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Clive Woodward names Lions Text XV of 8 Irish, 4 Scots, 3 English
By Liam Heagney
Clive Woodward has included eight Irish, four Scots and three English in the British and Irish Lions team he wants to see open the 2025 Test series versus the Wallabies in Brisbane on July 17. The 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning boss with England led the Lions on their ill-fated 2005 expedition to New Zealand where the hosts won the Test series 3-0.
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Twenty years on from that trip, they are scheduled to tour Australia and Woodward, writing in his latest Sportsmail column, has now named the team that head coach Andy Farrell should pick to see off Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
The curiosity about Woodward’s preferred Lions XV is that three of his pack picks haven’t played a single minute of the Autumn Nations Series. Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong were both injury absentees for Ireland while England team selection regulations meant that the Toulouse-based Jack Willis was unavailable to Steve Borthwick.
Woodward certainly must have liked what he saw during November from Gregor Townsend’s Scotland backs as he believes that four players – Blair Kinghorn, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe and Finn Russell – should be on Farrell’s Lions team sheet.
With Ireland only getting two backline representatives in Garry Ringrose and Jamison Gibson-Park, their selection dominance is in the pack with six picks. Andrew Porter was included in an all-Irish front row with Sheehan and Furlong, Joe McCarthy was named at lock, with Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris – who would be the Lions captain – in the back row.
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: This is my British and Irish Lions team to beat Australia – and why I wish I'd never taken the coaching job https://t.co/VfdIXAEce8
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) November 29, 2024
That left three spots remaining and Woodward went with England players, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in the backs and Maro Itoje with Willis in the pack.
The ex-Lions boss only considered Wales players good enough for a bench role, picking Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams as cover along with two English, two Irish and one Scot.
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Clive Woodward’s British and Irish Lions XV
15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)
13. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
12. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
11. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
10. Finn Russell (Scotland)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
2. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
4 – Maro Itoje (England)
5. Joe McCarthy (Ireland)
6. Jack Willis (England)
7. Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
8. Caelan Doris (Ireland, captain)
Replacements: Dewi Lake (Wales), Ellis Genge (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Jac Morgan (Wales), Tomos Williams (Wales), Marcus Smith (England), James Lowe (Ireland).
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Bierne starting ahead of Willis and Cunningham South on the bench. Mitchell over Williams. I think Farrell will prefer Keenan over Kinghorn as well.
Yes not a bad Scottish/Irish/England Lions side
But not scary
A weak Welsh side doesn’t help when you think of some of the greats in previous sides
Not sure about McCarthy- don’t rate him that highly
Feels like there should be 1-2 more Scots but bizarrely they always get shunned
Could easily swap the wings with Graham and Lowe but these two are excellent
Huw Jones?
Ellis Genge not a great scrummager.
A good looking team though.
Ringrose is very good but yeah I’d go with the Scottish combo
In fact a whole Scottish backline wouldn’t look out of place
I think this shows how the Lions side has slipped since the start of the NH tours. Aus went in with people saying dont send the Lions there but now Ireland are slipping, Scotland a bit inconsistant. England slipping and Wales a mess.
Not a bad team at all to be honest.
Not a bad team but I’d have Darcy off the bench ahead of Lowe, far more likely to see an X factor special from him if chasing the game.
I’d have Lowe as first choice winger - can do everything and his left boot is amazing. Darcy scores lots of great tries against 2nd tier opposition - although he had some good breaks against Australia. He hasn’t scored many against top opposition. Lowe scores at the top level. I’d even put Kyle Steyn ahead of Darcy.