British & Irish Lions Test places up for grabs, says Lawrence Dallaglio
The race for British & Irish Lions Test places begins in Cardiff this weekend as Northampton Saints' quartet of tourists get the chance to stake their claim in the Investec Champions Cup final against Union Bordeaux Bègles (live on Premier Sports 1 from 1.30pm).
That is the view of Lawrence Dallaglio, who speaks from experience, having won the competition twice, as well as touring three times with the Lions.
Dallaglio will be up close and personal this weekend in the Principality Stadium, as part of the 15-strong Premier Sports TV punditry team delivering the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup for Premier Sports, the new broadcasters of international club rugby's premier competitions.
It is the Challenge Cup first on Friday night, followed on Saturday at 2.45pm by the Investec Champions Cup.
Fresh from selection to Andy Farrell's squad, half-back pair Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith, prolific winger Tommy Freeman and rising star Henry Pollock will all have huge roles to play as Saints try to claim the trophy for their second time against French giants Union Bordeaux Bègles, who are in their first final.
The match is being shown live on Premier Sports 1 across the UK with a full 90-minute build-up with the most experienced presenters, commentators and pundits in the business on hand to take supporters through all the twists and turns of what's set to be a box office final.
And while the focus is unquestionably on backing up Saints' spectacular semi-final win away to tournament favourites Leinster, Dallaglio believes that the race for a starting Lions spot will also get underway at Principality Stadium.
'There are some wonderful individual match-ups throughout the teams. Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert are going up against Mitchell and Smith, who are British & Irish Lions,' said Dallaglio.
'Test selection starts now, and if you continue to play well and dominate and show you can manage a game in the most intense environments like Cardiff against a quality side, that is another feather in your cap before you have even got on the aeroplane.'
The battle of the half-backs could have huge implications for who comes out on top, while Freeman will hope to maintain his rich vein of form against Bordeaux's own superstar quick men, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud – who is expected to be back fit after limping off in the semi-final.
It is the fourth member of the Lions quartet who could have the biggest impact, though, with Pollock potentially in line to start at No.8 in the absence of the injured Juarno Augustus.
That is a big challenge, but Dallaglio believes the youngster is up to the task.
He added: 'It would make sense for Pollock to play at No.8. They will miss Augustus' ball-carrying and his strength and power on both sides of the ball.
'It's important that they find a way to replace that. If you put Pollock at No.8, you could argue it causes their opponents some different problems because he's got some pace that could be problematic for Bordeaux's back row.
'I can't think of any player who has had a more impactful 12 months than him.
'I'd picked him out early on as someone who I felt was going to go on an upward trajectory pretty quickly. A number of people were fending me off on that one, but with every performance, his star has been rising.
'He has done in 12 months what some people spend their entire career trying to achieve.'
Following that victory over Leinster in Dublin, Dallaglio is urging Northampton to take this chance against a French side who do not have much experience winning big finals.
It has been five years since an English side won the competition – Exeter Chiefs did so during Covid-19 – but Dallaglio believes Saints are hitting form at just the right time.
He added: 'Bordeaux are a powerhouse of French rugby. They are a star-studded team with huge firepower. You look at Bielle-Biarrey and Penaud, if he's fit, and then Lucu and Jalibert in the half-backs, they have some very good players.
'But from what I've seen in this competition, they do give you chances as well. They concede a lot of points as well as scoring.
'If you were to compare Northampton to any team in the Top 14, Bordeaux wouldn't be too far away in terms of a similar team.
'Northampton are certainly saving their best until last. They have had their problems this season, and it's never easy to defend a Premiership title. A lot of their players have been recognised internationally, and that puts a different kind of challenge on the squad. They have come out the other side in great shape.
'Their performance against Leinster was one of the greatest Champions Cup performances of the modern era. Once you have beaten a team like Leinster in the way they did, then anything is possible. They will want to go and get a second star on their jersey.
'It's important that Northampton are able to push it home. You never quite know, especially as a Premiership club, when your next title shot might come.
'You don't get these opportunities very often, and you have to seize them. That will be the message I'm sure from Northampton, to seize the day and go out and win.'
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