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The final chance for any British and Irish Lions hopefuls to impress Andy Farrell and his staff has passed with the head coach preparing to name his squad on 8 May.
Together with a collaborative group of assistant coaches, of which former Ireland fly half Johnny Sexton is an eye-catching member, Farrell will set about narrowing down his options to come up with a touring party expected to number about 37 or 38 to travel to Australia.
The three-Test series against the Wallabies comes at the end of a 10-match itinerary sure to challenge the depth and versatility of the travelling group chosen – and this is perhaps the broadest group of candidates yet with a number of young guns, old stagers and French exiles all pushing for inclusion.
Has Northampton’s shock win over Leinster forced a late rethink? Will Ireland and Scotland’s disappointing Six Nations limit their representation? How many – if any – Welshmen will make the plane? The quadrennial selection always creates plenty of debate and dubiety.
Here are five key areas to look out for in Farrell’s selection this week.
Who wins the battle for back row places?
The very best of luck to Farrell and his staff as they attempt to narrow down their group of back row contenders to a reasonable number. The Lions could fill half of the plane with worthy options at the back of the scrum, with the openside position particularly hard-fought. The emergence of Henry Pollock – perhaps the in-form player in Europe with consistency belying his tender years – has only created another headache, with the 20-year-old surely forcing his way into Farrell’s plans.
Ben Earl, Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier all feel well placed to tour, too – with Ben Curry, Rory Darge and Tommy Reffell all lurking as options even without mentioning Jack Willis, good again for Toulouse against Bordeaux though perhaps hamstrung by a likely delayed arrival in Australia.
How many sevens will the Lions take? It may depend on how the coaches view the other two positions, with a couple of the likely locks able to slide to six if needed and Caelan Doris capable across the back row. Might there be space for a veteran? Taulupe Faletau has been in resurgent form for Wales and Cardiff, while Courtney Lawes has made no secret of his desire to tour despite last summer’s switch to Brive.
Will Owen Farrell break up the playmaking pecking order?
Fin Smith’s statement showing against Leinster in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals showed exactly why the England and Northampton fly half is a Lion-in-the-making, the 22-year-old blending calm, confidence and class to steer his side towards more success. Sam Prendergast also had his moments in a thrilling contest, though the Irishman feels further away from being a complete international 10 – with a few defensive frailties shown up again by Saints.
Finn Russell should be on the tour: Sexton’s comments last November suggesting that the Scottish playmaker was a “flashy” player have hit the headlines again after the Irishman’s appointment as a Lions lieutenant, but you would think the pair will put their differences to one side. The identity of the third fly half may therefore be the most intriguing. There are plenty within the game who feel Owen Farrell has been lined up to tour despite issues with injury and form during his first season at Racing 92, and the natural noise that his selection would create for the Lions head coach – his father. George Ford, who would offer so much as a tourist regardless of whether he has Test involvement, would be desperately unlucky in any case and will hope to get the nod.
Is there a captaincy conundrum?
Maro Itoje vs Caelan Doris? Or could there be a wildcard? It feels likely that it is a choice between two contenders for Farrell as he bids to nail down the leader of the Lions pride, but it has been rumoured that the head coach may consider naming a tour skipper – perhaps Jamie George – before figuring out his Test captain once in Australia.
That would go against Lions tradition in some ways, and it thus feels likelier that one of Itoje and Doris is unveiled at the O2 Arena on Thursday. One would suggest that the England lock’s superlative Six Nations, proving himself as a leader while maintaining high standards of performance, might just give him the edge. That could leave Doris to properly soak up his first Lions experience - provided he overcomes a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
How do you handle the French collection?
Owen Farrell, Willis and Lawes are just three of a bumper group of French-based players under consideration, with the Lions refusing to rule anyone out ahead of the squad naming. While Toulon’s Ben White is in the mix for a scrum half spot, the cases of Willis and Toulouse teammate Blair Kinghorn are perhaps the ones who command closest consideration given the likelihood that the French giants are in the Top 14 final on the weekend upon which the Lions play their first game in Australia.
A delayed arrival may well count against Willis given the competition on the flanks, yet Kinghorn is perhaps closer to being a certain member of the Test 23. Able to cover 10 and wing away from his preferred full-back home, the Scot must also overcome a knee injury if named.
Does the head coach innovate?
The head coach himself is something of an unknown entering a new-look squad announcement. The infrequent occurrence of the quadrennial series means that the rugby landscape can change dramatically between tours, and there aren’t many men to have held the top Lions job in the last 35 years – Ian McGeechan’s four tours and Warren Gatland’s three broken up only by tough trips under Graham Henry and Clive Woodward and 2001 and 2005 respectively.
So while we project with the received wisdom of Lions selections of the recent past, it may be that Farrell is thinking differently to his predecessors. The Englishman has revamped plenty in the Irish structure alongside former performance director David Nucifora – an intriguing member of his wider staff with the Lions – and could yet have a few funky ideas up his sleeve.
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