Woodward unmoved by Gatland selection - reveals the bold team he'd select

Tuesday, 03 August 2021 at 20:42

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byRugby Rucker

Sir Clive Woodward believes the Lions had to go for extreme pace and try to prevent the constant stoppages in the third test against the Springboks.

Although Warren Gatland has made six changes ahead of the third test, World Cup-winning coach Woodward wanted eight alterations with more pace in the backline and a more dynamic ball carrier in the back-row.

Woodward wrote: "His team (Gatland) were way off the pace in the second Test, suckered into playing the forward-orientated game the Springboks love, at the steady pace they enjoy.

"It was a desperately poor second half from the Lions, who looked deflated, flat and confused. The Lions have to go for broke this weekend."

See Woodward's Lions selection below.

BACK-THREE:

15 .Liam Williams
for Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
14. Louis Rees-Zammit for Anthony Watson (England)
11. Josh Adam (Wales) for Duhan van de Merwe (Scotland)

Woodward wrote: "Liam Williams, Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Adams and Elliot Daly must all come into play. The theme must be extreme pace in everything the Lions do.

"Change the atmosphere of the contest. The last two months of the Premiership season were lit up by sides playing the ‘you score four tries, we will score five’ style of rugby."

CENTRES:

13. Elliot Daly (England) for Chris Harris (Scotland)
12. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland)

HALFBACKS:

10. Finn Russell (Scotland) or Marcus Smith (England) for Dan Biggar (Wales)
9. Ali Price (Scotland) for Conor Murray (Ireland)

Woodward wrote: "The Lions have to go for broke. It must be Finn Russell if fit or Marcus Smith at fly-half. And whichever of those two doesn’t start needs to be on the bench. I’m a huge Owen Farrell fan but he offered no threat off the bench on Saturday, he just continued in the same vein as Dan Biggar."