Rob Kearney has been named at full back for the Lions clash with Western Province in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon…

The panel, which will be led by Englishman Phil Vickery, also includes Leinster’s Gordon D’Arcy who will start as a replacement.

Commenting on the team selection Head Coach Ian McGeechan said, “The coaching staff is very pleased with the way the squad reacted to some bad injury news this week. The players took the news on the chin, trained well, focussed on the next match and the performance against the Sharks was excellent.

“The squad is very close as a group of players but now there is now a competitive edge developing as we approach the Test series. That is how it should be. I reminded the players when I told them the team to play Western Province that we were not selecting the Test side until next Tuesday following the Southern Kings match.

“The team for Western Province will be captained by Phil Vickery who is one of the many leaders in the squad. It is just reward for a thoroughly professional player who will play in his tenth Lions match. Vicks is a former captain of England and he played three Lions tests against Australian in 2001.

“No starting players are backing up from the Sharks match as we continue our desire to see all players involved in at least two full matches prior to Test selection. Martyn Williams comes into the starting XV following his recovery from a shoulder knock and Riki Flutey gets his first starting role after proving his fitness off the bench against the Sharks,” added McGeechan. 

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS:

15. Rob Kearney (Leinster/Ireland)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ospreys/Ireland)
13. Keith Earls (Munster/Ireland)
12. Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England)
11. Ugo Monye (Harlequins/England)
10. Stephen Jones (Scarlets/Wales)
9. Harry Ellis (Leicester Tigers/England) 

1. Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks/England) 
2. Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales) 
3. Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England) CAPTAIN
4. Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster/Ireland) 
5. Nathan Hines (Perpignan/Scotland) 
6. Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England) 
7. Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues/Wales)
8. Andy Powell (Cardiff Blues/Wales) 

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Ross Ford (Edinburgh/Scotland)
17. Euan Murray (Northampton/Scotland)
18. Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England)
19. Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers/England)
20. Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland)
21. James Hook (Ospreys/Wales)
22. Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster/Ireland)