Following the conclusion of the round of 16 stages in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, here is our British and Irish Lions Team of the Week.
It was a tough weekend for Premiership sides in European action, with Harlequins and Saracens falling to heavy defeats, and while Sale Sharks gave a better account of themselves, they too came up short. But there were better successes for the Irish contingent and the British contingent representing French clubs too.
Without further ado, here is our British and Irish Lions XV after this weekend’s action.
British and Irish Lions Team of the Week
15 Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors): Scottish back Rowe has really hit top form at a good time, and he was yet again great as the Warriors waltzed to victory over Leicester. His ability to pop up in different holes made him a consistent part of their attack, even if he didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, as he led the way for both carries (17) and metres (154) throughout the game. Hugo Keenan also gave a good account of himself in Leinster’s win over Harlequins.
14 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints): Wing still feels like an open position for the Lions Test side, but Freeman is certainly doing his best to take one of the shirts. The Saints winger was at his attacking best in the win over Clermont with a dazzling hat-trick and overall carrying prowess.
13 Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors): Despite not having the Six Nations he might have hoped for, McDowall has really impressed since returning to Glasgow duty. He yet again made consistent metres ball-in-hand with 53 to his name and chipped in with a linebreak, too. He’s probably still in the ‘bolter’ category, but he is certainly upsetting the pecking order right now.
12 Robbie Henshaw (Leinster): 12 continues to be a major headache for Andy Farrell, and the ever-classy Henshaw has only compounded that with a barnstorming all-court performance. The experienced centre consistently made big impacts throughout his side’s win on Saturday, which felt like a proper statement of intent both in the context of this Champions Cup campaign but also to get a good group back into the Lions mix. It’s Farrell’s biggest conundrum right now, and Henshaw has only made it worse in that respect.
11 James Lowe (Leinster): Again, a tough call for the 11 shirt this weekend given the quality on display from the various wingers, but Lowe gave a timely reminder of exactly what he can do with a fantastic attacking display. Across his shift, Lowe made 17 carries for 120 metres and again stepped up in the kicking game with seven to his name. He had seen his stock drop after the Six Nations, but he should now be right back in the mix.
10 Jack Crowley (Munster): A fitting performance from Crowley, who channelled his inner Ronan O’Gara to steer his team to victory over O’Gara’s La Rochelle. Aside from nailing the winning drop-goal, he showed seriously good game management skills and maturity to guide his side to victory in what was as close to a Test match as you can get at club level. Weirdly, it seems the speculation over his future is also bringing the best out in him as this was the latest in a string of good Munster displays since returning from the Six Nations, and that has got him very much back in the mix. Sam Prendergast can feel hard done by to miss out here, though.
9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster): He’s already got the number shirt tailored to fit, but this was yet again a reminder of how well he’ll do this summer as he was yet again sensational for Leinster. He again helped get them on the front-foot with some serious fizz around the ruck, and chipped in with a neat assist as well.
8 Caelan Doris (Leinster): Another majorly impressive performance from Doris, who looks all-but locked in to start at eight this summer. His 20 carries ball-in-hand and 16 tackles really helped Leinster get the better of the battle up front, but it also helped set the tone in his side’s ridiculous win.
7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster): Henry Pollock could easily have been included here after his breathtaking display, but we couldn’t ignore Van der Flier’s marvelous display in his side’s win. He was at his imposing best in the tight with 81 metres to his name from just 10 carries, and he typically got himself about in defence too with 13 tackles. Again, seven is a huge headache for Farrell now, but a performance like that should put the former World Rugby Player of the Year at the forefront of his mind.
6 Jack Willis (Toulouse): Jac Morgan was once again excellent for Ospreys in their win over Scarlets, but Toulouse’s Willis was a phenom in his side’s win. This was exactly the sort of statement performance Willis needed to make after missing out on the Six Nations, and it was a very timely reminder of what he could bring to Farrell’s squad if he was called in. He was just everywhere in the win, beating both Curry brothers hands down, too.
5 Tadhg Beirne (Munster): Yet another standout performance from Beirne, who has likely booked his spot on the plane. The Munsterman more than fronted up against the behemoth La Rochelle pack, and again his leadership and experience came to the fore to get them over the line.
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4 David Ribbans (Toulon): Former England lock Ribbans has taken his game to new heights since heading over the channel, and he was at the peak of his powers against Saracens. He yet again got through so much work for his side, which helped break through the stubborn early resistance, and it’s that sort of relentless approach that could get him on tour this summer.
3 Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors): Like the rest of the Glasgow contingent in this side, he has hit form at exactly the right time to force his way into the Lions squad. His scrummaging improved as the rounds went on during the Six Nations, but against Leicester, he was absolutely brutal as he sent Nicky Smith backwards at almost every scrum. This is the sort of standard we expect from Fagerson, and it’s form like this that Farrell wants to see from him.
2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster): He was already nailed on to start after the Six Nations, but this again showed he’s going to be bang in form come the summer. Sheehan was yet again just spot-on with all the basics while adding a few flashes of individual brilliance to get his side through Quins’ defence. Dewi Lake also gave another great account of himself with a try-scoring performance.
1 Andrew Porter (Leinster): While not the most breathtaking loosehead display this weekend, Andrew Porter was incredibly steady, and that’s just what Farrell wants from him. He seems to be building a proper platform to kick on from in his recent outings, and that should see him peak at exactly the right time.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/british-and-irish-lions-team-of-the-week-dazzling-bolters-upset-the-pecking-order-as-farrells-main-selection-conundrum-intensifies
