"People will be screaming at me" - Ugo Monye picks his left-field Lions squad

Tuesday, 04 May 2021 at 20:24

byRugby Rucker

Never afraid of making his opinion known, former England and Lions winger Ugo Monye has picked his 2021 squad on this week's episode of Rugby Union Weekly.

These are the controversial calls, left-field shouts and 14 England players named in his squad.

Check out his full 36-man squad below.

Back-Three:

Louis Rees-Zammit (Wal)
Anthony Watson (Eng)
Stuart Hogg (Sco)
Liam Williams (Wal)
Josh Adams (Wal)
Jack Nowell (Eng)

Monye said: "I feel guilty about this pick. Jonny May was a world XV pick last year and not much has changed in 2021 apart from England and Gloucester struggling."

"Nowell is a good team player, a good squad man and, with his appetite for work and strength over the ball, he brings something different."

Centres:

Robbie Henshaw (Ire
Manu Tuilagi (Eng)
Henry Slade (Eng)
Garry Ringrose (Ire)

Monye said: Tuilagi is only just coming back from a long-term injury but on his day he is one of the world's best, a big point of difference and, against the world champions, that quality could be invaluable."

Fly-halves:

Dan Biggar (Wal)
Owen Farrell (Eng)
Marcus Smith (Eng)

Monye said: ""People will be screaming at me for this, but if Biggar and Farrell are your Test fly-halves, your third fly-half has to be very different to the other two.

"You need a third-choice 10 who accepts that role. Smith would be over the moon to tour, has energy and vitality that will reverberate around the squad and can be the fulcrum of the midweek side."

Scrum-halves:

Conor Murray (Ire)
Gareth Davies (Wal)
Danny Care (Eng)

Monye said: "Faf de Klerk is a real heartbeat for South Africa, and Gareth Davies is a physical, energetic nine who can get at his opposite number.

"I think he would be an unbelievable match-up to take on De Klerk.

Props:

Wyn Jones (Wal)
Mako Vunipola (Eng)
Cian Healy (Ire)
Kyle Sinckler (Eng)
Tadhg Furlong (Ire)
Zander Fagerson (Sco)

Hookers:

Luke Cowan Dickie (Eng)
Jamie George (Eng)
Ken Owens (Wal)

Second-row:

Maro Itoje (Eng)
James Ryan (Ire)
Alun Wyn Jones (Wal)
Tadhg Beirne (Ire)

Back-row:

Tom Curry (Eng)
Hamish Watson (Sco)
Justin Tipuric (Wal)
Aaron Wainwright (Wal)
Jamie Ritchie (Sco)
Taulupe Faletau (Wal)
Sam Simmonds (Eng)

Monye said: "I think Wainwright has a bit of X-factor. He could be world class. I like his match-up with Pieter-Steph du Toit and he brings extra height and a jumping option in the line-out as well.

"Ritchie is just brilliant. Curry and Watson are two players in a particular mould but Ritchie is a different type of player as I look for balance and different ways of operating.

"I don't think either the Lions or South Africa have a player like Simmonds. He changes the dynamic of how you play. He is lightning quick. I would love to see him in a fresh pair of mouldies on a hard track in South Africa."