Build the team aroundThe majority of my spine players come in the pack. In some areas the leading candidate is a cut above the rest and none more so than Dan Sheehan at hooker. He’s nailed on as first choice. I’d put Maro Itoje in that bracket too and, due to lack of alternatives, I would’ve had Caelan Doris before news ofhis shoulder injury emerged. Perhaps the most important player is the one back I’ve selected in this category, however. Jamison Gibson-Park has been so exceptionally consistent and is someone you can look to build around. You build a team around your players of influence and, for me, they are Sheehan, Itoje and Gibson-Park.
Definitely maybesHenry Pollock is the obvious candidate. What a 12 months he has had. He won thejunior World Cup last summer, has starred inNorthampton’s European campaignto the extent he’s been nominated for player of the year, scored two tries on his England debut and just went toe to toe with the best back-row contingent in the club game. Every challenge he is presented with he is rising to and I’d expect no different on a Lions tour. I’m not sure bolter is the right term, but in terms of someone who has come late to the conversation, I’d also include George Ford. I’d have him on the tour. He is as close to a player-coach as you are likely to see. He’s having to come up the rails because he appeared only once in the Six Nations – but what a cameo that was against Wales – and his Premiership form has galvanised Sale.
CaptainMaro Itoje. He has become abetter player since he has taken on the responsibility for club and country. There are so many ways to compliment him but I look to his durability. He has played every minute of every England Six Nations match in the past six years. Tight matches are won and lost in the last 20 minutes and knowing your captain will be there till the end makes such a difference.
Starting Test fly-halfFinn Russell. He’s been there and he’d be the only fly-half in this squad who has been on a Lions tour before. There’s a step up from club rugby to European rugby, another to international rugby and another still to the Lions. As a result, experience matters. It helps he has knockout matches and he can sharpen the tools at the sharp end of the season.
What would keep me awakeInjuries to big players between now and the end of the season. It’s the harsh reality of the sport. There are some players you just can’t afford to lose. I can vividly remember our last training session before we went to South Africa in 2009 and Jerry Flannery dislocated an elbow. It’s just so tough.
My key strategy to beat WallabiesWe’re in an era of ball movement that suits a fast-paced game. France have won the Six Nations scoring more tries and points than anyone, while we’re seeing it in Super Rugby and domestically, that’s the trend. I can talk about the fundamentals, set-piece, defence and so on but the Lions have to be a fearless team that want to move the ball.
My Lions 37HookersJamie GeorgeEng, Ronan KelleherIre,Dan SheehanIre.PropsEllis GengeEng, Zander FagersonSco, Tadhg FurlongIre, Andrew PorterIre, Pierre SchoemanSco, Will StuartEng.Second-rowsTadhg BeirneIre, Ollie ChessumEng,Maro ItojeEng, Joe McCarthyIre.Back-rowsTom CurryEng, Caelan DorisIre, Ben EarlEng, Matt FagersonSco, Jac MorganWal, Henry PollockEng, Josh van der FlierIre.Scrum-halvesJamison Gibson-ParkIre, Alex MitchellEng, Tomos WilliamsWal.Fly-halvesGeorge FordEng, Finn RussellSco, Fin SmithEng.CentresBundee AkiIre, Huw JonesSco, Garry RingroseIre, Sione TuipulotuSco.Back threeElliot DalyEng, Tommy FreemanEng, Hugo KeenanIre, Blair KinghornSco, James LoweIre, Marcus SmithEng, Duhan van der MerweSco.
Build the team aroundThe spine of any successful Lions team has to be super strong. And if Dan Sheehan, Maro Itoje, Tadhg Beirne, Taulupe Faletau, Jamison Gibson-Park, Finn Russell, Sione Tuipulotu and Blair Kinghorn are all fit and firing, the Test XV will take some subduing. Caelan Doris’s probable absence is a blow but Henry Pollock has leapfrogged into contention at the right time. The Lions will need to compete hard at the breakdown, to win turnovers for their talented backs and to stop the Wallabies from gathering momentum.
Definitely maybesPollock would have been a bolter last month, but hisstunning display against Leinsterhas retired that definition. Courtney Lawes may seem a retro choice, but the intense tour schedule suits a tough, versatile forward with Lions experience. A long trek around, say, New Zealand might have necessitated a third specialist fly-half but Blair Kinghorn and Tom Jordan can wear 10 if required. The alternative is to pick Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly: if Kinghorn’s tour arrival is delayed, there needs to be full-back cover.
CaptainMaro Itoje. Captaincy seems to enhance his game and Doris’s untimely shoulder injury has cruelly derailed the Irishman’s bid.
Starting Test fly-halfFinn Russell. That said, it would be no huge surprise if the steadily improving Fin Smith ends up starting at some stage.
What would keep me awakeWhat, apart from the snakes, the spiders and the sharks? Probably the certain knowledge that the ex-Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, now in charge of the Wallabies, will have a wily tactical plan up his sleeve. And theominous spectre of Australia’s new star, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, soaring above every Lion to poach the series’ first high ball.
My key strategy to beat the WallabiesWin the first Test at all costs. Australia are liable to improve as the series progresses. And put some serious pressure on the Wallaby half-backs. Hassle their playmakers and there will be less scope for the aforementioned Suaalii and co to run free and cause potential havoc.
My Lions 37HookersJamie GeorgeEng, Luke Cowan-DickieEng, Dan SheehanIre.PropsZander FagersonSco, Tadhg FurlongIre, Ellis GengeEng, Andrew PorterIre, Pierre SchoemanSco, Nicky SmithWal, Will StuartEng.Second-rowsTadhg BeirneIre, Ollie ChessumEng, Maro ItojeEng, Joe McCarthyIre, Courtney LawesEng.Back-rowsTom CurryEng, Ben EarlEng, Taulupe FaletauWal, Jac MorganWal, Henry PollockEng, Sam UnderhillEng.Scrum-halvesJamison Gibson-ParkIre, Alex MitchellEng, Tomos WilliamsWal.Fly-halvesFinn RussellSco, Fin SmithEng, Tom JordanSco.CentresBundee AkiIre, Huw JonesSco, Sione TuipulotuSco, Garry RingroseIre.WingsTommy FreemanEng, Darcy GrahamSco, James LoweIre, Duhan van der MerweSco.Full-backsHugo KeenanIre, Blair KinghornSco.
Build the team aroundBefore the Six Nations the short answer was Ireland’s forward pack and Scotland’s back division. England’s resurgence as the competition went on ensures they will be well represented, however, and in Maro Itoje and Tom Curry provide two players around whom to build the team. Dan Sheehan at hooker and the scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park are others. Gibson-Park’s game management is such a strength that he is arguably the most influential player set to make the trip. For all the back-row options, there is not a great deal of No 8s so Caelan Doris is included if fully fit. It’s a big if, though.
Definitely maybesHenry Pollock has emerged as the most likely bolter in the true sense of the word and deserves a place on the plane. WouldOwen Farrellbe a bolter given he hasn’t played Test rugby since 2023? His pedigree ensures he makes the trip but the difficulty in selecting players based in France means that while he, Blair Kinghorn and David Ribbans are picked, Jack Willis, Kyle Sinckler and Ben White are not. The back row is the hardest area of the field to select but Scotland’s Jamie Ritchie deserves a call for his form during the Six Nations.
CaptainJamie George. The England hooker is universally popular and though he would not start in the Test team – maybe even not make the bench – he would be an excellent tour captain. Itoje, Doris if fit or Farrell can assume the role on the field but how the captain leads the squad off the field is more important and there is no better candidate than George.
Starting Test fly-halfOwen Farrell. He is a three-time Lion,finding some form for Racing 92 of late– last weekend notwithstanding – and he commands the respect of his peers. In terms of age-profile, George Ford should be his closest rival but, not for the first time, the Sale Shark misses out. Finn Russell wears No 22, Fin Smith plays in midweek.
What would keep me awakeJoseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Anyhighlights reel of his debut at Twickenhamwould do the trick. He has the aerial ability, the deft hands and the athleticism to worry any Lions supporter but the temperament too, as shown with how he conducted himself during the autumn. The most troubling thing about him, however, is that he has a coach as canny as Joe Schmidt who will be perfecting his plans as to how best to deploy him.
My key strategy to beat WallabiesBeat them on the floor and keep their counterattacking opportunities to a minimum. It is why I would copy from Steve Borthwick’s playbook and pick three dynamic, all-action back-rowers – Ritchie, Tom Curry and Doris if fit – with Pollock on the bench. A lack of exceptional pace out wide also means the Lions will have to rule the skies.
My Lions 37HookersTheo DanEng, Jamie GeorgeEng, Dan SheehanIre.PropsZander FagersonSco, Tadhg FurlongIre, Ellis GengeEng, Asher Opoku-FordjourEng, Andrew PorterIre, Will StuartEng.Second-rowsTadhg BeirneIre, Scott CummingsSco, Maro ItojeEng, Joe McCarthyIre, David RibbansEng.Back-rowsRyan BairdIre, Jack ConanIre, Tom CurryEng, Caelan DorisIre, Henry PollockEng, Jamie RitchieSco, Josh van der FlierIre.Scrum-halvesJamison Gibson-ParkIre, Alex MitchellEng, Tomos WilliamsWal.Fly-halvesOwen FarrellEng, Finn RussellSco, Fin SmithEng.CentresBundee AkiIre, Huw JonesSco, Tom JordanSco, Sione TuipulotuSco.Back threeElliot DalyEng, Tommy FreemanEng, Hugo KeenanIre, Blair KinghornSco, James LoweIre, Duhan van der MerweSco.
Build the team aroundAn all-action front row of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Will Stuart, who has improved out of sight this season, and the utterly formidable locking combination of Maro Itoje and Tadhg Beirne. Behind them, Jamison Gibson-Park’s smarts at scrum-half, and Finn Russell’s finely honed partnership with the electric centre pairing of Sione Tuipoltu and Huw Jones. Truth is, the Lions are a hell of a lot stronger than the Wallabies. If they lose, it will be because they have failed to come together as a unit, which is why I’ve gone for the three familiar Scots in midfield.
Definitely maybesDewi Lake squeezes in even after missing the Six Nationsbecause the Lions is an exercise in team-building and you want to fill the squad with leaders. George Ford goes for similar reasons. If they were definitely fit, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Caelan Doris would make it, but why take the risk?
CaptainMaro Itoje will be first among equals. You don’t lead players as good as these by what you say in the huddle, but by the standards you maintain every day, and Itoje’s have been unimpeachable for years.
Starting Test fly-halfDon’t you want to find out just how much fun Finn Russell could have orchestrating all that talent?
What would keep me awakeWorrying about where Blair Kinghorn fits in. He ought to be nailed on to play at full-back but the delay while he finishes his club season does no one any favours. Otherwise, you’d hope the only thing that would make you lose sleep would be the sound of everyone enjoying themselves.
My key strategy to beat WallabiesThe Lions are in the unique position of having two world-class starting XVs in one squad. Australia just don’t have the playing resources to match that strength in depth, so the replacements are going to make the difference. Load the bench with six forwards and set them loose together when there are 25 minutes left to play.My Lions 37HookersDan SheehanIre, Jamie GeorgeEng, Dewi LakeWal.PropsAndrew PorterIre, Tadhg FurlongIre, Will StuartEng, Ellis GengeEng, Zander FagersonSco, Pierre SchoemanSco.Second-rowsMaro ItojeEng, Tadhg BeirneIre, Ollie ChessumEng, Joe McCarthyIre, George MartinEng.Back-rowsTom CurryEng, Jac MorganWal, Josh van der FlierIre, Ben EarlEng, Taulupe FaletauWal, Jack ConanIre.Scrum-halvesJamison Gibson-ParkIre, Tomos WilliamsWal, Alex MitchellEng.Fly-halvesFinn RussellSco, Fin SmithEng, George FordEng.CentresSione TuipulotuSco, Huw JonesSco, Bundee AkiIre, Garry RingroseIre.WingsJames LoweIre, Tommy FreemanEng, Duhan van der MerweSco, Elliot DalyEng.Full-backsBlair KinghornSco, Hugo KeenanIre, Marcus SmithEng.
Build team aroundUgly forwards. And a proper game-manager at 10. Any strike runners beyond that, so much the better. It’s a fairly standard formula for any team, but against Australia ugly forwards, in particular, come into their own. The Lions have options at tighthead, but Will Stuart is the pick of the scrummagers. Tadhg Beirne and Caelan Doris (if fit) are spine players, around whom the Lions could throw any number of punchy, ball-carrying forwards. George Ford is the best game-manager and always has been, as well as the best playmaker. But Blair Kinghorn, a fixture at full-back, could relieve him of place-kicking duties. With Bundee Aki and Duhan van der Merwe running riot around them …
Definitely maybesThe great imponderable is how closelyAndy Farrellhas been monitoring form in France. There is practically a team’s worth of contenders there. All eyes will be on his fly-half picks, but Courtney Lawes has played a full and successful season in Pro D2. If Zander Fagerson is not fit, Kyle Sinckler may yet feature. All of these might be negotiable for early release, but Blair Kinghorn and Jack Willis, at Toulouse, are likely to make the Top 14 final at the end of June.
CaptainMaro Itoje. Doris’s form and fitness mean his case has slipped. It has taken a while for Itoje to be anointed as captain anywhere, but he is in form and in the engine room.
Starting fly-halfGeorge Ford. Forget the Lions coach, if I’d been England coach he would have plenty more than 100 caps by now (it turns out he has 99, but he would have started more of them). Those fizzing passes across the face of defences, the variety of kicking, the eye for a gap. One of the great England fly-halves.
What would keep me awake?Lack of ruthlessness. And the fact that it’s Australia, who may not be the force they were but can still sting.England’s defeat by the Wallabies in the autumnsprings to mind, evidence of a ridiculous inability to finish a team off. Ireland’s failure at World Cups, too. Leinster’s wobbles in Europe …
My key strategy to beat WallabiesRecruit Andy Farrell as coach. Maybe get his old mate Shaun Edwards across too. Forget the aura they brandish from their playing careers, these are good men who know how to manage and cajole. The loyalty and affection they inspire in their teams is obvious, and they work hard, as they did in their playing days, to maximise assets and identify weaknesses in the opposition. Just as well one of them is in charge.
My Lions 37HookersTheo DanEng, Jamie GeorgeEng, Dan SheehanIre.PropsZander FagersonSco, Tadhg FurlongIre, Ellis GengeEng, Andrew PorterIre, Pierre SchoemanSco, Will StuartEng.Second-rowsTadhg BeirneIre, Maro ItojeEng, George MartinEng, Joe McCarthyIre, Ryan BairdIre.Back-rowsBen CurryEng, Tom CurryEng, Caelan DorisIre, Ben EarlEng, Courtney LawesEng, Josh van der FlierIre, Tom WillisEng.Scrum-halvesJamison Gibson-ParkIre, Alex MitchellEng, Tomos WilliamsWal.Fly-halvesGeorge FordEng, Finn RussellSco, Fin SmithEng.CentresBundee AkiIre, Huw JonesSco, Garry RingroseIre, Sione TuipulotuSco.WingsTommy FreemanEng, Darcy GrahamSco, James LoweIre, Duhan van der MerweSco.Full-backsTom JordanSco, Blair KinghornSco.