Tadhg Furlong and Conor Murray best placed of Irish as Warren Gatland ponders tough questions

Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong appears to be the only Irishman nailed on for his place when Gatland reveals his first Lions Test team on Thursday

British & Irish Lions scrumhalf Ali Price against DHL Stormers. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The hard work for Warren Gatland began yesterday as the British & Irish Lions boss gathered his coaching staff close and began selecting his starting line-up for this Saturday’s all-important first Test against South Africa.

Saturday’s 49-3 victory over the Stormers wrapped up the preliminaries as the Lions rebounded comfortably from their 17-13 defeat to a Test-strength South Africa A four days earlier and the management will have seen the majority of players in those two games who will be central to their conversations.