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Warren Gatland will be returning this summer to take on his third British and Irish Lions tour as head coach. It will be his fourth overall, and he will be hoping to right some of the wrongs of 2009. But he will not be the only one returning, as there is likely to be a contingent of players bidding to make their second, third or even fourth (in the case of Alun Wyn Jones) tour.
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The experience of the 2017 drawn series against the All Blacks could prove beneficial for some as the Lions take on the new world champions. With an injection of youth from the next generation, particularly in the second row and back row, Gatland will know the possibilities that await.
Though there are certainly a few aging players that will be aware that this will be their final tour with the Lions, the former Wales coach could legitimately field a team of players 30 years or older, which is an indication of the experience that will be on show in the summer.
So this is a potential Lions XV of players who will be 30+ in the summer:
1 MAKO VUNIPOLA (30)
One of, if not the leading contender to start at loosehead, Mako Vunipola will be 30 come the summer, though he could be pushed by Cian Healy, who at 33 may still have his sights set on another tour.
2 JAMIE GEORGE (30)
Jamie George and Ken Owens were the two main options at hooker in 2017, and they could both be in the squad four years later despite the Welshman now being 34.
3 DAN COLE (34)
Tighthead prop appears to be no position for old men in 2021, although there are a few players in their thirties that have a chance of making the tour. Cole was a Lion in 2013 and 2017, but has slipped down the pecking order in the last 12 months with England following the Rugby World Cup final. It’s highly unlikely but not unthinkable that he could be selected, dependent on injuries, at tighthead. WP Nel at 35 also deserves an honourable mention
4 ALUN WYN JONES (33)
Aiming for his fourth Tour, the 35-year-old Jones refuses to set any limits on his career, and few would bet against the Welshman careering into the Springboks at some point in the summer.
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5 COURTNEY LAWES (32)
Though names like Maro Itoje and James Ryan immediately leap out as the starting locks, or partners to AWJ, Courtney Lawes is an impact-sub extraordinaire.
6 PETER O’MAHONEY (31)
Captained the Lions in the first Test in 2017, Peter O’Mahony brings the grit needed to face the Springboks, although there is an abundance of rivals.
7 JUSTIN TIPURIC (31)
Will face some very stiff competition from some young guns, but Justin Tipuric is a unique player and therefore always an attractive option. Will turn 32 during the Test series, and as said, plays in probably the most competitive position.
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8 TAULUPE FALETAU (30)
Though he has had some tough injuries in recent years, a fully-fit Taulupe Faletau will be very close to the starting XV in the summer in what would be his third tour. The No8 remarkably will only be 30, but will have a decade of Test rugby under his belt.
9 CONOR MURRAY (32)
In the same way they have over the past 10 years, Conor Murray and Ben Youngs, who will be 32 and 31, respectively, in the summer, could be competing for the No9 shirt again.
10 JONATHAN SEXTON (36)
Will be 36 come the first Test against the Springboks, but no one should count against Jonathan Sexton playing some part of the tour.
11 JONNY MAY (31)
One of the most lethal wingers in world rugby currently, Jonny May will be 31 in the summer, although he remains as electrifying as ever.
12 MANU TUILAGI (30)
Having missed the 2017 tour through injury, and currently out with a torn achilles, a fit Manu Tuilagi is likely to fly to South Africa.
13 JONATHAN DAVIES (33)
This may well be Jonathan Davies’ last Lions tour, having been monumental in 2013 and particularly 2017 (where he was player of the series), but he turns 33 this year.
14 LIAM WILLIAMS (30)
Whether on the wing, at fullback or on the bench, Liam Williams, who turns 30 in April, should feature in some capacity in the Test series.
15 LEIGH HALFPENNY (32)
The 2013 player of the series, Leigh Halfpenny will also be looking at one final tour. Though there are many younger rivals in the back three, Gatland knows exactly what he will get from the 32-year-old.
Comments on RugbyPass
Both nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
1 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to comments