enhanced by google



Ronan O'Gara

News: O'Gara to skipper Lions

Published: Monday, 22 June 2009, 2:16PM

Ireland's Ronan O'Gara will lead the Lions against the Emerging Sprinboks on Tuesday, in a team which includes six players who were part of the defeated Test side on Saturday.

Martyn Williams and Donncha O’Callaghan, who both came on as replacements in Durban, will start, while prop Phil Vickery, who was outmuscled by Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira in the 26-21 defeat, Lee Mears, Phil Vickery, David Wallace and Ugo Monye have all been named on the bench.

There will also be a Lions debut for England prop Tim Payne just a day after he joined the tour as a replacement for the injured Andrew Sheridan. He will be joined in the front row by John Hayes and Scottish hooker Ross Ford.

Coach Ian McGeechan said: "The players are well aware of the importance of the match against the Emerging Springboks. We need to step up our performance against a talented outfit whose players, like ours, will be determined to show that they are worthy of a Test place. It should be a great match."

British & Irish Lions team to play the Emerging Springboks:  Earls, S Williams, Flutey, D'Arcy, Fitzgerald, O'Gara (Captain), Ellis, Powell, M Williams, Worsley, Hines, O'Callaghan, Hayes, Ford, Payne.

Replacements: Mears, Vickery, Shaw, Wallace, Blair, Hook, Monye.

Lions Tour: Squad profiles

    Lions Tour: Fixtures & Results

      Read Danny Care's exclusive ITV.com blog