Lions 2nd Test.

[Rossm]

Warren Gatland makes three changes to side that won first Test
Chris Harris, Conor Murray and Mako Vunipola all start
Taulupe Faletau selected on the bench as Hamish Watson drops out of the 23.

[Rossm]

15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) #783
14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) #816
13. Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland) #844
12. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #824
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Worcester Warriors, Scotland) #841
10. Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales) #821
9. Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland) #790
1. Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England) #787
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England) #851
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #818
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens, England) #825
5. Alun Wyn Jones – captain (Ospreys, Wales) #761
6. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England) #826
7. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England) #853
8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland) #839
Replacements:
16. Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales) #829
17. Rory Sutherland (Worcester Warriors, Scotland) #840
18. Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears, England) #814
19. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland) #838
20. Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales) #779
21. Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland) #843
22. Owen Farrell (Saracens, England) #780
23. Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) #822

Gats would not have been best pleased by Watson's reckless tip tackle. Very lucky to have stayed on the field.

[Raggs]

Even with the risky tackle, Faletau has done very little, and we have no 7 cover if Curry gets broken.

Murray over Price too is an odd call for me, Price was very good.

[hopwood]

Even with the risky tackle, Faletau has done very little, and we have no 7 cover if Curry gets broken.

Murray over Price too is an odd call for me, Price was very good.

We do have good scavengers throughout the squad though.
Itoje, Beirne, Lawes, Curry and Conan can all get their hands over the ball.
The props aren't bad either and Harris at centre....can all compete.

[Raggs]

Even with the risky tackle, Faletau has done very little, and we have no 7 cover if Curry gets broken.

Murray over Price too is an odd call for me, Price was very good.

We do have good scavengers throughout the squad though.
Itoje, Beirne, Lawes, Curry and Conan can all get their hands over the ball.
The props aren't bad either and Harris at centre....can all compete.

It's not just scavengers, it's support. Curry clears out a huge amount of rucks in a way that Lawes simply cannot come close to competing. Watson has the workrate and involvements to cover him. Faletau usually works wider out.

I'm seeing more and more options for a wider game, but you've cut that off at source with Murray at 9, and to get wide, you first need to secure phases quickly. Be interesting to see how it plays out.

I suspected we'd lose the 2nd test regardless, don't think I've changed my mind with this lineup.

[hopwood]

I imagine they're planning for a very tight contest for the first 40-50 minutes.
Very attritional.
Lots of kicking for (box and territory).

Price, Beirne and Faletau coming on to up the pace of the game as the Boks tire.

The gameplan this week is much closer to 'Warrenball'.

[hookender]

And for the boks

15. Willie le Roux
14. Cheslin Kolbe
13. Lukhanyo Am
12. Damian de Allende
11. Makazole Mapimpi
10. Handre Pollard
9. Faf de Klerk
8. Jasper Wiese
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit
6. Siya Kolisi (captain)
5. Franco Mostert
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Frans Malherbe
2. Bongi Mbonambi
1. Steven Kitshoff

Replacements.

16. Malcolm Marx, 17. Trevor Nyakane, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. Lood de Jager, 20. Marco van Staden, 21. Kwagga Smith, 22. Herschel Jantjies, 23. Damian Willemse.

[Heathen]

Whistle and flagmen :

Ben O’Keeffe from New Zealand has been appointed as the referee for the match.

He will be assisted by Mathieu Raynal (France) and Nic Berry (Australia).

Marius Jonker (South Africa) will be the television match official.

[DGP Wasp]

And Erasmus has now completely lost the plot!!

https://www.planetrugby.com/video-south-africa-director-of-rugby-rassie-erasmus-rants-for-an-hour/

[COYW15]

And Erasmus has now completely lost the plot!!

https://www.planetrugby.com/video-south-africa-director-of-rugby-rassie-erasmus-rants-for-an-hour/

He lost it earlier this week when he was caught reposting tweets from his second 'secret' account criticising decisions, this is the cherry on top!

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Its easy to envisage Kolbe getting red cards in the Prem for both the head clash and taking out Murray.

[Neils]

How does Faf stay on

[wasps]

Its easy to envisage Kolbe getting red cards in the Prem for both the head clash and taking out Murray.

I'm surprised he's still on..
At the same time, the Van Der Merwe kick/trip should probably be red too

[Neils]

Its easy to envisage Kolbe getting red cards in the Prem for both the head clash and taking out Murray.

I'm surprised he's still on..
At the same time, the Van Der Merwe kick/trip should probably be red too

As has been said on the sh1t coverage trips are never reds.

[Neils]

In all the Saffer crap about officials who is the citing officer in all this???