Lions Rugby – The Lions Rugby Team For SA Tour 2009

The Lions Rugby Team Selection has been
made and the  interest levels are rising to
stratospheric levels not least in South Africa where
Springboks coach Peter de Villiers has expressed
shock that the captains of England, Scotland and
Wales have been left out of the Lions squad.
Lions coach Ian McGeechan chose a 37-man squad
but left out Steve Borthwick, Mike Blair and Ryan
Jones.
“The one thing that surprised me was that the
leaders of three home nations weren’t included in the
squad, de Villiers told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The guys that play under those guys respect them.
He added: Those are the guys that can stand up in
meetings and try to resolve small niggles and things
that can evolve on a long tour like this.
De Villiers also believes that the decision to appoint
Ireland Lock Paul O’Connell as Lions captain ahead
of regular Ireland skipper Brian O’Driscoll could be
costly. Any chance here that they are trying to make
the mood in the camp sour?

Brian O’Driscoll was the captain of the last Lions
team, even though he got injured, and he was the
captain of the most successful Six Nations team this
year. That’s a second big surprise.
Additionally, De Villiers was sceptical of
McGeechan’s decision to pack his team with
physically imposing players who could combat the
powerful Boks.
If McGeechan wants to sit down and try to match
the Springboks then I think that is the wrong thing,
he said.
If he wants to say ‘this is our strength, this is how we
want to play the game, these are the people who can
do the job for me’ then I can justify any selection he
has made.
But I will not sit down and say ‘they are going to do
this, so I should do this’. I am more focused on what
I want to do and I will find the talent and the players
to do the job for us.
The Lions Tour 2009 tour officially begins on 30
May. The Lions Rugby Tour fixtures start with a
game against a Highveld XV with the Tests against
the Springboks starting on 20 June.
The quest for Lions Rugby Tour Tickets has begun
with lots of rugby mad fans already rushing out to
buy their Lions Rugby Jersey 2009!