Brian O’Driscoll picks his British & Irish Lions XV for the first Test
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First Test.
Former British & Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll has had a go at picking his team to face Australia in their opening Test match this summer.
O’Driscoll has selected 10 Irish, nine English, and four Scots in his 23 for the opener in Brisbane on July 19.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, O’Driscoll has picked his side on current form with some interesting selection decisions.
“This is based on current form; as if the first Test were tomorrow,” O’Driscoll says.
“There were not too many shocks in that selection, in fairness. Of course, there will always be 50/50 calls and one or two contentious decisions but even the likes of Henry Pollock to me is not a bolter anymore. I think he was a shoo-in.
“But, as ever, someone who might have been perceived to have limped into the squad will end up a Test player – or someone who was not even named today will feature in a Test. That is almost always the case. There will be someone who we do not anticipate who really excels and delivers in the key moments of big games.”
Brian O’Driscoll’s Lions XV
15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
14. Tommy Freeman (England)
13. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
11. James Lowe (Ireland)
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
3. Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
4. Maro Itoje (c) (England)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
6. Tom Curry (England)
7. Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
8. Henry Pollock (England)
