking decision to retire at just 29 years old.

England head coach Eddie Jones has specified that he wants 20 English players to make the tour, an effort he believes will keep the players going ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. There will be a big chance of that if Gatland chooses a team like Warburton’s.

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The British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa next year will be a very special one for a member of the 2019 Springboks Rugby World Cup-winning team. Rugby enthusiasts can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

Jesse Kriel revealed on Twitter that his great-grandfather, John Hodgson, played in the famous red jersey against the All Blacks and Wallabies 90 years ago. Hodgson, a loose forward who played his English rugby club for North Northumbria, was involved in the 6-3 win over New Zealand in Dunedin and the 15-10 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland in 1930.

In all, the Gosforth-born winger made 15 appearances for the British & Irish Lions, scoring nine points. He also represented England from 1932-1936, winning seven international matches, including the England team that played against the 1932 Springboks in London on January 2, 1932.

“I think it’s very special, really, to know that he played for the Lions,” Kriel told the official Springbok website.

Kriel went on to explain that relatives in England initially wanted to present the Hodgson Lions cap to their grandfather David’s sister Diana, but due to international travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to send it by post to South Africa, where he arrived safely a few days ago.

“You can imagine how happy she was, proud and a little bit excited when the package was delivered to her,” said Kriel from Tokyo, where she currently plays for the Canon Eagles.

It was a good idea for discussions in the family group chat on WhatsApp.

“I thought it would be nice to share the moment on Twitter, especially with the Lions tour of South Africa on the horizon.”

Jesse Kriel

Kriel’s twin brother Dan previously played with him for the Bulls in Pretoria and while Jesse has made Japan his rugby home, Dan moved to Cape Town, where he played for the Western Province, and later the Lions in Johannesburg, whom he was recently captain.

The Kriel twins represented the Junior Springboks at the World Rugby U20 Championship in New Zealand in 2014, where they defeated their New Zealand hosts twice before suffering a close defeat to England U20 in the final at Eden Park.

John McDonald Hodgson was born on February 13, 1909, in Gosforth, England and passed away on April 21, 1970.

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Warren Gatland has always sought the white heat of the Six Nations decision-makers when it comes to finalizing outstanding picks for the British and Irish Lions squads. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

The most famous example of this was Wales’ victory over England in Cardiff in 2013. By winning the title, Wales not only denied England a Grand Slam, but the form of their 30-3 victory solved a number of key problems. Selection for Gatland before the Australian tour.

“It’s a situation where you want to see players under pressure, and that’s what we’re going to face in Australia,” Gatland said before the game.

Alex Cuthbert and Justin Tipuric were two of several Welsh players chosen for the tour as a result, while Chris Robshaw was the highest-profile of the English contingent who would miss it.

Four years later, there was an equally shocking climax for the championship, when Ireland defeated a team from England pursuing a second successive Grand Slam in Dublin. Peter O’Mahony, who had only reached the starting XV when Jamie Heaslip retired with a back injury in the warm-up, Iain Henderson and CJ Stander won the selection after the 13-9 win, with O’Mahony moving on to be captain. The Lions in the first Test against the All Blacks.

Next year’s Six Nations will undoubtedly prove equally conclusive for several players when Gatland finalizes his team for the South African tour. And yet a closer look at his picks for the last two tours, and the previous tour of South Africa in 2009, when he had a key role as strikers coach, shows that this fall’s internationals will also likely have significant influence.

It was a sweeping debut for Andrew Powell against South Africa in November 2008 that made Cardiff No. 8 stands out and caught the attention of Gatland, and he became a colorful and popular member of the South African tour. Ugo Monye and Riki Flutey also debuted for England that fall, with Monye starting Test 1 against the Springboks and Flutey played a key role in Test’s third victory in Johannesburg.

England’s impressive victory over the All Blacks four years later had a similar impact for Tom Youngs, who had made his debut that fall, and Geoff Parling, who was in his first year of international rugby. Youngs started the first two Tests, Parling the second and third, as the series was won 2-1.

The fall of 2016 was even more shocking, with Tadhg Furlong launching onto the world stage as an outstanding hard-headed mainstay after just a handful of starts when Ireland defeated New Zealand and Australia, prompting influential commentators to link him to the Lions selection.

England was the main beneficiary this time, however, when Ben Te’o and Elliot Daly debuted that fall and played for the Lions Test team.

Kyle Sinckler also got into Gatland’s considerations after making his substitute debut for England that fall in victories over South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia and made the test team for all three games against the All Blacks.

Jamie George also did enough off the bench to convince Gatland to pick him ahead of Dylan Hartley as one of three hookers and he finished as the test hooker. Which brings us to the start of the inaugural Fall Nations Cup, which begins on Friday night with Ireland entertaining Wales in Dublin. Will the opportunity call again during the next month?

It could be argued that the absence of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina due to the Covid-19 pandemic will have reduced the competitive intensity that players are exposed to.

And yet the staging of what is effectively a Six Nations-plus tournament could also be seen as a glorious month-long test of the Lions, providing Gatland with valuable information and data on how his “likely”, “possible” and “bolters” match in head-to-head context.

Gatland will undoubtedly use the Six Nations performances next year as the ultimate decider, but never before has a Lions coach had the luxury of scrutinizing so many internationals among local unions in the same season, and this fall too. There is a competitive advantage, with a cup at stake for the first time.

The evolution of the respective teams in the year after the World Cup brings an additional advantage to Gatland. Each team is already in the process of bleeding new faces, but this fall they will fight not with their Southern Hemisphere counterparts but directly with potential rivals for the Lions team.

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The opening weekend of the inaugural Fall Nations Cup featured a host of international matches, lots of attempts, and no shortage of drama. Ireland kicked off the show with an impressive win against Wales on Friday night before Scotland continued their winning streak with a hard-won victory over Italy. Rugby enthusiasts can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

A physical battle between England and Georgia concluded the first round at Twickenham, with the reigning Six Nations champions showing their power to secure extra points success. And with the ticking of the clock towards the 2021 Tour to South Africa, there were a number of individual performances that would certainly have piqued Warren Gatland’s interest.

GEORGE TREBLE DOWNS GEORGIA

It was a brutal physique that dominated the day when England proved they were more than a match for Georgia’s heavyweight group, with the hosts prevailing 40-0 on their return home. Flanker Jack Willis marked his debut with an attempt to get the score going for the hosts, who had not played at home since their Six Nations victory against Wales in March.

Then it was time for the Jamie George show, as the 2017 British and Irish Lions hooker benefited from powerful mauls to crash over the cover-up twice in nearly identical moves. Two fellow Lions also combined for the bonus point trial at the peak of the break, with Jonathan Joseph breaking in midfield before finding Elliot Daly to put England 26-0 up.

George completed his hat-trick becoming the first English hooker to hit a test triple after the interval with another replica of his first two scores, while Dan Robson dived to bring in England’s sixth, with Owen Farrell converting five of those.

And George was happy to keep his own contribution low-key, saying, “It was a great team performance. What I liked the most was that when it came to forwards, we got on the plate.”

SCOTLAND KEEP THE MOMENTUM

Scotland posted their fifth straight win by beating Italy 28-17 in Florence, but Gregor Townsend’s men didn’t have it all their way in their Fall Nations Cup arc. The Azzurri were ready for the game from the first whistle and Paolo Garbisi’s booty together with Matteo Minozzi’s first-half try ensured the hosts won 11-7 at half-time.

Duhan van der Merwe’s impressive try kept the visitors in touch, but Garbisi extended Italy’s lead after the restart with another penalty before Zander Fagerson try tied the score. Garbisi struck again to reestablish Italy’s lead as momentum continued to waver before the turning point in the game arrived with just under 15 minutes to play.

Scotland put faith in their pack and parried a shot on goal, resulting in a lineout maul that eventually gave Scott Cummings a chance to improve. Duncan Weir’s third successful conversion put the visitors four ahead, but they weren’t finished yet, crossing through George Turner again for a valuable extra point attempt.

IRELAND RAIN IN THE JONES PARADE

It was a great night for two greats from the Lions and Wales on Friday, as Alun Wyn Jones made it up 150 caps and George North came off the bench for his 100th international appearance. But his milestones were among the only highlights for Wayne Pivac’s team, which was beaten for the sixth straight loss to Ireland in their final Fall Nations Cup game.

The first tournament saw Andy Farrell’s men open a 16-6 lead at halftime, with Quinn Roux’s try, Johnny Sexton’s eight points and a Billy Burns penalty doing the damage. Leigh Halfpenny took two penalties in the first half and added another after the break to keep Wales in touch, but his efforts were in vain when Ireland pulled away in the final stages.

Burns scored another penalty before Conor Murray took over the kicking duties and nailed another couple of attempts, adding a conversion later after James Lowe crossed on his debut. Lowe looked at home on the international stage when he won his first international match, while Jamison Gibson-Park and Caelan Doris also impressed on an unforgettable night for Farrell and his team.

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It’s been three years in the making, but New Zealand-born winger James Lowe has finally impressively taken the international stage, scoring a try on his debut for Ireland. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

Lowe, named to start on the left-wing, scored a first test trial in the 81st minute of his team’s 32-9 victory over Wales in the opening match of the Autumn Nations Cup in Dublin.

The 28-year-old did little harm to his actions when he made the move to test rugby, earning praise from various quarters and a 7/10 rating in RugbyPass player ratings for his efforts at Aviva Stadium. His appearance in the emerald green jersey culminates a 36-month journey he undertook to be eligible for Ireland after moving to his adopted nation from New Zealand to play for Leinster in 2017.

James Lowe

Lowe has thrived since his transfer from the Chiefs to the Irish club giants, scoring 33 attempts in 49 outings as he played a key role in the success of PRO14 and Champions Cup in recent seasons. An equally fruitful period in the Irish national team appears to be ahead for the former Maori All Blacks representative, with fans and experts on Twitter voicing their thoughts on Lowe’s first foray into international rugby.

Some users were bold in their evaluations of Lowe’s performance, even going so far as to suggest that the sprinter could be in line for a British and Irish Lions call-up for their 2021 South Africa tour. A friend of mine in Nelson told me that James Lowe has now scored in his Tasman debut, the Chiefs, New Zealand M?ori, Leinster and Ireland. Maybe the Lions are next?

Warren Gatland

If Lions boss Warren Gatland selected him on next year’s squad, he would join an exclusive group of players who played both for and against the Lions. Having appeared for the Maori All Blacks in their 32-10 loss to the Lions three years ago, it would not be unattainable for Lowe to join Riki Flutey, James Hook, Jared Payne and Elliot Daly in accomplishing such a feat.

With the remainder of the Fall Nations Cup, a Six Nations campaign, and the European club season still to play between now and that team, there’s plenty of time for Lowe to make his case for a Republic tour in eight months. Elsewhere, those with ties to Kiwi, however, were disappointed by New Zealand’s profligacy in allowing the Nelson-born product to escape the clutches of the All Blacks.

Some users even used Lowe’s debut to criticize Ireland’s selection policy that allows the New Zealander to play for the country but prevents French star Simon Zebo from adding to his 35 international matches.

Others were simply happy to see Lowe in an Irish jersey for the first time and were excited about what the future held for the prolific shot scorer. Lowe’s next chance to play for Ireland will come next Saturday when Andy Farrell’s team travels to London to face England at Twickenham in the second round of the Fall Nations Cup.

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An impressive spectacle awaits fans in 2021 when the British & Irish Lions head to South Africa for their quadrennial tour, and former Springbok flank Francois Louw acknowledges that tourists will have a point to prove against the men in green and gold.

With long-time Warren Gatland leading the Lions charge into the Republic next year, tourists are sure to be a dangerous prospect as they set out to repeat the famous series victories of 1997 and 1974. Rugby fans can book British lions 2021 tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

Gatland is no stranger to Louw, who played Wales seven times in his Springbok career, each time with the experienced New Zealand coach at the helm of the Red Dragons. After Wales beat the Boks for the first time in 1999, it took them another 15 years for their second win over South Africa in 2014.

Since then and including that game, where Jean de Villiers seriously injured his knee in Cardiff, Wales’ record against the Boks is four wins in six games played in Cardiff, Washington DC, London and Tokyo. His only two losses were in the 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals and the 2019 semi-final.

Francois Louw

Louw played a pivotal role in the RWC playoff last year, forcing a penalty that eventually led to Handré Pollard kicking the match-winning triple in a very close match. And he believes that next year’s British & Irish Lions tour will again be a close competition.

“I think we can look forward to an exciting campaign next year and the Lions will want to prove a point,” said Louw, who recently retired from rugby in an interview with the SA Rugby Podcast.

Warren Gatland

I also think Warren Gatland will want to prove a point against South Africa, we are the reigning world champions, and that will probably add some pressure to justify that title.

“The Lions will bring a lot of history and heritage. Unfortunately, I missed playing them in 2009 for Western Province, which I wish I had done, but that’s how things turned out for me.”

Louw believes that the British & Irish Lions will travel to South Africa with a point to prove and aim to shut out the Springboks in the three-round series, but having been involved with Bok’s team last year and knowing the players, they are not knows. I think it will happen.

“It is an exciting prospect for any British or Irish player to represent their country at the top. But with the Lions you add a little extra step: you are considered the best,” said Louw, who played rugby in England with Bath for the past decade.

British Lions and South Africa

It’s one thing to be good enough to play in your country, but you are now considered good enough to play for a team made up of players from four countries. It’s a level and a great motivation for the guys here, they all want to play for the Lions and hope to be selected to play in a red jersey test and I’m sure they will enjoy the opportunity to play in the South Africa.

Obviously a large part of the team is usually made up of English players and with us we beat them in the final of the World Cup last year, I think they will have a point to prove. Those players become a different team when they wear the Lions jersey.

“They are a good team and always have been, but it is a difficult tour with some matches during the week so they will probably go to South Africa with almost two full teams. Having the next tour in South Africa is also exciting for fans. They are really looking forward to going to South Africa and I think it has the potential to be an incredible show.”

The first eight podcasts also available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts feature Rassie Erasmus; Branco du Preez, Aled Walters and Jacques Nienaber; Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard; Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx and Schalk Brits; Joel Stransky; Jurie Roux; Mark Andrews; and Francois Pienaar, and can be accessed here.

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