10-05-2025
These are best players to have never gone on a Lions tour
Whenever we discuss British and Irish Lions selections down the years, often there will be some mutterings about those players who somehow just never got the chance to tour. For example, Caelan Doris's untimely injury means that he misses out for the second tour in a row. Will he eventually get his chance?
This is a XV of players who never did get to tour.
15. Chris Paterson (Scotland)
A haul of 809 points in 109 Tests, placing him just behind a Lions hero in Leigh Halfpenny, represents an impressive career by any standards. A tour or two would have enriched it, of course, and Paterson's longevity meant he would have been in selection conversations in 2001, 2005 and 2009.
14. Simon Geoghegan (Ireland)
'I like hitting people as hard as I can,' said Geoghegan in a 1993 interview. 'It is psychologically very demoralising and makes them think twice.' How about that for a soundbite? Pacey, evasive and ferociously committed, Geoghegan was overlooked for that year's tour and scuppered by arthritis in his toe four years later when a place was held for him. That ailment hastened the end of his playing days.
13. Ralph Knibbs (England)
Knibbs did not represent England beyond under-23 level and on the sevens scene, so can count as something of a left-field selection in this line-up. He turned down England's tour of South Africa in 1984 because of his opposition to apartheid and opted out of a trip to Australia and Fiji four years later due to his work commitments for an estate agency. Knibbs became a stalwart of Bristol, amassing well over 400 appearances, and was revered for his silky skills and poise on the ball.
12. Mike Tindall (England)
A foot injury in 2005, either side of knee issues in 2001 and 2009; Lions years were not kind to Tindall. World Cup glory will have eased any pain, of course, though he would have been an enthusiastic tourist.
11. Jonny May (England)
May will stay at second on the all-time list of England try-scorers, behind only Rory Underwood, for some time. He plundered 24 of his 36 Test tries between the start of the 2017-18 season and the end of the 2020-21 campaign, peaking between two Lions tours.
10. George Ford (England)
Ford responded to his latest setback, having also been disappointed in 2017 and 2021, with a performance full of sumptuous moments for Sale Sharks against Leicester Tigers. A playmaker of undisputed class with 99 England caps, he could not be begrudged a call-up at some stage. At 32, he has plenty left to offer.
9. Peter Stringer (Ireland)
An icon of the Heineken Cup thanks to his exploits for Munster, Stringer won 98 caps owing largely to rapid, accurate service. He was prominent for Ireland during both the 2001 and 2005 Six Nations and even appeared during the 2009 edition, yet could not crack a Lions squad. Neither could Danny Care, who is in his effective role as a finisher for this team.
1. Trevor Woodman (England)
Woodman and Tindall are the only two members of the England side that started the 2003 World Cup final not to have toured with the Lions. Having only really established himself as a starter under Clive Woodward in the build-up to that tournament, Woodman would not play another Test after 2004 due to injury.
2. Dylan Hartley (England)
Suspension in 2013, for allegedly branding referee Wayne Barnes as a 'f------ cheat' during the Premiership final between Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers, derailed Hartley's best chance of becoming a Lion. Rory Best replaced him when an 11-week ban was handed down. Hartley captained England in Argentina four years later, having been overlooked by Warren Gatland.
3. Mike Ross (Ireland)
Priding himself on set-piece solidity, Ross won two Six Nations titles as well as back-to-back Heineken Cup triumphs for Leinster in 2011 and 2012. He went to two World Cups, in 2011 and 2015, on the way to 61 caps. The 2013 Lions tour would have been his best shot, but Matt Stevens was appointed to back up Adam Jones and Dan Cole.
4. Joe Launchbury (England)
At his best, Launchbury halted opposition mauls and propelled scrums from the engine room while marauding around the pitch. His tap-tackle on Rob Kearney in 2014 at Twickenham was extraordinary and he would have been a worthy Lion. Having missed the 2013 and 2017 tours, though, he ruptured knee ligaments in April of 2021.
5. Alastair McHarg (Scotland)
Rangy and abrasive yet mobile and immensely skilful, McHarg was celebrated for the timing of his line-out jumping and labelled as a rather unorthodox lock. Though the Lions would elude him, he did represent the Barbarians and totted up 44 Scotland caps.
6. Dai Morris (Wales)
Nicknamed 'Shadow' by the great Gareth Edwards on account of his instinctive and tireless support play, Morris, a reluctant flyer, was one of the few members of Wales's 1971 Grand Slammers not to tour New Zealand with the Lions. Renowned as being unflinchingly tough yet unfailingly fair, he earned 34 caps between 1967 and 1974 as well as making more than 400 career appearances for Neath. He was awarded an MBE in 2018.
7. David Leslie (Scotland)
Integral to Scotland's Five Nations clean sweep in 1984, Leslie had been omitted from the Lions squad the previous year on account of Jim Telfer's concern that New Zealand openside Graham Mourie would get the better of him. Telfer still rated Leslie as perhaps the best player he ever coached and offered up this immortal tribute to The Rugby Paper in 2014: 'All really good sides need a nutter in their pack and when your nutter is also a Scottish public schoolboy you really are quids-in because, let me tell, you they are the maddest of the mad, the bravest of the brave.'
8. Anthony Foley (Ireland)
Intuitive but unflashy, Foley was – and remains – another figure synonymous with Munster's success, having captained them to Heineken Cup glory in 2006. He accrued 62 Ireland caps and would probably have had his strongest Lions claim in 2001, when Scott Quinnell and Lawrence Dallaglio travelled as potential No 8s and Martin Corry was called up during the tour.
Replacements: 16. Jerry Flannery (Ireland)* 17. Duncan Jones (Wales), 18. Jeff Probyn (England), 19. Geoff Wheel (Wales) 20. Sam Underhill (England), 21. Danny Care (England), 22. Jonathan Davies (Wales), 23. Andrew Trimble (Ireland)
