Warren Gatland has named his 2017 British & Irish Lions squad for the summer tour to New Zealand and there are a few surprise calls.
Gatland has named a 41-man squad to take on the world champion All Blacks and there are 16 English players included, but no space for a couple of high-profile names. The shock inclusions are versatile Ireland international Jared Payne and England centre Jonathan Joseph, who was earlier reported as a high-profile man to miss out.
As we already knew, after a leaked picture surfaced earlier today, Welsh flanker Sam Warburton will captain the Lions. The 28-year-old led the Lions to a 2-1 series win over Australia in 2013 but missed the final Test after tearing his hamstring.
https://twitter.com/JOE_co_uk/status/854624726437769216
Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury and Mike Brown are three high profile English players to miss out on the tour while the Scots only have two representatives.
LIONS SQUAD
Props: Jack McGrath, Tadhg Furlong, Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler, Dan Cole
Hookers: Rory Best, Ken Owens, Jamie George
Locks: Iain Henderson, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Courtney Lawes, Alun Wyn Jones
Flankers: Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander, Sam Warburton (captain), Justin Tipuric
No 8: Billy Vunipola, Toby Faletau, Ross Moriarty
Scrum-halves: Conor Murray, Ben Youngs, Rhys Webb
Out-halves: Johnny Sexton, Owen Farrell, Dan Biggar
Centres: Robbie Henshaw, Jared Payne, Jonathan Davies, Jonathan Joseph, Ben Te'o
Back three: Tommy Seymour, Stuart Hogg, Leigh Halfpenny, George North, Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams
