Tuilagi has yet to play for Sale after his Achilles injury, and is likely to be short of game time by the time the squad preparation begins – although Gatland has made it clear Manu will be called if he is up and running and his Lions midfield is depleted by injury.
Aki can play 12 or 13, and is a direct runner and hard-hitting tackler who is as solid in attack as he is in defence. He runs hard and straight, and is uncompromising in the tackle. The only thing he has to be careful of is making high hits which get him carded as happened with the red card for a head-shot on Billy Vunipola during the Six Nations.
If Aki is a bit of a bolter, then so is Chris Harris. However, the Scotland outside centre proved that he is pretty handy during his side’s away wins over England and Scotland, and at 6ft 2ins and almost 16 stone he has the size and the speed to keep the Springboks occupied.
Harris is quite elusive as a former wing, and is a good all-rounder who can make breaks, or get on the end of breaks. He has done very well to get ahead of Henry Slade, and is one of those players who should improve around the quality of players you find in a Lions camp.
Gatland has another outside centre option in Elliot Daly, but the team would have to be going incredibly well to accommodate him at 13 when he plays at full-back for Saracens and England. In my view, Daly was fortunate to get into the squad given his ordinary form this season.
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