Watson, Hogg and Farrell dropped as Gatland announces Lions team for series decider

BRITISH and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has announced his team to face the Springboks in the series decider in Cape Town this Saturday.

The Lions are on the back foot after a distressing defeat to the Springboks in the second test match of the series, and in typical Gatland fashion, there have been some significant changes to the starting 15.

Tadhg Furlong has retained his spot in the front-row unlike Vunipola and Cowan-Dickie, instead Furlong will bind up with Welsh duo Wyn Jones and Ken Owens come scrum time on Saturday.

Gatland has kept the formidable second row pairing of Maro Itoje and tour captain Alun Wyn Jones, while also keeping the back-row partnership of Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Jack Conan.

Conor Murray has been dropped to the bench while Scotland’s Ali Price starts at scrum-half, Price will link up with Wales’ Dan Biggar who retains the number 10 jersey from the last two test matches.

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Ireland’s Bundee Aki makes his test debut at number 12, while Henshaw is pushed the the 13 position. Given the physicality in the midfield last week, the hefty pairing Aki and Henshaw will undoubtedly deter the South Africans from attacking through the middle.

A noteworthy change in the Lions back-three sees England winger Anthony Watson dropped completely from the match-day squad, only to be replaced by Wales’ Josh Adams.

Watson started in all three of the 2017 tour’s test matches versus New Zealand, and the first two test matches of this series. Adams however, scored a whopping 8 tries in 4 of the tour’s opening club games and his remarkable ability to finish will undoubtedly be called upon in this series decider.

Another bombshell change in the back-three sees Scotland captain Stuart Hogg dropped entirely also, he is replaced at fullback by Wales’ Liam Williams.

Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe is kept from last weekend’s defeat and despite his yellow card in that game, he is once again named to start on the wing.

The replacements consist of last weekends starters in Luke Cowan-Dickie and Mako Vunipola. Kyle Sinckler remains on the bench while Adam Beard and Sam Simmonds seek their Lions test debuts.

Conor Murray is joined by fellow backs Finn Russell and Elliot Daly. Russell returns from injury and appears to replace seasoned Lion Owen Farrell in another shock exclusion. Tadhg Beirne, Taulupe Faletau and Rory Sutherland also miss out on selection.

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