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Several contenders have improved their chances of being included in next summer’s British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia after a busy period of international rugby.
Andy Farrell will be looking to bring together the right mix of players from Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland as he oversees his first series as head coach.
The Lions will face the Wallabies in the traditional three-Test series on July 19, July 26 and August 2, 2025, while a wider and more challenging itinerary is set to feature seven more matches.
Making the right selection will be critical for Farrell, who faces a number of key questions as he prepares to take charge.
What could his team look like? The Independent selected a 37-man tour group:
Free-headed (3)
Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Andrew Porter (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England)
An area of relative strength for the Lions, with three proven international starters in contention for a place. Schoeman is rock solid in all areas, Porter is increasingly important in the Irish scrum and Genge offers a good mix of ball-carrying and leadership. How Engand handles Fin Baxter’s development is also intriguing after a strong start to his international career in New Zealand.
Prostitutes (3)
Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Dewi Lake (Wales), Jamie George (England)
Sheehan’s recovery from his torn ACL will be key, with the Irishman a starter if fit, and Lake travelling as his deputy after building his burgeoning reputation in Australia with Wales. While his time as a Test regular is over, George would be a fine team player and potential midweek captain if required, a role filled by his mentor Rory Best in 2017. Sheehan’s Ireland replacement Ronan Kelleher and a bolter like Theo Dan could also be in the mix.
Right pillar (3)
Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Finlay Bealham (Ireland)
Incumbents Furlong and Fagerson look like safe bets for a repeat tour, but depth at right prop is rather riskier. Bealham is liked by Farrell and his Ireland staff, but it seems like a position where a player could break through with a good autumn or a Six Nations.
Lock (6)
Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), George Martin (England), Adam Beard (Wales), Ollie Chessum (England)
There is every chance Beirne will resume his role as a backup with the emergence of McCarthy and Martin, which would give Farrell two backup options to complement Itoje, who is back to his best throughout a stellar 2023/24 campaign. Beard may be the surprise inclusion here, but his ability to call the lineouts and threaten mauls should not be overlooked, particularly if Paul O’Connell does end up part of the coaching staff. James Ryan and Dafydd Jenkins would be very unfortunate in that case.
Back row (6)
Caelan Doris (Ireland), Ben Earl (England), Aaron Wainwright (Wales), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Jac Morgan (Wales)
Narrowing that group down to just six names is a tall order. Looking at just the open options, Van der Flier, Curry, Morgan, Sam Underhill, Rory Darge, Jack Willis and Tommy Reffell are all worthy of mention and consideration – and none of them may start if Ben Earl is moved to the other side with Caelan Doris a candidate for the captaincy at No.8.
On the blindside, Chandler Cunningham-South or Ryan Baird could perhaps earn a place with a couple of standout performances, but the versatility offered by the lock options could well mean Farrell is going to be a lightweight player at six with Courtney Lawes surely unlikely to be called upon.
Scrum half (3)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Ben White (Scotland)
Gibson-Park’s importance to the Irish attack should see him take the starting jersey, while Mitchell could seize his opportunity to play in England to also earn his first trip to the Lions. Tomos Williams’ qualities would be a good choice if Farrell favours an Irish-style system, but White is probably the more complete option and simply gets the nod.
Half-opening (3)
Finn Russell (Scotland), George Ford (England), Jack Crowley (Ireland)
There is so much to consider here, with the form and fortunes of the fly-halves in Ireland and England over the next 12 months determining who joins Russell in a touring trio. Let’s start, though, with Owen Farrell’s absence. Will the Farrell family be willing to face the unfair questions Owen’s selection could provoke? Without a test match to really make their point, it might be easier to avoid a potential slump by letting him enjoy his new adventure in Paris.
If Ford can find form and retain his place ahead of Marcus and Fin Smith in Steve Borthwick’s pecking order, his experience could count in his favour, while Crowley feels he is on a good development trajectory to truly take charge of Ireland by next year.
Centers (4)
Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Robbie Henshaw (Ireland), Garry Ringrose (Ireland), Bundee Aki (Ireland)
Can Aki continue to play for the Lions for a second time? The centre will be 35 next summer but is in the best form of his career. The formidable Tuipulotu could well be selected as a starter given his wonderfully versatile skillset, while Henshaw and Ringrose will both be confident of stepping up if they can stay fit and Ollie Lawrence cannot be ruled out.
This is also an area where Farrell’s choice of assistant coaches could play a role. If Felix Jones, for example, is targeted as a defence coach, then Henry Slade’s work in managing the outside blitz will work in his favour; a creative attacking coach could make a strong case for Huw Jones.
Back three (6)
Hugo Keenan (Ireland), James Lowe (Ireland), Mack Hansen (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland), Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)
Another tough group to line up. Keenan and Lowe are almost certain to have potential, while Kinghorn’s form at Toulouse and his versatility make him a likely candidate. Hansen’s great gifts have been forgotten during his prolonged injury absence, but his ability to unlock a defence as a roving ball-player offers a point of difference.
Feyi-Waboso is the man coming in on the wing, and while Van der Mewe’s overall game may not be refined, his blend of size and speed is unique among the options, leaving Rio Dyer, Darcy Graham, Josh Adams and Tommy Freeman out wide.
Distribution by nation:
Ireland 16, England 10, Scotland 7, Wales 4
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