TOP STORIES There hasn’t been a back as Lions captain since 2005, when Brian O’Driscoll and Gareth Thomas each received the honour. The only other contender for the Lions captaincy, according to the bookmakers, is Wales hooker Ken Owens. Death penalty states returning to 'humane' firing squad One of the mostly evenly spread selections in Lions history saw some of the northern hemisphere’s biggest names get overlooked. Vaccines have not been rolled out for the general public. Now 26, Itoje has a heap of honours under his belt, is hugely respected by team-mates and opponents alike, and interviews extremely well – which is a significant part of being Lions skipper. Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. Alun Wyn Jones will bring his British & Irish Lions journey full circle when he returns to South Africa 12 years after first facing the Springboks, this time as captain. The game’s most capped player with 157 Test appearances is clear favourite for the role ahead of closest rival Maro Itoje after … The lock is the oldest player to captain the Lions in the professional era and is likely to form a second-row partnership with England’s Maro Itoje, who was also in the frame for the captaincy. Alun Wyn Jones 'is expected to be named Lions captain' when Warren Gatland selects his squad for South Africa tour on Thursday... with former Wales boss … Alun Wyn Jones was selected as tour captain … Ireland‘s eight players did not include 35-year-old Sexton, a player Townsend called one of the “best players in the world.”, “Not only does it show the quality of the players we have in the squad,” Townsend said, “it probably shows what’s going to be a huge, physical demand on each player out there and he’s been unfortunate to miss out because of those reasons.”. Thursday, May 6, 2021, Listen to the Front Page Podcast with George Gerbo, Elimination of ‘qualified immunity’ a stumbling point in policing reform talks. “It’s probably using the experience from the last tour, back in 2009,” said Gatland, who was an assistant coach that year when the Lions lost a brutal test series 2-1. WARREN GATLAND has dropped the biggest hint yet that Maro Itoje will captain the British and Irish Lions in South Africa next year. No Jonathan Davies, the reliable Wales center who was the Lions’ player of the drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017. Jones is the overwhelming favourite for the captaincy, with some bookmakers already suspending bets. South Africa has had more than 1.5 million reported cases of COVID-19 and more than 54,000 deaths. The lock is the oldest player to captain the Lions in the professional era and is likely to form a second-row partnership with England’s Maro Itoje, who was also in the frame for the captaincy. 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After a warm-up game against Japan at Murrayfield on June 26, the six-week Lions tour is scheduled to start in July and currently will feature five matches against South African domestic and development teams before three tests. According to a report in the Telegraph, Alun Wyn Jones is expected to take up the mantle as Lions captain for the side’s upcoming tour to South Africa. In a Lions squad that largely reflected this year’s highly competitive Six Nations, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland all had eight to 11 representatives. Jones was stand-in captain for the series-clinching victory over Australia in the third test in 2013, when Sam Warburton was injured, but has never been tour captain. While all the indications were that Exeter No 8 Sam Simmonds has … Remember to comment below with your choice of captain for the 2021 Lions Tour of South Africa. Alun Wyn Jones will be unveiled as the 2021 Lions captain at lunchtime on Thursday and then players around Britain and Ireland will discover if they have made the cut for the tour of South Africa.. Head coach Warren Gatland and his assistants held a final selection meeting on Wednesday and faced several agonising decisions. A leader in every sense of the word, Warren Gatland has called upon the man who was his trusted lieutenant for Wales for so many […] Lock Itoje is one of … Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones has been named British and Irish Lions captain for this summer’s tour of South Africa. Wales great Alun Wyn Jones will be confirmed as captain of the British and Irish Lions when head coach Warren Gatland names his 36-man squad on Thursday for the tour of … Quiz: Can you name the TV show from its popular theme song? UK reports are that Wales' Six Nations-winning captain Alun Wyn Jones is set to be named British and Irish Lions tour captain b Alun Wyn Jones set to be named Lions captain on SA tour - … Martin Johnson made history on the 2001 Tour to Australia when he became the first man to captain the British & Irish Lions twice, having already done so on the trip to South Africa four years prior. Former Wales boss Warren Gatland has revealed the leading players who could captain the British & Irish Lions against South Africa in 2021. READ: Bulls stars join clubs via draft system. Dallaglio: 'Alun Wyn Jones has proved us all wrong - he has to be Lions captain' inews.co.uk - Hugh Godwin • 3h. The 35-year-old has nine Lions caps under his belt and has already captained the side once – in the third and final test against Australia back in 2013. Alun Wyn Jones is reportedly poised to be named as the next captain of the British & Irish Lions by Warren Gatland later this week. Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones will lead the 2021 British & Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa this summer with England's Kyle Sinckler and Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton missing out on … Lions captain 2021 predictions: The candidates explained – and who Warren Gatland is most likely to pick Alun Wyn Jones, Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, … Hogg led Scotland well through the Six Nations and will be a highly-respected leadership figure in the Lions touring party. Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton was the most high-profile omission from a 37-man British and Irish Lions squad that will tour South Africa in July and August, with coach Warren Gatland selecting an even spread of players from the four home unions. Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. England captain Owen Farrell had been considered by many to be the favourite to wear the armband at the turn of the year. Alun Wyn Jones is widely expected to be selected as captain of the British and Irish Lions when Warren Gatland names his 36-man squad for South Africa on … 8 who has provided much of England’s go-forward in the successful Eddie Jones era. 8 without a test cap since March 2018. Associated Press A leader in every sense of the word, Warren Gatland has called upon the man who was his trusted lieutenant for Wales for so many […] Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Former players, pundits and fans have had their say on who should lead the Lions to South Africa this summer, but who are the main contenders and who is Gatland expected to pick? He is one of the most respected players in rugby and holds the world record for test appearances at 157, nine of which have come in the last three Lions series. Other leading players overlooked were England pair Kyle Sinckler and Jonny May, and Ireland lock James Ryan. He would also be the first black player ever to captain the Lions, with South Africa set to be led in the Tests by Siya Kolisi, the Springboks’ first ever black captain. Alun Wyn Jones will be named the British & Irish Lions captain today when Warren Gatland unveils a 36-man squad for the summer tour to South Africa that is expected to include Sam Simmonds.Jones, the Speaking on the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast , he named Alun Wyn Jones, Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje as potential captains in 2021. Jones, tour captain for the first time and in his his fourth straight Lions squad, is one of 10 players from Six Nations champion Wales. Alun Wyn Jones will bring his British & Irish Lions journey full circle when he returns to South Africa 12 years after first facing the Springboks, this time as captain. LONDON (AP) — Wales great Alun Wyn Jones was selected as captain of the British and Irish Lions for the first time for the tour of South Africa. A leader in every sense of the word, Warren Gatland has called upon the man who was his trusted lieutenant for Wales for so many years to marshal the tourists to a series victory. Pinning the ‘California Dreaming’ on Caitlyn Jenner, Ending the tyranny of cancel culture and building an agenda that will win back America, Ending cancel culture’s reign on college campuses. Lions captain 2021 predictions: The candidates explained – and who Warren Gatland is most likely to pick Alun Wyn Jones, Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, … Forwards: Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Jack Conan (Ireland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England), Tom Curry (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Taulupe Faletau (Wales), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Jamie George (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Jonny Hill (England), Maro Itoje (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales, captain), Wyn Jones (Wales), Courtney Lawes (England), Ken Owens (Wales), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Sam Simmonds (England), Rory Sutherland (Scotland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Mako Vunipola (England), Hamish Watson (Scotland). Quiz: Can you pass a pandemics, plagues and infectious diseases test? Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton was the most high-profile omission from a 37-man British and Irish Lions squad that will tour South Africa in July and August, with coach Warren Gatland selecting an even spread of players from the four home unions. However, as we saw with the 2017 lions tour of New Zealand, the captain of the first test doesn’t always manage to lead the side out for the second and third. While all the indications were that Exeter No 8 Sam Simmonds has … Who would be your pick? DOJ: Arizona recount may violate federal law While that is not necessarily a dealbreaker for Gatland (he left the tour captain Sam Warburton out of the starting XV for the first test against New Zealand four years ago), it could well count against the Englishman. The fact that Itoje has never captained England could count against him, while he is also not the long-term captain of Saracens. Published on May 3, 2021. 'The authority of a Lions captain must be self-evident – readily perceptible even at a distance.' Alun Wyn Jones is expected to be named British and Irish Lions captain for the summer tour to South Africa at lunchtime today. 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