Former Lions Captain Martin Johnson Name Drops Two Irish Players He Reckon Will Tour This Summer
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Martin Johnson knows a thing or two about the British & Irish Lions.
There are very few professionals out there that can say they’ve captained the Lions, let alone lead them to a series victory, and Martin Johnson is one of them.
The former England and Leicester lock led the Lions to a famous victory in 1997 against a South African side that had won the Rugby World Cup just two years previous. So when Martin Johnson tells you these two players are in line to tour New Zealand, then you listen.
The World Cup winner believes CJ Stander and Tadhg Furlong are definitely in line to tour New Zealand, with the latter a dead cert. When asked about Stander, Johnson had this to say:
“CJ Stander scored a couple of tries [he got a hat-trick]. Would he score those against the best teams in the world? That’s a question, is that going to be as effective.
“But, yes, I picked him in my [Lions] team. He played very well, Ireland did what they had to do; Stander is a big strong guy.”
He also noted that his ability to play across the back-row is a huge advantage, but he saved his biggest praise for Wexford native Tadhg Furlong:
“Absolutely, Furlong.
“We talk about lots of back row players but tighthead props are like nuggets of gold because there aren’t many good ones. He’s played Scotland, who maybe aren’t the strongest of front rows, and again they are going to get tested against better scrummages, France and England potentially.”
What do you think? Will Stander and Furlong tour New Zealand?
