Alun Wyn Jones in Test picture after successful Lions return – Warren Gatland
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Three weeks after dislocating his shoulder against Japan at Murrayfield, Jones played 27 minutes as a second-half replacement to complete what Gatland described as a “miracle recovery”.
The Lions’ forward talisman made seven tackles and gained four metres from five carries to give his shoulder a solid test seven days before the series against South Africa begins.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdNow officially reinstated as skipper with Conor Murray stepping aside, Gatland must decide if he is ready to face the world champions.
“Alun got a few shots on and defended well...there were a couple of touches in there as well,” the Lions head coach said. “The big thing for him was to get through that period and see how he was afterwards.
“I haven’t really had a chat with him but he wasn’t out there for a long time.
“We just wanted to see how the lungs were.
“I know how hard he has worked over the last year or so, he was desperate to make the Lions.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“In 2017 he probably wasn’t at his best but has really been exceptional in the way he has prepared for this tour.
“It was a shame he picked up the injury but it’s great to have him back.
“We’ll have that discussion about whether there’s a role for him as a starter, bench player, or if he’s not involved next weekend.”
Luke Cowan-Dickie emerged as the star performer at Cape Town to advance his Test claims at hooker and he now has a real chance of edging Jamie George and Ken Owens for the number two jersey.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut also firmly in contention after impressing during the seven-try rout of the Stormers is Marcus Smith, the 22-year-old who was making his Lions debut only a fortnight after winning his first cap for England.
Smith arrived into camp on Monday as injury cover for Finn Russell but could now be involved in the 23 against the Springboks.
“The longer the game went on the better Marcus Smith looked and he became more comfortable out there,” Gatland said. “We’ll have a look through the game again but he looked good and had some lovely touches.
“He kicked well and kicked for goal well.
“I thought he defended well.
“For a guy who has only had one training session and has been here for only five days, it was good.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“He will be part of the discussions, there’s no doubt about that.
“He’s like everyone though...a lot of people have put their hands up.
“In fairness to the Stormers, they came out and had a real go at us in that first 20 odd minutes and we had to weather a storm.
“There were some really good performances...Luke was good, the second rows played well.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“There was some good stuff from the back row...Duhan Van Der Merwe was strong on the wing too.”
--
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.
Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.
You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk
With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.
Thank you
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.