Statistics ahead of first Test between British and Irish Lions and New Zealand

21 June 2017 09:24

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has named his team for Saturday's first Test match against world champions New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland.

Here, we look at some of the statistics heading into the game.

  • Sam Warburton is the first Lions tour captain not to start the first Test since England international Doug Prentice 87 years ago. Prentice left himself out of the 1930 series opener against New Zealand in Dunedin, which the Lions won.
  • It is the fourth time in Lions history that a captain has not started the first Test, following tours in 1930, 1910 and 1896.
  • European champions Saracens have three players - Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and George Kruis - in the Lions' Test front-five on Saturday, which equals the record set four years ago for one team, when Ospreys trio Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones and Alun Wyn Jones all started the third Test against Australia.
  • The Lions starting line-up on Saturday comprises seven Englishmen, four Welsh and four Irish.
  • There are four starting XV survivors in the Lions team this weekend from their last Test against Australia in Sydney four years ago - centre Jonathan Davies, lock Alun Wyn Jones, flanker Sean O'Brien and number eight Taulupe Faletau.
  • The Lions have played New Zealand 38 times, winning six games, drawing three and losing 29.
  • The Lions have not beaten New Zealand since 1993, when they won in Wellington.
  • The Lions have only beaten New Zealand once at Eden Park - in 1959 - losing seven and drawing one of the other eight meetings.
  • When New Zealand beat Samoa 78-0 in their Lions series warm-up Test last week, they became the first team in international rugby history to reach 15,000 points. It was the All Blacks' 553rd Test.
  • Prop Owen Franks will win his 92nd cap on Saturday, equalling former All Blacks skipper Sean Fitzpatrick as the ninth most capped New Zealand international.

Source: PA