A 'should have been' Lions XV
Selecting a British and Irish Lions squad is a devilishly hard job for any coach, and there are invariably some players who are bitterly unlucky to miss out. So while it is hard to inveigh against any selectors in the choices they make, there have been some players in the past who looked shoe-ins to tour for the prestigious team and have missed out, and here are some of the best:
1 Duncan Jones
Once a member of Wales’ and the Ospreys’ hirsute front row alongside Adam Jones, Duncan Jones was a contender for the 2005 Lions tour, but was unfortunately ousted by the emerging Gethin Jenkin for Wales that season, who went to New Zealand instead.
2 Dylan Hartley
A Lions tourist in 2013 had it not been for his asinine slur directed at Wayne Barnes, this will rank as one of Dylan Hartley’s greatest regrets throughout his career. After coming so close and having the chance taken away from him, the former England captain simply missed out in 2017.
Honourable mention: Sean Cronin
3 Mike Ross
The cornerstone of Ireland’s scrum for many years, Mike Ross was pipped for a place on the 2013 tour as Warren Gatland opted for Matt Stevens in a decision that caught everyone by surprise. The England prop’s ability to play both sides of the scrum helped him, but it did mean Ross was bitterly unlucky to miss out.
Honourable mention: WP Nel
4 Gareth Llewellyn
With 92 caps to his name, former Wales captain Gareth Llewellyn was once his country’s most capped player, but that could still not earn him a seat on the plane to New Zealand in 1993 or South Africa in 1997. The 2001 tour to Australia was during his two-and-a-half year absence from the Test arena, before he retired in 2004.
Honourable mention: Jonny Gray
5 Joe Launchbury
During 2017, Joe Launchbury had to watch his three England second-row teammates, Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Courtney Lawes, all go to New Zealand, while he toured Argentina with England. With the likes of Alun Wyn Jones on the tour as well, Laucnhbury has unfortunately been playing during an era of great locks.
6 John Barclay
Scotland players have been the least well represented side in the Lions squads in recent years, which comes with the territory given the strength of the other three nations this millennium. While many fans, and indeed players, have begrudged Scotland’s under-representation, few can feel more hard-done-by than former captain John Barclay.
Honourable mention: Alan Quinlan
7 Chris Robshaw
Being captain of your country does not earn you a place in a Lions squad by right, as Chris Robshaw found out in 2013. The Harlequin was one of England’s most consistent and reliable performers, but was perhaps let down by England’s 30-3 loss to Gatland’s Wales in March 2013, which would have had calamitous consequences for some England players. Maybe didn’t quite have athleticism or explosiveness
Honourable mention: Hamish Watson
8 Victor Costello
A brute at the base of the scrum for Ireland and Leinster, as well as an Olympic shot putter, Victor Costello was never called upon to wear the red of the Lions. While he did not have the longest Test career, spanning only 39 games in the 1990s and early 2000s, there were not many players to rival his size and natural thew.
9 Peter Stringer
One of the most surprising players to have never been selected for the Lions, Peter Stringer was ever present for Ireland and Munster in the 2000s. Much of his career, and his 98 caps, was partnering Ronan O’Gara, who made the 2001, 2005 and 2009 tours.
Honourable mention: Danny Care
10 Jonathan Davies
A switch to rugby league deprived former Wales standoff Jonathan Davies of ever representing the Lions, despite being one of his country’s greatest ever players. While his exclusion was by his own design, he is still a player that would have undoubtedly toured in 1989 and 1993 had he not left union.
11 Sean Lamont
During a 105-cap Scotland career which straddled three Lions tours, Sean Lamont was a great servant for his country, but surplus to requirements for the Lions. While there were some great wingers from rival countries during his career, Lamont was always a powerful weapon for Scotland and would have been a candidate to tour.
Honourable mention: Tom Varndell
12 Mike Tindall
The starting inside centre when England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, and later the captain of his country during his 75-cap, eleven-year Test career, Mike Tindall is another shocking absentee. Perhaps too young, at the age of 22, to go to Australia in 2001, a broken foot dashed his hopes of making the 2005 tour, and by the time the South Africa series arrived four years later, he was not in contention.
13 Garry Ringrose
There is little doubt that Ireland’s Garry Ringrose will play for the Lions at some point in the future, but he was even unlucky in 2017. Though the tour may have come slightly too early for him, having only made his debut in late 2016, he was still a possible to make the tour.
14 Chris Ashton
Despite being exiled from the England team in 2017, partly due to disciplinary reasons, Chris Ashton was an outside bet to make the tour to New Zealand. As a player who scores tries for whomever he is representing, there is no question that he would have crossed the whitewash in a Lions jersey if he had the chance. Last time out he suggested his ‘wife’ had more chance of touring with the Lions.
15 Chris Paterson
Scotland’s record points scorer Chris Paterson also holds the unfortunate record of having the most caps in the British Isles without touring with the Lions. A haul of 109 caps and 809 points was still not enough for the form Edinburgh and Gloucester fullback to ever make the cut.
Honourable mentions: Mike Brown and Girvan Dempsey
Comments on RugbyPass
I wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
4 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
4 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to comments