Lions team named for match against NZ Maori

By Paul
June 9 2005

Clive Woodward has named a strong team to take on the New Zealand Maoris this Saturday. Brian O'Driscoll captains the side, while Stephen Jones and Matt Dawson make up the half back pairing. Munster's Paul O'Connell starts in the second row, alongside Simon Shaw

Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson and Julian White weigh a combined 54st 10lb (348kg), with locks Simon Shaw and Paul O'Connell adding more bulk.

Fly-half Stephen Jones, scrum-half Matt Dawson, centre Gordon D'Arcy and number eight Simon Taylor also start.

But England's Jonny Wilkinson is still waiting to make his tour bow, suggesting that Woodward is saving him for the tests against the All Blacks.


British and Irish Lions team to play NZ Maori:

J Lewsey (England); T Shanklin (Wales), B O'Driscoll (Ireland, capt), G D'Arcy (Ireland), S Williams (Wales); S Jones (Wales), M Dawson (England); A Sheridan (England), S Thompson (England), J White (England), S Shaw (England), P O'Connell (Ireland), R Hill (England), M Williams (Wales), S Taylor (Scotland).
Replacements: S Byrne (Ireland), G Jenkins (Wales), B Kay (England), M Owen (Wales), D Peel (Wales), R O'Gara (Ireland), S Horgan (Ireland).