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There was a place in the squad for England’s Elliot Daly and Marcus Smith but Scotland’s Darcy Graham and Ireland’s Sam Prendergast missed out - Custom image
Andy Farrell has now named his British and Irish Lions squad, and there were plenty of big calls.
Here are the ones that will define the tour to Australia.
Kinghorn only France-based player
The logistical challenges of the French club calendar was laid bare in how only Blair Kinghorn has been picked. Kinghorn is predominantly a full-back, but his versatility is bound to be valuable – particularly in the era of six-two (and seven-one) bench splits. He covers wings and even fly-half at a push, which will clearly help him push into the Test side out in Australia when his Toulouse commitments are over.
Arriving late, and as one of only 17 backs, he obviously has a strong chance. Competition among back-five forwards has scuppered Jack Willis and Courtney Lawes, while Tomos Williams evidently edged out Ben White.
Daly covering several bases
He is a curiously divisive topic for supporters, but Daly has plenty going for him. This will be the 32-year-old’s third Lions tour, having emerged on the trip to New Zealand in 2017 and travelled to South Africa for the Covid series against the Springboks. A tally of five Tests is not to be sniffed at, and Daly covers three positions – full-back, wing and outside centre – to a high standard.
His booming left boot remains a weapon and it is easy to forget that he had fought his way back into England’s starting line-up by the end of the Six Nations, wearing 15 and 11 against Italy and Wales, respectively. Tours can be manic as combinations gel. Daly’s experience and intuition will help combinations settle and help navigate a tough schedule. Tom Jordan and Jamie Osborne were two other potential utility men, but Daly won out.
Marcus Smith over Ford and Farrell
An alphabetical announcement made the backline section rather dramatic. The jump between Daly and Tommy Freeman made it apparent that Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Owen Farrell and George Ford had all been omitted. Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast were also overlooked, leaving a couple of Smiths and Finn Russell as the fly-half cohort. Johnny Sexton will have to patch things up with the latter, while Fin Smith cannot have delivered a more convincing audition than his display against Leinster. He will follow his grandfather, Tom Elliot, to become a Lion, and his emotion was palpable in a video released by Northampton Saints:
The inclusion of Marcus Smith is a fascinating endorsement of the Harlequins’ running threat; both when taking the ball flat and when returning opposition kicks. His secondment to full-back has worked out and it was telling that he and Henry Pollock received the biggest cheers at The O2 Arena. Beset by injury since joining Racing 92 from Saracens, Owen Farrell simply has not shown enough in a struggling team. Having rediscovered his form with Sale Sharks, it feels like Ford is unfortunate. His consolation prize will be winning a 100th cap, possibly as England captain, in Argentina.
Graham edged out
Among the unluckiest players around Britain and Ireland is Darcy Graham. The scampering Scotland wing pops up all over the pitch and poses unconventional problems for defences around the breakdown with electric footwork and deceptive strength. He is also an excellent breakdown scrapper in defence. Mack Hansen of Ireland, a roaming playmaker capable of shifting across to full-back, probably prevailed in a head-to-head with Graham.
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The inclusion of Mack Hansen put pay to Darcy Graham’s Lions chances - Getty Images/Ben McShane
Scott Cummings and James Ryan locked in
Six possible locks featured among the 21 forwards. Maro Itoje, Tadhg Beirne felt like shoo-ins, with Joe McCarthy and Ollie Chessum not too far behind those two. From there, the pecking order was less clear. John Dalziel may well have been instrumental in ensuring the selection of Scott Cummings, who is only just fit again following the fractured arm he suffered in January.
Cummings is an exceptional maul destroyer, which will be handy against an Australia team that may pick Will Skelton. James Ryan has not appeared for Leinster since the Six Nations, but gets the nod as a line-out leader who grafts relentlessly. Both he and Cummings are specialist locks who whack things. Beirne and Chessum may slip to blindside flanker, so out-and-out second-rows will help to balance out packs.
Pollock carves into crowded back-row mix…
Rory Darge, Jamie Ritchie, Ben Curry, Sam Underhill, Ryan Baird, Aaron Wainwright; the list of back-rowers to have been overtaken by Henry Pollock is distinguished. Few could argue with much conviction that he does not deserve it, though, and the 20-year-old’s has generated genuine excitement. Now to see how the Lions coaches can use Pollock’s speed to elevate the Lions.
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Henry Pollock has seen off serious competition to earn a Lions call-up at the age of 20 - PA/Joe Giddens
…and an Conan-Earl production at No 8?
Resisting any urge to call upon either Taulupe Faletau or Tom Willis after the shoulder injury to Caelan Doris, Farrell looks to be prioritising pace and mobility at the base of the scrum. Jack Conan, who started all three Tests at No 8 in 2021, is named despite usually beginning on the bench when Doris has been around. Ben Earl is another option, which may require a hybrid lock-flanker at blindside.
The absence of Ritchie, who must have been close, earmarks Tom Curry as a potential number six, with Jac Morgan able to move around. Pollock has had a few outings at No 8 for Northampton, which will have aided his cause, because flexibility is king on these tours. The Lions will load up on all-action breakdown scrappers and figure out positional responsibilities from there.
Cowan-Dickie preferred to Jamie George
Six props and three hookers will challenge the durability of these front-rowers. Until Leinster’s wobble against Northampton on Saturday, Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher always seemed on course to be a one-two punch. Unless Farrell was going to add a fourth hooker, that was likely to put a squeeze on another spot. Luke Cowan-Dickie, he of three Test appearances for the Lions in South Africa four years ago, has ousted Jamie George.
Cowan-Dickie started four of five Six Nations games for England and is a ferocious defender who is regarded as a strong scrummager. George still offers exceptional throwing accuracy and deft link play, but those assets have not been enough for him to make a third tour. Sale suffocated Saracens a fortnight ago and are rumbling to the Premiership play-offs, with Cowan-Dickie to the fore.
Credit in the bank
Cummings, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones have been entrusted to return to match fitness on the back of their injuries and there is a strong suggestion that Farrell – as well as other Ireland coaches on the ticket such as John Fogarty, Simon Easterby, Johnny Sexton and Andrew Goodman – is leaning into familiarity to some degree. This approach will have worked in the favour of Marcus Smith too, though, because memories of his dazzling autumn are clearly undimmed.
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