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British & Irish Lions 2025 - who starts the first test in Australia?

By Paul Smith
Maro Itoje/ PA

While a Lions tour does not these days signal the end of a playing cycle in the same way as a World Cup, there can be little doubt that some 2017 New Zealand survivors are unlikely to don the famous red jersey for a third time in Australia in four years’ time.

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Looking into a crystal ball at such distance is a difficult task – not least because we are some way from knowing the identity of the man who will make those selection calls.

But with this summer’s younger tourists likely to be in their prime in 2025, we have taken a look at who survives and who might join them in the first test line-up.

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Warren Gatland speaks about his Lions future

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Warren Gatland speaks about his Lions future

Back Three

Anthony Watson
At 31 the Bath speedster will be the second oldest man in our back division, but the England star’s fast feet, secure hands and ability to play at full back or wing gets him the nod to make a third Lions tour.

Louis Rees-Zammit
The Wales and Gloucester winger made a massive impression on both the Gallagher Premiership and the Six Nations and as a result earned himself a spot on the plane to South Africa.

At 24 he will be in his prime when the Lions visit Australia where he is sure to relish the firm grounds.

Duhan van der Merwe
Scotland’s recently qualified winger started all three of the 2021 test matches in the land of his birth.

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Fears he may be exposed by the Springboks kicking game proved largely unfounded and his bulk, power and pace proved a useful ball-carrying asset.

Van der Merwe will be 30 when the Lions leave for Australia – and by then is likely to be one of Scotland’s most capped players.

Jordan Larmour
The Leinster and Ireland full back or wing will be 28 in 2025 and by then should have enjoyed plenty of international experience following the departure of stalwarts like Keith Earls.

His positional versatility makes him the ideal replacement for Elliot Daly in the no.23 shirt.

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Centres

Nick Tompkins
The former Saracens back, who will be 30 in 2025, proved an instant hit following his move across the Severn Bridge and with George North and Jonathan Davies getting no younger he seems likely to enjoy plenty of game time in Wayne Pivac’s midfield.

Robbie Henshaw
The by then 32-year-old Leinster and Ireland midfielder was one of the biggest successes of the 2021 South Africa tour, and providing he stays fit he is taken to bring power and experience to the Australian trip.

Lions Marcus Smith
Marcus Smith /Getty

Fly Half

Marcus Smith
It is impossible to look beyond the glowing recommendation the Lions coaches provided of the Harlequins no.10 at the end of the 2021 tour.

Smith’s stellar Premiership winning season with his club earned him a first England cap only a few weeks before he was parachuted into the Lions party as injury cover.

Of course, he first ideally has to convince England boss Eddie Jones to select him ahead of Owen Farrell and George Ford – although depending on the identity of Gatland’s successor this may not be considered an issue.

Callum Sheedy
Should the 2025 Lions opt for a less ‘route one’ approach the option of pairing Wales no.10 Sheedy with Smith as a second play-maker is an interesting one.

The Bristol fly half will be 29 when the Australia tour departs and could well have enjoyed two seasons as his country’s starting pivot should Dan Biggar’s career not extend beyond the 2023 World Cup. He therefore wears the no.22 shirt.

Scrum Half

Harry Randall
Bristol’s impressive run to topping the Gallagher Premiership’s regular season table saw some sparkling displays from their pacy no.9.

This earned him occasional third scrum half selections in England’s squad and a place on their summer tour.

Randall will be 27 in 2025 and by then should have four seasons vying with Dan Robson as the successor to Ben Youngs.

Kieran Hardy
Scarlets no.9 Hardy made a big impression on his club’s domestic campaigns following his return to Wales from Jersey.

Since then he has won four caps for his country and in a position where the Lions are not over blessed with options he has the potential to develop into the back-up scrum half role as a 29-year-old in 2025.

Loose Head

Rory Sutherland
There is no substitute for experience in the front row and the by then 32-year-old Rory Sutherland should be close to the 75-cap mark by the time the Australia tour arrives.

Part of a unit which has made Scotland’s scrum a powerful weapon for the first time in decades the Edinburgh prop earned two Lions caps this summer.

Rhys Carre
The Cardiff Blues loose head switched back to the club from Saracens after being part of his country’s 2019 World Cup campaign.

Carre is now working under the tutelage of former Lions prop Dai Young – a coach renowned for his ability to improve front rowers.

Hookers
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Another survivor of the 2021 tour, the Exeter hooker appeared in all three tests in South Africa, twice starting ahead of the proven quality of Jamie George and Ken Owens.

His phenomenal ball carrying and tackle stats make him a standout performer, and by 2025 the 32-year-old is taken to have also further improved his lineout throwing.

Ronan Kelleher provided injury cover on the 2021 Lions tour/PA

Ronan Kelleher
Ireland no.2 Kelleher joined the 2021 British & Irish Lions pre-tour training camp in Jersey as informal cover for George Cowan-Dickie and was then added to the touring party a few weeks later.

With only two seasons of Leinster first team rugby behind him, Kelleher’s rise was nothing short of meteoric and aged 27 in 2025 he should push the Exeter man hard for the starting berth.

Tight Head

Tadgh Furlong
Probably the best front rower in the British Isles and Ireland since 2017, Furlong will be in the autumn of his career as a 32-year-old when the Lions visit Australia.

Assuming he stays fit, anyone good enough to wrestle the starting shirt from the Leinsterman will be quite a performer.

Zander Fagerson
The uncapped 2021 Lion will at 29 be in his prime when the Lions embark on their next tour.

A strong enough scrummager to oust WP Nel from the Scotland starting line-up, Fagerson will be closing in on his 100th international cap in 2025.

Second Row

Maro Itoje is a leading contender to captain the 2025 Lions (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Maro Itoje
Making his third Lions tour having started every test match in New Zealand and South Africa the Saracens lock could well have enjoyed a couple of seasons as England captain by the time he boards the plane to Australia.

At the age of 30 and respected across the globe he is every inch the ideal successor to Willie John McBride, Martin Johnson and Alun Wyn Jones as the tour’s Lions skipper.

James Ryan
The Leinster lock was pencilled into many 2021 Lions tour parties before he got injured then struggled to recover his form in the 18 months ahead of the tour.

Time is on his side however, and at 29 he can prove the ideal foil to Itoje in the Lions engine room.

Adam Beard
The Ospreys lock impressed many observers on the 2021 tour but faced an uphill battle to gain selection ahead of Itoje and Jones.

A key part of Wales’ line-up, Beard claims the bench spot in this 2021 selection.

Back Row

Caelan Doris
The dynamic Leinster back-rower is tall enough to offer a lineout option but mobile enough to cope with the more open game plan this selection will adopt on the fast Australian surfaces.

A newcomer to international rugby in 2020, Doris lost out on Lions selection to physically bigger players including test starter Courtney Lawes.

Tom Curry
Good enough to keep Sam Underhill out of England’s no.7 shirt and Hamish Watson out of the 2021 Lions line-up, Curry is potentially a star in the making.

The Sale flanker has already won 33 international caps after making his debut at the age of only 19.

Zach Mercer
The outstanding no.8 has recently decamped from Bath to Montpellier at least in part because of the lack of opportunity given to him by Eddie Jones.

We envisage this situation changing after France 2023 at which point Mercer could become an England regular under a new head coach.

Sam Simmonds
Exeter’s record-breaking back-rower is another who has missed the England coach’s list of preferred options, but his pace in open field and eye for the try-line makes him an ideal impact replacement to use against tiring defenders.

Simmonds won one cap on the 2021 Lions tour.

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Trevor 53 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of 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 comments
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