Final Lions Midweek Team Announced With Best As Captain
Ulster and Ireland’s Rory Best will captain the British & Irish Lions against the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Tuesday (kick-off 7.35pm local time/8.35am Irish time).
Rory Best, who leads the side for the second time on Tour following last week’s victory over the Chiefs, spearheads the same forward pack from Hamilton while there is continuity at half-back in Dan Biggar and Greig Laidlaw.
There are four Irish starters with Robbie Henshaw featuring at inside centre and Iain Henderson and CJ Stander joining Best up front. Henderson and Best’s provincial and international colleague Jared Payne is one of the reserve backs.
Lions head coach Warren Gatland said: “We are obviously hugely disappointed with the result last night but it is important to regroup. We know there are a lot of players motivated to go out and get a result for the whole group.
“A few players put their hands up for selection from the Chiefs game and played their way into the Test team so they know that there is another opportunity for them on Tuesday against the Super Rugby champions.”
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS Team & Replacements (v Hurricanes, 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, Tuesday, June 27, kick-off 7.35pm local time/8.35am Irish time):
15. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs/England) #828
14. Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #813
13. Jonathan Joseph (Bath/England) #809
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Ireland) #824
11. George North (Northampton Saints/Wales) #792
10. Dan Biggar (Ospreys/Wales) #821
9. Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester/Scotland) #810
1. Joe Marler (Harlequins/England) #811
2. Rory Best (Ulster/Ireland) (capt) #793
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers/England) #794
4. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Ireland) #808
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints/England) #826
6. James Haskell (Wasps/England) #823
7. Justin Tipuric (Ospreys/Wales) #786
8. CJ Stander (Munster/Ireland) #831
Replacements:
16. Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues/Wales) *
17. Allan Dell (Edinburgh/Scotland) #834
18. Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs/Wales) *
19. Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons/Wales) *
20. George Kruis (Saracens/England) #817
21. Gareth Davies (Scarlets/Wales) *
22. Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) *
23. Jared Payne (Ulster/Ireland) #830
* Denotes uncapped player