Lions 2013: as first Test team is named did Telegraph writers get it right with their original predictions? Reaction: My original selection was injury-shaped with O'Connell, Sexton, and Croft only just returning. The availability of these players has been huge bonus for Lions. Launchbury's season tailed off, Evans too. He was outstanding v England yet has been one of few disappointments here As for Rory Best - poor bloke. Sad to see him fall apart the other night. Heaslip late surge, deserves slot, Mako too. Gavin Mairs Cian Healy, 2. Rory Best, 3. Adam Jones, 4. Alun Wyn Jones, 5. Ian Evans, 6. Sean O'Brien, 7. Justin Tipuric, 8. Tom Wood; 9. Mike Phillips, 10. Jonny Sexton, 11. Alex Cuthbert, 12. Jamie Roberts, 13. Brian O'Driscoll, 14. George North, 15. Leigh Halfpenny Injury has deprived the Lions of Healy and Roberts, who I believe both would have started if fit. Rory Best's form has deserted him since being controversially left out of the original squad just as Tom Youngs is in the form of his life. Croft, Heaslip and O'Connell have also forced their way on to the side through form on tour while Warburton, as captain, has rediscovered match fitness just in time. Steve James Dan Lydiate, 7. Sam Warburton, 8. Toby Faletau, 9. George North, 12. Alex Cuthbert, 15. Healy and Roberts are injured, so there are ready-made excuses there! With Best I was setting too much store by his outstanding performance in Ireland's win over Wales. what was more important were his throwing stats - they were why Warren Gatland omitted him from the tour party in the first place and those deficiencies were there for all to see on Tuesday against the Brumbies. That said, I thought Richard Hibbard would get the nod over Tom Youngs for his extra scrummaging bulk. I omitted O'Connell because at the time there were no guarantees that he would be fit, as was the case with Croft. As for Lydiate and Faletau, I just felt that Gatland rated them so highly that they would come through. In fairness Faletau/Heaslip was 50-50. As for Lydiate, they gave him the opportunity to show that he could do more than his famous chop tackling, but he clearly struggled with his line-out work. Croft offers that plus real pace, although the worry is that there is no hard tackling player in the back row. Ian Chadband Richard Hibbard, 3. Richie Gray, 5. Alyn Wyn Jones, 6. Sam Warburton, 7. Toby Faletau; 9. Manu Tuilagi, 13. After all the injury woes and the hugely disappointing loss of their unbeaten record in the week, there is still a hugely encouraging look to the Test XV, studded with the class of the likes of Sexton and Halfpenny, the vast experience and quality of the Irish "O" team and the power and pace of the Welsh wings. Of my original selection, well, I'd settle for nine of the 15. It should have been more as I feel Hibbard was unlucky to lose out on the nod to Tom Youngs, even though he could make an impact off the bench. Healy had to come home with injury and Tuilagi has also been struggling with a shoulder problem, although I now think he would not have merited a place over the excellent Davies anyway. At the time of selection, I was taking a bit of a punt on Gray's dynamism and O'Connell still hadn't roared back on the scene. The Irishman, of course, now looks a no brainer. Croft and Heaslip deservedly smashed my feeling that the Lions might start with the chemistry of the all-Welsh back row combo which had destroyed England. Alasdair Reid Dan Cole, 4. Joe Launchbury, 6. Jamie Heaslip; 9. Manu Tuilagi, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 15. Stuart Hogg Warren Gatland clearly knows his best team - his best Welsh team that is. I'm not sure he has got the best out of other players on the tour; some questionable selections in the warm-up games have limited his options to the tried and trusted ahead of the Tests. My original selection was based on Six Nations form, so I was ruling out injured players. Still, I'm genuinely surprised by how quickly Paul O'Connell, Tom Croft and Jonny Sexton have come back to form. I also thought that this would be a tour too far for Brian O'Driscoll. What do they say about class being permanent? Of the Scots, I feel sorry for Stuart Hogg, who has been mucked about selection-wise, and I suspect Gatland has not warmed to Richie Gray's laid-back approach. But there you go. Life is full of surprises. Anyone looking for a tip for the Ashes?