Vickery to lead Lions in tour match - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Vickery to lead Lions in tour match

Phil Vickery will captain the British and Irish Lions in Saturday's clash against Western Province at Newlands.

The Wasps prop and former England skipper takes leadership duties for the unbeaten tourists' fifth game in South Africa.

And Vickery will look to press his claims for the first Test match clash with world champions South Africa in Durban next weekend. He is joined by several other strong Test-team candidates, including wings Tommy Bowe and Ugo Monye, fly-half Stephen Jones and loosehead prop Andrew Sheridan.

England centre Riki Flutey, meanwhile, makes his first start of the tour, while flanker Martyn Williams also features after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Head coach Ian McGeechan said: "The squad is very close as a group of players, but 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."

As for Vickery's appointment to lead the team, McGeechan added: "It is just reward for a thoroughly professional player who will play in his 10th Lions match.

"No starting players are backing up from the (midweek) Sharks match as we continue our desire to see all players involved in at least two full matches prior to Test selection."

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