British and Irish Lions 2017: Who will Warren Gatland pick for the first Test against New Zealand? What we know
All players have now played and based on Gatland's decisions this looks to be the team for the first Test
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Now all members of the British and Irish Lions squad have played, Warren Gatland has a better idea of who will be named in his XV for the first Test in 14 days.
The Lions put in their finest performance in New Zealand when they defeated the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
It was a gritty game but one they couldn’t afford to lose following the defeat to the Blues on Wednesday and they put in a defensive masterclass to win 12-3 against the Super Rugby table toppers who had won 14 from 14 so far this season.
It was not only the strongest side they had faced but it was the strongest team Gatland had fielded, and it showed, with the likes of Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola and Conor Murray impressing.
Early injuries to Stuart Hogg and Jonathan Davies saw Farrell paired with Jonathan Sexton, who came off the bench, and the duo performed brilliantly together.
But did they perform well enough to persuade Gatland they can face the All Blacks together? The Lions head coach dropped a number of hints about his Test team against the Crusaders, so based on this, we look at who is likely to line-up for the tourists at Eden Park in two weeks’ time.
Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see who Gatland is leaning towards for his starting XV.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments