LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Many Lions might have opted for the safe route - not Maro Itoje'

Friends as well as Rivals Reunited, no more English or Irish or Welsh or Scot, just Lions. The time-honoured verity remains as true as ever despite all the modern flim-flammery that surrounds an announcement.

It would be a blessed relief if the Lions were to adopt Conclave Rules next time around: no phones, no gimmicks, no outside world. But the essence is still there, a sense of adventure allied to hard-nosed pragmatism. As Andy Farrell put it, “it’s not just about friendship.”

The harsh reality of what lies ahead, a whistlestop schedule of 10 matches in six weeks, means versatility is as important as stardust quality. The imperative is not just to get through such an arduous, high-casualty rate trip but also to come back with the booty – a series win. Hence, two Englishmen, Marcus Smith and Elliot Daly, get the nod for their multi-position adaptability while Henry Pollock is a potential game-changing presence, raw as he is. Jerry Guscott didn’t do too badly in 1989 in Australia when little was known of him except for the promise of being able to deliver things others cannot see let alone do. Pollock has that within him.

That England have the second highest representation is no surprise given their improved and improving performances through the Six Nations. The momentum is with them. That their captain is now the Lions captain is no surprise either.

Never mind the blow of a late injury to Caelan Doris, Maro Itoje ought still to have been the favoured man. Those who argue he was chosen so as to balance the Irish-heavy personnel in playing and management ranks have obviously not heard Farrell speak much. His distinctive, no-nonsense Wigan-accented delivery at the O2 love-in was a much-needed antidote to the contrived pageantry around it. Farrell epitomises the Lions – selfless, fierce, convivial and driven. He is an elite sportsman first and foremost: not a former English centre or the current Irish head coach. Just a beast in red. Nothing gets in the way of the central mission – to beat the Wallabies.

Itoje is cut from the same cloth which may seem a strange thing to say of a dyed-in-the-wool Northerner compared to a Nigeria-born, Harrow-educated fashionista. Both, though, are their own men.

Itoje is cut from the same cloth which may seem a strange thing to say of a dyed-in-the-wool Northerner compared to a Nigeria-born, Harrow-educated fashionista. Both, though, are their own men. If there was one small image that encapsulated the fact Farrell has chosen the right single-minded person to lead the Lions it lay in the sight of the earring dangling from Itoje’s left earlobe. Many players might have opted for the safe route of conservative rugby convention, not quite club blazer and tie but toeing the party line. Not Itoje. A thoughtful, distinctive, multi-layered modern man is what he is. And sees no reason not to be as he is.

Unfortunately, there are still many bog-eyed, small-minded below-the-comment-line types who vilify Itoje for his background and his tastes. Farrell knows what a proper strong character is and Itoje is his pick. Itoje will take his earring assuredness to the Wallabies, as will those alongside him, part cavalier free spirit, part one-for-all-musketeer.

There was never any danger Farrell would allow sentiment to cloud his judgement. In other circumstances, son Owen would have been a genuine contender but he has played so little high-level rugby it would have been lunacy, or nepotism in the eyes of some, to have included him, significant as his attributes are. Even Test match animals have to show the billing still holds true. Mind you, maybe a few more games, a sudden injury crisis, and Owen will be heading south.

The same applies to the claims of Courtney Lawes, warrior that he is but only when operating these days at ProD2 level for Brive. Jack Willis ticks the boxes but Farrell has been persuaded by what has been right in front of his eyes these past few weeks and gone for he-who-can-do-no-wrong in Pollock. Every time the 20-year-old has been asked to step up to the mark, or had doubts raised about him, he has answered in resounding fashion. The Northampton Saint will not be content with being along for the ride, nor would Farrell.

“We want players who are setting standards, who are vying for respect,” said Farrell, acknowledging what he wants is to have more selection headaches of the like he had in whittling down this 38-man squad. “The last 10% was torture.”

Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier, will expect, indeed will relish, the fact Pollock will be pushing for that Test No.7 shirt.

Willis’ availability for the start of the tour, like that of fellow Stade Toulousain player, Scotland full-back, Blair Kinghorn, is in doubt given their club commitments. Farrell has many top-class alternatives in the back-row, far fewer at full-back. That’s how cut-throat selection is and has to be.

Ford would have been a wonderful tourist, a quasi-coach in the making, in terrific form for Sale Sharks, and just the man to step in at short notice – and a Lions tour throws up ad-hoc situations to navigate all the time – and lead a Test team.

There were other Englishmen left on the sidelines, notably George Ford and Jamie George, both of who can consider themselves unfortunate. Ford would have been a wonderful tourist, a quasi-coach in the making, in terrific form for Sale Sharks, and just the man to step in at short notice – and a Lions tour throws up ad-hoc situations to navigate all the time – and lead a Test team. His training ground and midweek value, too, would have merited his selection.

Instead it is Marcus Smith who gets the call, lending a wonderful bounce to what had become a flat-lining season. Few pundits would have chosen Smith given Ireland’s Sam Prendergast had spent so much time in the bright lights across the past few months. Maybe too much time? Perhaps, for the exposure of frailties, such as happened to the Leinster fly-half in the Champions Cup semi-final, rarely makes for good reading in the notebook of a Lions head coach. Prendergast’s star has waned as Fin Smith’s has waxed leaving the other Smith, Marcus, as the preferred option given he can cover 15 as well. On such margins.

Marcus has to quickly relocate his mojo, that instinctive spring which infused his play with match-shaping exuberance, and bring that to the Lions. Even though the Harlequin has been as professional as ever, his travails are bound to have dented his confidence. Now he has got the trip, it is only right he shoots for the pot. Farrell has not picked him to be a third-choice fly-half.

It will be scant consolation for George, who has been a tremendous force for the Lions, that he is playing as well now as he has done for the last couple of years. It would have been the tightest of calls between him and Ronan Kelleher. George brings so much energy and empathy to the Lions, that Farrell must have relied on his close-quarters understanding of Kelleher to have given him the nod. Fair enough.

There were other English candidates in the mix midway through the season only for injury to scupper their prospects, notably Bath centre, Ollie Lawrence and Exeter wing, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. Leicester forward, George Martin, would also have been in that selection conversation.

There will be bruised egos and heavy hearts – Ben Curry, for example, has not played a below-par minute throughout the entire season. Such players can only cross fingers and hope they can do an Alex Corbisero. On the last trip to Australia in 2013, the prop missed out on original selection yet was man of the match in the series-clinching third Test. Hold on to those dreams.