Warren Gatland has reinforced his Lions squad ahead of the Test matches against the All Blacks by adding six players to the squad. These are not, however, players of the calibre of Joe Launchbury, Dylan Hartley, Simon Zebo, or Keith Earls: Gatland has added four Welsh players and two Scots: Kristian Dacey, tighthead prop Tomas Francis, lock Cory Hill and scrum-half Gareth Davies have been confirmed, with the identity of the Scottish players to be confirmed after the Maori game this morning. They are expected to be Finn Russell and prop Allan Dell.
It's quite clear that these call-ups are not necessarily picked on merit: with Warren Gatland admitting that these are partly based on geography, with Scotland and Wales touring nearby. Gatland admitted so on Sky Sports before this morning's game, citing the examples of Tom Court and Shane Williams from the tour in 2013.
Joe Schmidt was asked about the call-ups after Ireland's 50-22 win in Japan, and his pithy analysis was spot on:
Joe Schmidt confirms zero Irish call-ups. "That's the Lions prerogative but the decisions appear to have been made by proximity."
— Gavin Cummiskey (@Cumoski) June 17, 2017
Eddie Jones wasn't impressed, either:
Eddie Jones on Gatland's decision not to call on any England players in Argentina: "It's only a 13-hour trip from here to New Zealand."
— The Rugby Paper (@TheRugbyPaper) June 17, 2017
Gatland has got a lot of criticism over the decision, with Ian McGeechan and Stephen Ferris both critical of his decision on Sky this morning, with Ferris admitting that "if I was Joe Launchbury, I'd be pee'd off".
They are not alone in their opinion of the Lions coach's decision:
Warren Gatland Criticism
Gatland's decision to call-up players based on location makes a mockery of Lions jersey and is a sickner for players who deserved it more
— Sinéad Kissane (@sineadkissane) June 17, 2017
Went to sleep feeling as though Gatland had made a logistical call
Feel very different on waking up
Launchbury's absence is inexcusable— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) June 17, 2017
So the call ups are true. Scandalous stuff from Gatland
— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) June 17, 2017
If these call-ups are correct, Gatland has made a mug of himself and the tour AND the whole concept.
— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) June 16, 2017
See Also: 5 Of The Most Random Lions Tourists
See Also: Watch: Ireland Run In Seven Tries In Comfortable Victory Over Japan
