The team for the first Test on a Lions tour has never been a foregone conclusion.
Particularly over the last three tours, we have gone through the process of trying to second guess head coach Warren Gatland.
My experience of him is that he has a very definite type of player in mind who needs to implement the style of play that he wants to use. There are going to be some players who have stood out that I am not sure he will go with.
Here is who I would pick for the first Test against South Africa on 24 July. You can choose your starting XV at the bottom of this page.
15. Liam Williams (Wales)
Unfortunately for Stuart Hogg, he needed to face Test-match intensity opposition and he has not. I do not think he has shown himself to be any better under pressure than Liam Williams, who has been pretty faultless.
14. Anthony Watson (England)
I think Anthony Watson is a game breaker and a line breaker in a big Test arena when the gaps are going to be small. As much as everyone is talking about Duhan…