Entirely new Lions team named to start against the Blues

...Wellington (AFP) - Wales hooker Ken Owens will lead an all-new British and Irish Lions side for their second tour match against the Auckland Blues on Wednesday with the tourists looking for a step-up in performance.

Coach Warren Gatland announced a completely new side to that which scrambled to a 13-7 tour-opening win against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians on Saturday.

Wales pair Dan Biggar and Rhys Webb will fill the crucial halves roles, with Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton, an unimpressive starter in Whangarei, on the bench.

"We have a few work-ons from last weekend and we know we need to be more clinical," Gatland said when naming the side on Monday.

"We created some good opportunities against the Barbarians but didn't see them through and that is something we want to improve on."

Owens was unavailable for the tour opener because of the ankle injury which also kept him out of the Scarlets' Pro12 final win against Munster last month.

But Gatland said he was fit to take over from tour captain Sam Warburton for what will be the Lions' first test against a Super Rugby team.

"We have stated from the off that we want to give every player a start in the first three games and Wednesday is an opportunity for this set of players to show what they can do in a Lions jersey," Gatland said.

"We have made 15 changes to the starting XV and we are excited to see what this team is able to do against the Blues."

Jared Payne, a late scratching from the Barbarians because of thigh injury, will also start, partnering Ireland team-mate Robbie Henshaw in the centres.

Lions (15-1): Leigh Halfpenny (Wales); Jack Nowell (England), Jared Payne (Ireland), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Elliot Daly (England); Dan Biggar (Wales), Rhys Webb (Wales); CJ Stander (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), James Haskell (England); Courtney Lawes (England), Maro Itoje (England); Dan Cole (England), Ken Owens (captain, Wales), Jack McGrath (Ireland)

Replacements: Rory Best (Ireland), Joe Marler (England), Kyle Sinckler (England), Iain Henderson (Ireland), Peter O'Mahony (Ireland), Greig Laidlaw (Scotland), Johnny Sexton (Ireland), Liam Williams (Wales)

 ...Is this European Baabaa side good enough to beat the Blues...??? So many untested combinations playing a Blues team 15 rounds into their Super Rugby season....
....Massive game for Blues new standoff facing Dan Biggar and Johnny Sex ton...talk about being thrown to the Lions - with Blues regular Piers Francis on tour in Argentina with England...
Watch for a big game from Stephen Luatua also , playing his last game for Auckland at Eden Park before heading to Europe.....

$2,90 on a Blues victory is looking tempting .

 ...Eight Irishmen named in the Lions squad to face the Blues...fiddle dee dee

 Blues will probably win.

Better team.....the Irish midfield, Welsh halves, Pom second row.....and then there's Stampkar!!!

 Go Blues

Hard not to cheer for the Provincial Barbarians.....for a pick up team those guys were awesome and managed to construct some really elaborate moves.

 Moz it made the 'we only just got together " excuse from the Lions look a bit weak.

This could go down as the worst ever tour for the Lions. New Zealand's depth is the best it has ever been, not just backs but forwards as well. 
I am not sure the Lions are going to win any games from now on. 
Both the test teams and mid-week teams could receive some embarrassing scores put against them. 
The Lions only chance is to get a good scrum, and at least get parity at the rucks or they are screwed

Agreed SB, the 2003 Poms succeeded in NZ because their pack was a force. All those neutral scrums on Saturday against a Fish and Chips team were ominous.

 The Lions will be under the pump for every game in NZ. The real problem will be keeping the B&I Lions uninjured and fresh for each game. Gatland named a big touring team and he should need all of them to keep a strong 15. The Kiwis not only want to win but batter and bruise visitors, each game will be at Test level quality.

 ...looks like everyone's getting a run...but they're only using five or six of their test players in each of the first few games, some off the bench... so they get to trial a few combinations before hand and still stay fresh...Gatland's still holding back some of the big guns though like Farrel, North, Murray etc for the big game against the Crusaders on Saturday...picking that that will be their A team revealed against the Crusties.... and then the following weekends after that more or less the same team playing the NZ Maori and the ABs....mid week team being the B team..