BREAKING: British & Irish Lions Team Named For Opening Test
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First Test.
British & Irish Lions Head Coach, Warren Gatland, has named his side for the first Test against the Springboks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday 24 July (kick off 5pm BST).
Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales) will skipper the Lions having recovered from a dislocated shoulder sustained in the tourists 28-10 win over Japan at Murrayfield Stadium just 24 days ago.
The Welshman will be joined in the second row by Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) who claims his fourth successive Lions Test cap. Elsewhere, Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England) and Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) make up the front row.
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) packs down on the blind side flank to win his third Lions test appearance, having won his previous two from the bench in the second and third Tests in New Zealand in 2017. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England) is named on the open side, with Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) filling the No.8 shirt.
After impressing against the DHL Stormers last Saturday, scrum-half Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) joins No.10 Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) in the half back berths.
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland), who made his comeback from a hamstring injury last weekend, partners Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) in midfield.
Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) wins his fourth Lions Test cap as he takes his spot on the wing opposite Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester Warriors, Scotland), with fellow Scot, Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland), rounding off the side at fullback.
SOUTH AFRICA v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
15. Stuart Hogg
14. Anthony Watson
13. Elliot Daly
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Duhan van der Merwe
10. Dan Biggar
9. Ali Price
1. Wyn Jones
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Maro Itoje
5. Alun Wyn Jones – captain
6. Courtney Lawes
7. Tom Curry
8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Ken Owens
17. Rory Sutherland
18. Kyle Sinckler
19. Tadhg Beirne
20. Hamish Watson
21. Conor Murray
22. Owen Farrell
23. Liam Williams