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Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Lions squad announcement 2025: live updates from the O2
Elgan Alderman The exodus of English players to France has added a layer of intrigue to today's announcement. Will Andy Farrell pick players who are ineligible for international rugby — among them former England captains in his son, Owen, and Courtney Lawes, Toulouse's rosbif sensation Jack Willis, and real bolters in David Ribbans or Manu Tuilagi — off the strength of their pedigree and/or Top 14 form? Scotland's Blair Kinghorn and Ben White are also in the mix of decisions that could come down to logistics: the Top 14 does not finish until the day of the Lions' first match in Australia. Contending with availability of those over the Channel is nothing new for Lions selectors. • What Jack Willis and Courtney Lawes can learn from past Lions bolters Will Kelleher, O2 Arena The Times can exclusively reveal the identity of the first 2025 British & Irish Lion… Elgan Alderman Wales has so much history with the Lions, yet the debate around the build-up to this year's tour has centred on whether any of their players will make it in. Seventeen defeats in a row, and consecutive wooden spoons, will do that to you. Wales dominated the make-up of squads between 1950 and 1980. With the exception of 1959, they were the primary source of players: 13 on the famous tour of 1971, when Carwyn James's side beat the All Blacks; more than half of the group for the return in 1977; and almost half of the players in South Africa three years later. Even in the Eighties and Nineties, when Welsh rugby was not in the rudest of health, there were at least five, and a double-figure tally has been par for the course in the 21st century. Today, even four players would feel like a positive outcome. Will Kelleher sets the scene at the O2… Will Kelleher, O2 Arena I've just had a chat with a legendary Welshman who is here for the announcement today and is very resigned to there being a record low number of his compatriots picked by Andy Farrell. He's heard that Jac Morgan should be in, and probably Tomos Williams, but other than that he's not expecting many others. Five players was a modern low for the Welsh Lions contingent, in 1993, so two would be a disaster really for a proud nation which loves the Lions more than any other. Alex Lowe, O2 Arena Timing in sport, as poor Caelan Doris has found to his cost this past weekend, is everything. This is now surely Maro Itoje's time. Itoje was made the Saracens captain at the start of the season and then appointed England captain in January, before the Six Nations. In contrast to Doris, Itoje improved with all the added responsibility. He has proved Eddie Jones to be wrong and is now playing at the peak of his powers, not only wearing the leadership responsibilities lightly but revelling in them. • Alex Lowe: This is Maro Itoje's time to thrive as British & Irish Lions captain Will Kelleher, O2 Arena No he does not, and no he will not, if he does not think they warrant selection. Farrell made it clear in March that there would be no 'token' picks. However, the awkward scenario of this being a three-country team should be avoided as the likes of Morgan and Tomos Williams are prime contenders to go. Taulupe Faletau's case has been strengthened after the injury to Doris, as even at 34 the three-times Lion is performing well for Cardiff. • A place for Henry Pollock but no Welshmen? Key Lions questions Elgan Alderman It feels as if the second row is the spiritual home of Lions captains, making Maro Itoje a fitting choice. Four years ago, in the hazy post-lockdown days, I pulled together a graphic that showed how the Lions touring XVs had changed over the years. One thing that stood out was the longevity of various locks in the position. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Willie John McBride, the 1974 captain and most experienced Lion of all with 17 caps, across two tours partnered Gordon Brown, who started alongside Bill Beaumont, who started as captain in 1980 alongside Maurice Colclough — experienced men all. Martin Johnson emerged in 1993 and was a totem for three tours, including as captain in 1997 and 2001. After Johnson came Paul O'Connell, the 2009 captain, who started alongside Alun Wyn Jones, a veteran of four tours and the captain in 2021. Jones retired with ten Lions starts overseas, of which the final five were alongside Itoje. Only the selection of George Kruis in the first Test of 2017, with Itoje (the youngest member of the squad) as a replacement, has prevented the England lock from being ever-present in touring XVs. Elgan Alderman There will be a lot of dismayed rugby players today if their name is not read out — but that does not mean that their Test hopes are over. Lions lore is full of players who missed out, turned up as replacements and ended up forcing their way into the XV, such are the slings and arrows. The first one that always springs to my mind is Ryan Jones. The young back-rower — at the end of a season in which he was at a new club because the Celtic Warriors had gone bust, made his international debut and won a grand slam — was playing for Wales in North America when he was summoned to New Zealand. He was superb against Otago and immediately forced his way into the Test squad. Following Richard Hill's injury, Jones played most of the game and was outstanding, and wore No8 for the rest of the series. Simon Easterby and Mark Cueto also went from outsider to Test Lion that year. Four years ago, Kyle Sinckler replaced the injured Andrew Porter before the tour began, having spoken emotionally after a Gallagher Premiership fixture about his initial omission, and won three caps off the bench. Adam Beard, called up as cover after Alun Wyn Jones's dislocated shoulder, joined him among the third-Test replacements. The last time the Lions were in Australia, Alex Corbisiero was a vital cog at loose-head prop. He wasn't in the original squad, but Cian Healy's injury against Western Force opened the door. Tom Croft is synonymous with the 2009 tour, starting in the back row twice and scoring a brace in the first Test. He was only in South Africa because of Alan Quinlan's ban for eye-gouging in the Heineken Cup. Ross Ford and John Hayes also played in Tests after missing out at first, while James Hook was an unused substitute in the finale. In 2001, a trio of call-ups (Gordon Bulloch, Dorian West and Andy Nicol) sat on benches against Australia, four years after Paul Wallace and Mike Catt made delayed journeys into the Test team. Their captain in South Africa, Martin Johnson, played against the All Blacks in 1993 after he took Wade Dooley's place on tour (Dooley had left because his father died, and was prevented from returning). Another 1997 alumnus, Jeremy Guscott, made his debut in 1989 following Will Carling's withdrawal. Will Kelleher, O2 Arena Maro Itoje is set to be unveiled as the British & Irish Lions captain, the first Englishman to be chosen for the role since Martin Johnson. Itoje, 30, emerged as the prime candidate after injury struck Caelan Doris, the Ireland No8. Doris had surgery this week on his shoulder, which he hurt during Leinster's 37-34 defeat by Northampton Saints last Saturday, leaving Itoje as the top captaincy choice for Lions head coach Andy Farrell. • Maro Itoje to be named British & Irish Lions captain for Australia tour Will Kelleher, O2 Arena Here we go then! 'It's Christmas Day!' one of the presenters said to me as I came into the O2 Arena for the British & Irish Lions squad announcement event — and that's about right. Just for rugby fans — around 2,000 of which will be here in the Indigo at the O2 today — this is a day of excitement and trepidation, let alone for the players nervously waiting for their names to be read out from 2pm by Ieuan Evans. Around 40 players will be Lions by about 2.30pm, their dreams made, and a whole load of others will have theirs dashed — for now. Rugby's ultimate fantasy game day is upon us. The Times will have you covered throughout, with this live blog, then pieces later from Alex Lowe, Owen Slot and me — and then a Ruck podcast special for your Friday morning commute! Will there be a spot for Owen Farrell, Henry Pollock or any Welsh players? It's not long now until head coach Andy Farrell finally reveals his hand. Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the British & Irish Lions squad announcement. Andy Farrell will name his selections for this summer's tour to Australia from 2pm at the O2 Arena in London in front of 2,000 paying supporters and about 200 journalists. Stay tuned for updates from Alex Lowe, Owen Slot, Will Kelleher and Elgan Alderman.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lions may strike deal for Top 14 stars
The British and Irish Lions may negotiate with top French clubs for early release of players for this summer's tour of Kinghorn, Jack Willis, Ben White and Kyle Sinckler are among the potential tourists in contention to play in the Top 14 play-offs that clash with the start of the Lions' itinerary."Maybe a team in France might be open to a conversation about letting people go early," said Lions head coach Andy Farrell to Rugby Union Weekly, adding that there was no set Lions policy on France-based players."If someone gets through to the final in France, they would probably get to us for game three [of the Australian leg of the tour]. How that all fits is something we will carry on discussing." The Top 14 final – the climax of French rugby's domestic season – takes place on 28 June in the same day, on the opposite side of the world, the Lions play Perth's Western Force in their first match on Australian travel and jetlag, it is unlikely any player involved in the Top 14 final would turn out for the Lions before their match against the Waratahs on 5 July, just a fortnight before the first Test against – who have played in four of the last five Top 14 finals and lead this season's standings – have Scotland's versatile star Kinghorn and flanker Willis among their has shone since moving to France in late 2022. However his decision to extend his contract with Toulouse, rather than return home in the aftermath of former club Wasps going bust, means he is currently ineligible for England selection and hasn't played Test rugby since the 2023 Rugby World is precedent for the Lions negotiating the early release of players from French 2013, Welsh prop Gethin Jenkins, whose contract was coming to an end with Toulon, was cleared to link up Warren Gatland's Lions before they left for French sides have recently been highly protective of their talent, striking a deal to excuse players involved in the Top 14 final from the national team's summer tour of New Zealand. After two months out of action through injury, Owen Farrell made his return in Racing 92's away win over Clermont Auvergne on 33-year-old fly-half, a three-time Lions tourist with 112 England caps, could be available immediately after the final round of regular-season Top 14 games on 7 June as Racing lie 12th in the table, facing an uphill battle for a play-offs ability to play as a centre would be an asset, but he faces stiff competition at 10 where Scotland's Finn Russell, England's Fin Smith and George Ford and Ireland duo Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley are all specialists. Up to six contenders for Lions captaincy Head coach Farrell said that there are as many as six players in contention for the Lions captaincy, with the skipper not learning of his appointment until shortly before the squad's announcement on 8 May."There are maybe four, five, six on the list," he said."When you narrow it down - this is the right number to fit the schedule and what you need and which hybrid players can play in different positions – then you consider who are the leaders within that, what are the dynamics of a leadership group and who is going to be capable of being themselves and comfortable in and around all that."It takes a little bit of a process, rather than diving straight in."Ireland captain Caelan Doris, England skipper Maro Itoje and Wales counterpart Jac Morgan are all also confirmed that his coaching staff are still to decide their individual unveiled Simon Easterby, Richard Wigglesworth, John Dalziel, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty as his assistants earlier on and Goodman oversee England and Ireland's attack respectively."The conversations have started and the next time we meet, we will start piecing the jigsaw together," said Farrell, who did not rule out adding more staff to his coaching ranks.
