CJ Stander should be named in Warren Gatland’s British & Lions squad next Wednesday but not everyone is convinced.
During The Hard Yards Lions selection special, Ronan O’Gara, Kevin McLaughlin and Fionn Carr all emphatically agreed on Stander as blindside for Gatland’s Test XV.
A chat with Welsh rugby writer Paul Williams opened us up to the possibility of Stander not only missing out on the starting fifteen but the entire squad. “Gatland will try to get Faletau in there as he wants Billy Vunipola at eight,” he commented.
Irish fans won't like this suggestion https://t.co/VklL4PunPE
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 13, 2017
With Justin Tipuric tipped to make the bench as an impact sub, Stander may get scant reward for a damn impressive couple of seasons with Munster and Ireland.
For all the talk though, O’Gara was not having it [from 10:30 below] and he has the perfect response to anyone daring to leave Stander out of a Lions Test team.
https://soundcloud.com/thehardyardssportsjoe/episode-11-lions-special-our-starting-xv-the-irish-maybes-and-inside-gatlands-mind
Dismissing the notion that his high opinion of Stander had anything to do with his Munster past, O’Gara made a fine argument for the flanker starting against the All Blacks on June 24.
“If you don’t have CJ Stander in your team then your logic for selecting players on form goes out the window.
“He’s fronted up in every single club game and international this season so in terms of trying to get the best out of your players he has to start.
“If he doesn’t perform, then you have a decision to make – do you give him another go or do you put someone else in? But, on form, he starts at six.”
O’Gara believes Gatland’s big decision will be whether or not he selects Munster and Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony for bench cover but he is in no doubts about his starting back row.
“I went with CJ, Sean O’Brien and Billy Vunipola as you’d get three absolute animals in the back row.”
You really can’t argue with that.
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