The strongest British & Irish Lions XV after Andy Farrell names squad for Australia tour

England youngster Henry Pollock has been named in Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions’ squad for this summer’s tour of Australia, with Ireland’s Caelan Doris missing out through injury.

Maro Itoje of England will captain the Lions for the eagerly anticipated three-match Test series after playing a starring role on the two previous tours of New Zealand and South Africa.

Wales are represented by a contingent of just two in back-row forward Jac Morgan and scrum-half Tomos Williams, while 15 Irishmen will be on board the plane Down Under in June.

Sione Tuipulotu sat out the entire Six Nations with a serious muscle problem, but the Glasgow Warriors centre has proven his fitness to make the cut, along with seven other Scots.

Itoje is one of 15 England players in Farrell’s 38-man party, which includes 20-year-old Northampton Saints flanker Pollock, who only made his international debut in March.

Speaking from London’s O2 Arena, a beaming Itoje said it was a ‘tremendous honour’ and ‘privilege’ to be chosen as the man to lead the four nations in Australia.

‘It’s hard to articulate really. It’s a tremendous honour, a tremendous privilege,’ the 30-year-old England and Saracens star said.

‘You think about the people who have held this position before and it is remarkable.

‘I’ll do my very best to make sure I can contribute to a successful tour.’

Itoje only discovered he would skipper the Lions on Tuesday after Farrell overcame a dodgy phone signal to pass on the news.

‘I found out on Tuesday. I got a call from an Irish number and I don’t have many Irish people calling me. I picked up, heard a Wigan accent and put two and two together,’ he added.

‘It was a bit niggly because the signal was quite bad!’

Brisbane will stage the opening Test match of the tour on July 19, before the Lions head to Melbourne and Sydney for the second and third Tests on July 26 and August 2 respectively.

The strongest Lions XV if everyone is fit

Front row

The Lions are blessed with some of the finest front-row forwards on the planet heading into this summer’s tour, whether measuring on all-round play or from a purely scrummaging perspective.

Tadhg Furlong’s pedigree, experience and raw power in the pack would, on paper, make the tighthead a shoo-in for Farrell’s XV, but the 32-year-old only recently returned from injury to feature in Ireland’s final Six Nations match against Italy.

Should Furlong prove his fitness in time, though, he would surely be the strongest candidate for the first Test in Brisbane and is likely to line up in the trenches alongside fellow countryman Dan Sheehan, who is arguably the form hooker in world rugby.

Ellis Genge put forward his case for selection with a strong Six Nations campaign for England, but the Bristol Bears bruiser may have to fend off stiff competition from Scotland’s Pierre Schoeman to cement his spot Down Under.

Second row

After being unveiled as skipper for the series, Maro Itoje will start at lock for the opening Test, barring injury or illness, on what is his third tour with the Lions.

The Saracens dynamo has returned to his very best this season and hardly put a foot wrong for England across the Six Nations, proving a constant nuisance for the opposition in both open and set-piece play.

Twelve months ago, Tadhg Beirne will have been more confident of nailing down his place as the other second row – and the trust he has built up with Farrell may be enough to solidify his position.

But the likes of James Ryan and Ollie Chessum will be fighting tooth and nail to knock the Irishman off his perch.

Back row

Ahead of countless Lions tours going back through history, one man has burst onto the scene to muscle their way into the starting XV conversation, seemingly out of nowhere.

This year, that bolt from the blue has undoubtedly been Henry Pollock.

Yes, Pollock is only 20 years of age. Yes, he has only been capped once by England. But the youngster’s electric performance in Northampton Saints’ stunning victory over Leinster – the latest in a long line of mesmeric displays – proved beyond doubt he can mix it with the cream of the crop at the very top level.

At blindside, Tom Curry has to be the favourite to start versus the Wallabies after a string of talismanic showings for England. The flanker’s previous Lions experience from the 2021 South Africa tour – where he started all three Tests – gives him the edge over Farrell’s other options.

Doris’ injury has thrown an almighty spanner in the works at number eight, where the Ireland and Leinster man – who many were tipping to be captain – would surely have started. It perhaps opens up a gap for compatriot Jack Conan to step up and make the shirt his own.

Half-back

Other than perhaps Itoje, Jamison Gibson-Park looks to be entering the tour as the player who can be most sure of his place for the opening Test at Suncorp Stadium.

The New-Zealand-born scrum-half has been a near ever-present for Ireland throughout Farrell’s reign and for good reason – there’s no better nine out there that isn’t named Antoine Dupont.

As is so often the case, fly-half has proven a topic of heated discussion in the build-up to Farrell’s squad announcement.

But England and Northampton Saints starlet Fin Smith has seemingly put himself in pole position with a string of exceptional performances at precisely the right time. The 22-year-old would start against the Wallabies at 10 if the first Test kicked off tomorrow.

Scotland’s Finn Russell represents an intriguing wild card for Farrell, who the Lions could turn to should the attack need shaking up in Tests two and three.

Centre

Another key debate has been Farrell’s possible centre combination in Australia, with a number of options, boasting markedly different skillsets, available to the Lions head coach.

Sione Tuipulotu missed the entirety of the Six Nations after sustaining a serious muscle injury, but has recovered quicker than expected and is seemingly in a one-vs-one battle with Bundee Aki to be given the nod at inside centre.

Aki’s greater experience, plus his relationship with Farrell, may see the Ireland man edge out Tuipulotu, but it will be one to watch over the course of the tour.

At outside centre, Huw Jones has asserted himself as the frontrunner for many – and the Scot looks every inch a Lions Test starter in waiting with his size, power and dynamism.

Back three

Much like Saints team-mate Pollock, Tommy Freeman has made himself nigh-on impossible to ignore approaching this summer’s tour.

Freeman had already wrestled himself into contention with his try-scoring exploits at international level after touching down in every single match of England’s recent Six Nations campaign.

Last weekend, the Saints speedster tightened his grip on the famous red jersey with three well-taken tries as Saints saw off a much-fancied Leinster team to reach the Champions Cup final.

On the opposite wing, James Lowe looks like the man to beat having established himself as a mainstay of Farrell’s Ireland XV with his smart finishing and industrious playing style.

Blair Kinghorn further enhanced his reputation with a fine Six Nations campaign to put his hand up for selection as the Lions’ starting 15. However, Farrell may be reluctant to move away from Hugo Keenan considering the Dubliner has calming and reliable presence at full-back.

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