Six Irish players named in Lions starting team to face Japan

British & Irish Lions Head Coach, Warren Gatland, has named his side to take on Japan at BT Murrayfield Stadium on Saturday 26 June (kick off 3pm) for The Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup. 

Six Irish players have been selected to start – including Munster duo Conor Murray & Tadhg Beirne.

Jack Conan, Iain Henderson, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw make up the rest of the Irish starting against the Japanese, while Tadhg Furlong makes the bench.

16,500 supporters will be welcomed to Scottish Rugby’s national stadium in Edinburgh for the first-ever clash between the Lions and the Brave Blossoms. 

The game against the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-finalists will be shown live and exclusively on Channel 4 and raises the curtain for the Lions’ eagerly awaited Tour to South Africa, which culminates in a three Test series against Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks.

“We’re anticipating a tough game against Japan – a side that like to play at a high-tempo and shift the ball,” said Gatland.

“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made during our training camp in Jersey so far, but we’ve a long way to go. You can see that the squad are starting to get to grips with our game strategies, but, as always with a Lions Tour, this takes time to bed in. 

“We’re in a good place though and I can tell there’s a lot more to come from this group. 

“Everyone in the squad will get a start before the start of the Test Series, so each member of the squad can put their hand up for Test selection.

The Lions’ eight-game Tour to South Africa kicks off on Saturday 3 July when they play the Emirates Lionsat Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg. Three weeks later, Cape Town Stadium will host the opening Test match of the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series – the first Lions Test in the Mother City since 1997.

The British and Irish tourists then return to Gauteng and play the second and third Tests at FNB Stadiumin Johannesburgon Saturday 31 July and 8 August respectively. 

The Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. In that time, the Lions have won four Test series, lost eight with one drawn. Their overall record against the Springboks is played 46, won 17, lost 23 and drawn six.